Despite making a bowl game, Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Sam Pittman remains on the hot seat. When he was hired for the 2020 season, he was not the school’s first choice. The career offensive line coach was not on anyone’s NCAAF future odds list to become the HC. But Pittman quickly won over the faithful as a previous Arkansas assistant with a folksy charm and his tireless work ethic. By his second season, Pittman went 9-4, and the Hogs finished with a national ranking of 21st. At that point, all things seemed possible.
2025 SBG College Football Futures: Arkansas Razorbacks
| Odds to Win National Championship: | +40000 |
|---|---|
| Odds to Win SEC Championship: | +15000 |
| Over/Under Win Total: | 5.5 |
2025 Arkansas Razorbacks Schedule
- Aug 30 vs. Alabama A&M Bulldogs
- Sep 6 vs. Arkansas State Red Wolves
- Sep 13 at Ole Miss Rebels
- Sep 20 at Memphis Tigers
- Sep 27 vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- Oct 4 OFF
- Oct 11 at Tennessee Volunteers
- Oct 18 vs. Texas A&M Aggies
- Oct 25 vs. Auburn Tigers
- Nov 1 vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs
- Nov 8 OFF
- Nov 15 at LSU Tigers
- Nov 22 at Texas Longhorns
- Nov 29 vs. Missouri Tigers
Since Pittman’s sportsbook peak, Arkansas has struggled. Last year, with Pittman on the hot seat, Arkansas finished 7-6 and just 3-5 in SEC play. It took a Liberty Bowl record for Pittman to survive. Still, Pittman is hanging on, but for how much longer?
History shows that Arkansas has a steep climb in the SEC, where they have struggled since joining in 1992. Correlate that Arkansas lacks the natural recruiting advantages in-state compared to the best teams in the SEC.
Sam Pittman is the third-longest-tenured head coach with his current SEC team. Arkansas hasn’t found any sort of consistency. But just when it seems like things are about to go in the tank under Pittman, boom. Consider that Arkansas lost to Oklahoma State last year, but it came up with a win over Tennessee.
The 2023 team lost to three teams that finished with losing records. But they came close to beating Alabama. The 2023 team lost to a mediocre Auburn squad. Yet it compiled a slew of strong victories en route to a winning season. The SEC isn’t as good as SEC types think it is. Still, there is something to the problem of parity in the conference. Arkansas would’ve had a far better record-wise in the Pittman era had it been in the ACC or Big 12. So the Hogs have to be graded a bit on a 2025 college football futures curve.
The 21 wins in two seasons under former head coach and current offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino happened 14 years ago. There have been just three double-digit win campaigns since the Southwest Conference era. Also, the Hogs enjoyed just three winning seasons in the last eight years. But all three of them were under Pittman, and now it’s time to ask for more. Now, 2025 is the sixth season in the Pittman era, and while the record might not be amazing, the schedule is merciless.
Arkansas Razorbacks Team History
Arkansas left the Southwest Conference (SWC) in 1992 to join the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The SWC was imploding, and the Arkansas administration believed the SEC would provide stability and a greater financial windfall. However, the move to the SEC has come with a price.
Since joining the SEC, Arkansas has only one top-10 finish. They have been ranked in the top 25 only six times. Arkansas has made the SEC championship game three times. They lost all three games.