Preseason rankings show Hogs' schedule maybe not so bad

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.

If ESPN is to be believed, the Arkansas football schedule might be more managable than originally thought.

When this past season concluded, six teams that put up double-digit wins were able to look ahead to facing the Razorbacks in 2025, including four of the Top 11.

However, as daunting as that may sound, in the world of NIL and the transfer portal, potential dynasties are dismantled as quickly as they are assembled, making connections from year to year almost impossible to make.

Sam Pittman's Hogs will still do their best to compete for the nation's hardest schedule, as is annual tradition in Fayetteville.

It should also be noted that preseason polls tend to not hold up too well by season's end.

Still, it's what's available to work with, so let's see the road Arkansas is projected to face.

The highest ranked team by ESPN preseason rankings on the schedule is No.

3 Texas.

The Fighting Mannings ushered quarterback Quinn Ewers out the door so the Ides of Arch could finally fall upon Austin.

The boosters reached deep into their pockets to buy as strong of a roster as possible legally for one last run at a national championship before they have to move such deals under the table Southwest Conference style when shared revenue kicks in to theoretically level the playing field.

No one knows for sure how much Arkansas spent on its 2025 roster, but considering Pittman was looking for deals late in the portal, it's certainly nowhere near the $40 million being reported in regard to the Texas line-up.

If the Hogs pull this one out in Austin, it will be a David vs.

Goliath moment for the college football ages.

Next up, and honestly a bit of a surprise, is No.

6 LSU.

It feels like the Tigers always start out with a good deal of hype only to fizzle under the pressure of the SEC schedule and often a difficult out of conference game early in the season under Brian Kelly.

It should also be noted that no matter how good the Tigers are, the Hogs always seem to play them tough.

Much of this ranking seems to rely on 18 portal additions panning out and adding to what quarterback Garrett Nussmeier and his returning receivers can drum up as far as production.

Of course, LSU opens on the road at projected No.

2 Clemson and then hosts a Florida team in Week 3 that is expected to continue to improve while rounding out into a Top 20 program.

It's very possible the Tigers start 1-2 and host the Razorbacks in mid-November as a broken team coming off games with Texas A&M and Alabama.

Now, a lot of people might be wondering why they haven't seen Notre Dame yet.

After all, the Fighting Irish finished runner-up for the national championship last season.

Well, Marcus Freeman's team reports at No.

7 because they are one of those major programs that got hit by the transfer portal.

Steve Angeli, who backed up Riley Leonard all last season, bolted for Syracuse this spring, leaving Notre Dame with a bit of a quarterback conundrum and serious lack of experience.

Right now it looks like freshman CJ Karr will take the reins, although there is an outside chance that by the time the Irish get to Fayetteville in late September, sophomore Kenny Minchey could be quarterback.

That's because Notre Dame plays quite the early season schedule, exposing its freshman QB to a lot of potential downfalls along the way.

Before the Razorbacks get their shot, the Irish go to Miami to open the season, host Texas A&M and then host Purdue.

Even if Karr makes it to Fayetteville as a starter, that's a lot of valuable, high pressure moment tape for Arkansas defensive coordinator Travils Williams to work with.

After that, thanks to the Nico Imaleava situation at Tennessee crashing the Vols quarterback situation and a lack of confidence in Eli Drinkwitz to keep up his winning ways without Luther Burden at wide receiver, it's a long drop to find the next Top 25 team on the Hogs' schedule.

You have to fall all the way down to No.

23 where Texas A&M awaits.

In what will be the first on-campus game between the two programs since Johnny Manziel and Mike Evans broke fans' hearts a little over a decade ago, the Aggies roll into town with the combination of quarterback Marcel Reed and running back Le'Veon Moss.

The two combined for 319 yards and three touchdowns last season to hold off Arkansas in the final game played at AT&T Stadium.

This will be a swing game that will determine where the Hogs truly will be at season's end.

The last ranked team, in a fall from grace almost as far as Tennessee and Missouri, is Ole Miss.

The Rebels check in at No.

24.

Apparently loading up on Arkansas players, even if they are three of the best, doesn't exactly make a great impression on a team's ability to be a potential Top 10 threat.

A lot of the drop also had to do with Kiffin not expecting as much production out of quarterback Austin Simmons as compared to the recently departed Jaxson Dart.

Dart hit Arkansas for 515 yards and six touchdowns in a 63-31 beating in Fayetteville.

However, it should be noted that Simmons went 3-of-3 with a touchdown also.

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