After losing two of the team's best players last year in tight end Hunter Henry and quarterback Brandon Allen, Bret Bielema's Arkansas Razorbacks will be looking to build up their young team while capitalizing on their returning, established stars. Led by standout wide receivers Keon Hatcher and Drew Morgan and junior quarterback Austin Allen, Arkansas will be looking to make a run at a SEC title and with their high-powered offense, make their case for a New Year's Six bowl.
2015 Season
After an opening weekend blowout of UTEP, Arkansas struggled much of September, losing tight games to Toledo, Texas Tech, and SEC-rival Texas A&M. The Razorbacks began to get their season back on track against Tennessee, beating the Volunteers in Knoxville 24-20. The Razorbacks were then able to keep it close against eventual national champions Alabama, before winning a crucial 54-46 overtime game against Auburn to turn their season around, finally winning one of the close games, something that had cost them early on in 2015.
After a key victory against the Auburn Tigers, Bret Bielema's Hogs fortunes changed dramatically, going from outside the top 25 to a firm contender for a major bowl appearance. The Razorbacks went on a four-game winning streak, including victories against Ole Miss and arch-rival LSU. Against Ole Miss, it was a miraculous 4th-and-25 play from star tight end Hunter Henry that sealed the game, before going on to trounce rival LSU to take home the Golden Boot for the second year in a row.
A tough 51-50 loss to Mississipi State handed the Hogs their fifth loss of the season, but an inspired performance against Missouri on Senior Day gave the Razorbacks a bid to the Liberty Bowl against Kansas State. In Memphis at the historic Liberty Bowl, the Razorbacks capped off a resilient season with a dominant 45-23 victory against Kansas State, setting expectations high for 2016 with a high-powered offense leading the way for the Hogs.
2016 Schedule
Arkansas begins a jam-packed schedule at home against Louisiana Tech, before going to Fort Worth to face the high-powered air attack of TCU. After a tough game against the Horned Frogs in Fort Worth, the Hogs return home for an easy game against Texas State, before going back to the Dallas area for the annual Southwest Classic against SEC West rival Texas A&M at AT&T Stadium.
The Hogs begin October with the annual game at the second home of the Razorbacks, War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, against Alcorn State. A crucial home stretch then comes up for the Razorbacks, with Bret Bielema's squad facing reigning national champions Alabama and another SEC West rival Ole Miss. Quarterback Austin Allen and the Razorbacks then head to Auburn to take on the Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium, with a bye week coming the following week in preparation for two huge SEC games.
Another key home-stretch is next for the Hogs, with reigning SEC East champion Florida coming to Fayetteville to take on the Razorbacks, before The Battle for the Golden Boot against LSU, the Hog's fiercest rivals on Senior Day. Finally, Arkansas closes out their regular season with road bouts against Mississippi State and then Missouri to finish their bid for a New Year's Six bowl birth.
What to expect from Arkansas in 2016?
Despite a very tough schedule for the Razorbacks in 2016, expectations are high, and rightfully so, for Bret Bielema's team this season. With a very talented team on offense lead by Austin Allen and wide outs Drew Morgan and Keon Hatcher, the Razorbacks should score a lot of points even against the SEC's elite defenses.
Arkansas should likely go 4-0 in September, defeating SEC foe Texas A&M in Arlington and also most likely defeating TCU early on as well. In October, tough games at home against Alabama and Ole Miss will really gives us a true indication of where the Hogs are at, and even if they fall to both teams, Arkansas should still be in good shape for a major bowl appearance.
The two other games many Razorback fans have highlighted are November bouts against Florida and LSU, another two of the SEC's best teams. Against Florida it will come down to Arkansas' stellar offense against the rock-solid defense of the Gators, but against LSU the Hogs will have a very tough time scoring enough points to defeat the Tigers for a third year in a row.
Overall, Arkansas should go 8-4 in the regular season this year, with losses to Alabama, Ole Miss, Florida, and LSU hurting the Razorbacks chances at a New Year's Six bowl, but still solid enough to make a major bowl game.
Predictions:
Record: 8-4 (4-4)
Conference: Fourth in SEC West
Bowl: Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl (win)