Time to review preseason record prediction

FAYETTEVILLE — On August 20 I published a story with my predictions for the 2024 football season.

One can click here to see that original story. I predicted Arkansas would finish 8-4 which didn’t sit well with the couch coaches who thrive on negativity. The prediction wasn’t made by one of their media darlings only by what a reader who couldn’t wait to message Ask Mike and refer to me as a media hack.

The national predictions ranged more like 4-8 to at best 6-6. The national reporters attended no preseason practices or press conferences. If they had they would know a team that replaced Dan Enos with Bobby Petrino wasn’t anything like last year’s squad. The chemistry on this team is good which it was awful much of 2023. From working recruiting I knew the Razorbacks did well in the transfer portal last season.

When I made the predictions I had the Razorbacks at 4-2 at the halfway mark. I had the Hogs beating UAPB, Oklahoma State, UAB and Tennessee. I had them losing to Auburn and Texas A&M. The Hogs should be 5-1 right now and could be 6-0. There was no way they should have lost to Oklahoma State. Take away any one of many plays in that game and Hogs win. I honestly felt the Razorbacks would win that game by two touchdowns and they should have. I had studied Oklahoma State and felt they were vastly overrated at No. 16.

I do wonder what would have happened against Texas A&M had the Hogs not fumbled at their own 10-yard line? I feel Arkansas probably would have won had they not done that, but then again maybe not the Aggies are very good.

Arkansas had three turnovers in both losses and also had 10 penalties against A&M as well as seven in the Oklahoma State game.

My 4-2 is correct at the halfway mark thanks to the Hogs beating Auburn. I never felt Auburn was better than Arkansas, but it seemed that Hugh Freeze had Sam Pittman’s number. Freeze beat Pittman at Liberty and then routed the Hogs in Fayetteville last season.

Pittman has as good coordinators as anyone in the country right now. Petrino’s record speaks for itself. Travis Williams’ defense in Year 2 has been dominant. It helped T-Will that Deke Adams, Marcus Woodson and Deron Wilson all chose to return.

There was a lot of turnover on the offensive staff, but that allowed Petrino to get coaches in here he’s familiar with. Morgan Turner returned at tight end. Pittman hired Eric Mateos to coach the offensive line. Mateos studied under Pittman when the now head coach was an assistant under Bret Bielema. Ronnie Fouch and Kolby Smith have ties to Petrino. Scott Fountain had to adjust in midstream when Cam Little declared for the NFL a year earlier than expected.

As far as the second half of the season the LSU game is up next. Pittman’s teams have never lost coming out of a bye week. I don’t think they lose this one either. They should be 5-2 following the LSU game.

The Hogs then travel to Starkville to take on a Mississippi State team. The Bulldogs aren’t very good this season and Hogs should return home 6-2.

That brings the Hogs back to Fayetteville to play host to Ole Miss. Lane Kiffin has never won in Fayetteville and I don’t look for him to this time either. A win makes Arkansas 7-2.

The Hogs get a bye week following Ole Miss. They will need it with No. 1 Texas coming to Arkansas on November 16. Arkansas can beat any team in the nation if they play a clean game like they did against Tennessee. But I think this will be Pittman’s first loss out of a bye week. Arkansas will drop to 7-3.

The Hogs then host Louisiana Tech in a trap game if there ever was one. The Hogs follow up Texas with Louisiana Tech a week ahead of Missouri. The Hogs will win an ugly game here and get to the 8-win mark.

Missouri was a loss in my predictions. I felt Missouri would be very good this season, but so they far they have under performed. Both Vanderbilt and Boston College could have beaten them and the Aggies took them to the woodshed. But I had the Hogs losing here making it the 8-4 prediction.

As noted if the Hogs play a clean game eliminating turnovers they can play with anyone. This is a good football team as I have said since the summer. It will be interesting to see what the final record is.