Predicting the 2014 SEC Football Season: Arkansas Razorbacks

The third in a series leading up to fall camps takes us to Soo-Pig country.



Arkansas Razorbacks 3-9 (0-8) in 2013

Synopsis:
Coach Bret Bielema's first season in Hogville was less than spectacular. The Razorbacks sleepwalked their way to 3-0 over La-Lafayette, Samford, and Southern Miss followed by a ill-fated trip to lovely Piscataway Township, NJ. Up 24-7 over Rutgers with 2+ minutes left in the 3rd quarter, Arkansas lined up to punt. 58 return yards later, the season was over. Rutgers would go on to win 28-24 and the Pigs were circling the drain. And it was still September.

Running backs Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams were the only real bright spots of the 2013 season racking up a combined 1,926 yards. The defense had the consistency of a wet paper bag giving up almost 31 points per game.

Some might've thought the 52-7 loss to South Carolina was the season's lowlight but a week later they lost to the Crimson Tide 52-0. In those two games and into the first quarter of the Auburn game, Arkansas gave up 111 straight points.

Key Losses:
C Travis Swanson (Round 3, Lions), DE Chris Smith (Round 5, Jaguars), RB Kiero Small (Round 7, Seahawks), K Zach Hooker (Round 7, Redskins), DT Robert Thomas (UFA, Redskins).

Key Returners:
RB Alex Collins, RB Alex Collins, and RB Alex Collins. Also RB Jonathan Williams, DE Trey Flowers, OT Brey Cook, OT Dan Skipper, OG Denver Kirkland, DT Darius Philon.

Newcomers:
DT Bijhon Jackson, OT Brian Wallace (Bama recruited this kid hard) , ATH Jojo Robinson, OT Frank Ragnow.

The Schedule:
Aug. 30 at Auburn - L
Sept. 6 Nicholls State - W
Sept. 13 at Texas Tech - L
Sept. 20 Northern Illinois - W - This could be a toss-up but being a home game tilts it Arky's way.
Sept. 27 vs. Texas A&M in Arlington, Texas - L
Oct. 11 Alabama - L
Oct. 18 Georgia - L
Oct. 25 UAB - W
Nov. 1 at Mississippi State - L - location, location, location.
Nov. 15 LSU - L
Nov. 22 Ole Miss - L - don't be looking ahead to the Egg Bowl, Rebels.
Nov. 29 at Missouri - L

Let's go Bowling! Afraid not.

Another 0-SEC? How patient should you be with a coach? Granted Bielema inherited a dumpster fire from Bobby Petrino's scandal and John L. Smith's spectacular one-year face-plant but ol' Bert might be in some SERIOUS trouble in Fayetteville. At least he has a hot wife.