Arkansas, or at least the Arkansas fanbase, has long preferred to play from a place of an underdoing, to play with a chip on their shoulder.
That may be fading under coach Sam Pittman.
The Razorbacks were picked third in the SEC West at the end of SEC Media Days on Friday. Arkansas had been picked last in the division each of the last three seasons.
One unnamed voter even gave Arkansas a first-place vote for the division. And while that’s probably a homer vote, in recent years past, it would have been absurd. It’s far less so this year.
Arkansas went 9-4 last year in Pittman’s second season at the helm. A win over Penn State in the Outback Bowl capped things and gave the Hogs their best season since 2011.
The return of four preseason All-SEC players and quarterback KJ Jefferson is the biggest on-field reason for the respect, but Pittman is the biggest reason overall.
Here’s a look at the whole set of predictions from the SEC, beginning with the West.
1. Alabama (158 SEC champ votes)
(Brianna Paciorka / Knoxville News Sentinel / USA TODAY Network)
No surprise whatsoever. Out of the 183 first-place votes placed for the overall league crown, the Crimson Tide picked up 158 of them.
2. Texas A&M
Oct 16, 2021; Columbia, Missouri, USA; A detailed view of Texas A&M Aggies helmets during the second half against the Missouri Tigers at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
The Aggies were not a shock at No. 2 in the division, either. They grabbed SEC West first-place votes to Alabama’s 177.
3. Arkansas
Jul 20, 2022; Atlanta, GA, USA; Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman shown on the stage during SEC Media Days at the College Football Hall of Fame. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Arkansas hasn’t been expected to be this good since the heart of the Bret Bielema era, at least.
4. Ole…
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