Ryan Silverfield’s first Arkansas schedule already looks brutal on paper, and Monday’s preseason AP Top 25 only sharpened that edge.
The Razorbacks are set to play seven ranked teams, including three in the top 10: No. 3 Georgia, No.
5 Texas and No. 8 Texas A&M.
Arkansas also drew No. 11 LSU, No.
20 Tennessee, No. 21 Utah and No.
25 Missouri.
Three of those matchups - Texas, Texas A&M and Utah - are road games. The others will be played at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
The ESPN Football Power Index has already labeled Arkansas’ slate the toughest in the nation.
At the top of the AP poll, Ohio State opened at No. 1, with Oregon at No. 2.
Georgia checked in at No. 3, followed by Notre Dame at No. 4 and Texas at No. 5.
The SEC once again loaded up the rankings, placing nine teams in the poll. Along with the Razorbacks’ seven ranked opponents, the conference also landed No.
9 Ole Miss, No. 10 Oklahoma and No.
13 Alabama. Arkansas will also face three teams that received votes - South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Auburn - meaning 10 of its 12 opponents were considered in the preseason rankings.
The only exceptions are FCS North Alabama in the opener and Tulsa.
The Big Ten had eight teams ranked, including No. 6 Indiana, the reigning national champion after a 16-0 season.
The four teams that reached last season’s College Football Playoff semifinals - Indiana, Miami, Oregon and Ole Miss - will begin this year ranked sixth, seventh, second and ninth, respectively. Last preseason, those same four teams were slotted at No.
20, No. 10, No. 7 and No.
Texas Tech is the highest-ranked Big 12 team at No. 12.
The conference also placed No. 14 BYU, Utah and No.
23 Houston in the poll.
The ACC had three teams in the rankings: Miami, No. 19 SMU and No. 24 Louisville.
Here is the full preseason AP Top 25: 1.
Ohio State 2.
Oregon 3.
Georgia 4.
Notre Dame 5.
Texas 6.
Indiana 7.
Miami 8.
Texas A&M 9.
Ole Miss 10.
Oklahoma 11.
LSU 12.
Texas Tech 13.
Alabama T14.
BYU T14.
USC 16.
Michigan 17.
Washington 18.
Penn State 19.
SMU 20.
Tennessee 21.
Utah 22.
Iowa 23.
Houston 24.
Louisville 25.
Missouri
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Arkansas May Have A New Backfield Name Fans Need To Watch
A young name has started to draw notice in Arkansas running back room, and it is easy to see why the staff is paying attention. Markeylin Batton, a redshirt freshman and former 4-star recruit, has flashed in team scrimmages and earned praise from running backs coach David Johnson and coach Ryan Silverfield for the kind of traits that can quickly make a back stand out in camp.
Batton is part of a crowded group that also includes Sutton Smith, Braylen Russell, Jasper Parker, TJ Hodges and Cam Settles, so nothing is being handed to him. Still, the Razorbacks are clearly looking for players who can add juice and reliability to the position, and Battons early promise suggests he could become a factor sooner rather than later if he keeps building on what he has shown. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Running Backs Are Building Chemistry In An Unusual Way
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Arkansas Quarterback Battle Is Starting To Shape Silverfields First Season
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At the top of that conversation, the quarterback battle is drawing the most attention because the staff is trying to sort out who gives this offense the best chance to move forward in Silverfields system. The same kind of evaluation is happening at running back, where the backfield is starting to separate into roles, while the rest of the roster continues to sort itself out at wide receiver and along the defensive line as camp opens up more clues than answers. [Read more 🡒]