How many teams from non-power conferences are better than Arkansas?
Sam Pittman doesn’t believe he has a bad football.
Most of us here at RazorbacksWire don’t believe Sam Pittman has a bad football team.
Over at CBS, in the site’s weekly ranking of every team in FBS, Arkansas found itself below the median, ranked No. 68 at the midway point of the season.
The Razorbacks are 2-4 with wins over Kent State and Western Carolina. The Catamounts are in FCS and thus are not in the ranking. The Golden Flashes are ranked No. 133 out of 133 teams in FBS. It’s hardly just Kent State below Arkanas, though.
In fact, 16 teams from non-power conferences are ranked ahead of the Razorbacks. That number is greater than the number of power-conference teams ranked below them.
Things could change for Arkansas with a single win. Alabama is up Saturday and a Razorbacks victory would snap a 15-game losing streak to the Crimson Tide and make those in the Natural State who think Pittman does have a bad football team change their tune.
67. Georgia State
The Panthers have been in FBS for 11 seasons and are 20 games below .500 in that stretch. So why are the Panthers ranked higher than Arkansas? Easy. Those wins over – ahem – Rhode Island, Connecticut, Charlotte and Coastal Carolina.
66. Texas State
You may or may not remember, but former Arkansas quarterback Malik Hornsby transferred to Texas State in the offseason. He has 14 carries for 165 yards and four touchdowns as a back-up.
65. Miami (OH)
Miami (Ohio) has just one loss. It came to Miami (FL). It came to Miami (FL) by 35 points.
62. Troy
The Trojans have been a solid Sun Belt team for more than a decade now. Almost two. A solid Sun Belt team.
Sun Belt.
61. Marshall
Marshall owns more wins over power-conference teams than Arkansas, what with one and all.
60. Central Florida
Those who want Pittman gone the most usually want to replace him with Gus Malzahn, he of the 3-3 Golden Knights, winless in the Big 12.
58. Ohio
Ohio lost its opener to San Diego State by seven points and the Bobcats haven’t lost since.
57. Toledo
Lots of 5-1 teams in the MAC. Toledo lost to former Arkansas coach Bret Bielema at Illinois, 30-28.
47. Liberty
Ah, yes, Liberty, winners of the 2022 game against Arkansas in Fayetteville.
45. Southern Methodist
SMU is coached by former Arkansas quarterback Rhett Lashlee. The Mustangs have lost to TCU and Oklahoma. That’s it.
39. James Madison
James Madison is in its second year of FBS. Yikes.
41. Memphis
Memphis and Arkansas may have something in common by year’s end. The Tigers have lost to Missouri and Arkansas is projected to.
36. Tulane
Tulane, about every 25 years, has a magical team. That was last year. This year the Green Wave are good.
35. Fresno State
Some polls have Fresno State ranked. The Bulldogs are good. Not sure they’re great.
33. Wyoming
Wyoming has been a lesser team in the Mountain West for the better part of 20 years. Not now.
24. Air Force
Air Force is in the midst of its greatest season in modern history. Could it stay?
