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Posted on 6/30/25 at 8:26 am to OU Guy
Missouri lost everyone and is an easy win and Auburn was 5-7. Give me a break. Floridas schedule is tougher
Posted on 6/30/25 at 8:28 am to dallastiger55
Doesn't Florida play Kentucky and Miss St? OU doesnt and the Sooners also play Michigan in the non con.
This post was edited on 6/30/25 at 8:30 am
Posted on 6/30/25 at 9:27 am to dallastiger55
If the OL can play at a decent level they will be a good team.
Their DL is nasty. That used to be able to win you games on its own... not so much anymore but still important.
Their DL is nasty. That used to be able to win you games on its own... not so much anymore but still important.
Posted on 6/30/25 at 9:30 am to dallastiger55
Nope. Don’t buy the hype. I think we have a pretty good (not elite) defense. I’m not confident in our offense yet. Rational OU fans are in the wait and see approach.
Posted on 6/30/25 at 9:34 am to dallastiger55
How does Steele rank the entire SEC? Order of finish.
Posted on 6/30/25 at 9:47 am to dallastiger55
Let's just see if we can make it out of fall camp without losing one entire side of the ball to injury for the whole season. Start there.....
Posted on 6/30/25 at 9:49 am to dallastiger55
Phil Steele ranks Razorbacks near SEC bottom in preseason magazine
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/arkansas as Phil Steele ranks Razorbacks near SEC bottom in preseason magazine.
Ouch!
quote:
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — It's starting to sound like a dull thud every time one of these preseason projections hits the newstands as get to this point every year
Phil Steele, the respected college football prognosticator whose annual magazine sets the tone for preseason debates, released his 2025 SEC predictions, and Arkansas landed near the conference’s bottom.
The Razorbacks’ recent trajectory has been a roller coaster. After a surprising 9-4 finish in 2021 that included an Outback Bowl win, Arkansas slid back in 2022 and bottomed out in 2023.
Last season’s 7-6 mark, buoyed by a late surge and a minor bowl victory, provided some breathing room for Pittman.
The 2025 schedule, one of the toughest in the country, with early matchups against Notre Dame and Arkansas State, offers little margin for error.
Pittman’s offseason moves signal urgency. He brought in quarterback Taylen Green, a senior transfer expected to provide more stability under center after last year’s inconsistency.
On defense, Xavian Sorey Jr. returns after leading the team with 99 tackles, while linebacker Stephen Dix Jr. is back after a strong 2024. Still, the SEC is unforgiving. Even with these reinforcements, the Hogs’ depth is thin compared to the teams projected at the top of the SEC.
“Pittman was among a small group of Power 4 coaches who entered the 2024 season on the hot seat but removed themselves,” wrote ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg.
But that reprieve may be short-lived. As one anonymous SEC coach told On3, “If they don’t go bowling, it’s going to be tough for Pittman to stay.”
The pressure is compounded by the SEC’s deeper, more competitive landscape. Texas and Oklahoma join the league in 2025, raising the bar yet again.
The conference hasn’t produced a national champion in two seasons, fueling a sense of urgency among traditional powers like Georgia, Alabama and LSU all picked by Steele to finish in the top tier.
The Hogs find themselves lumped with programs fighting for bowl eligibility, not championships.
Steele’s magazine is not alone in its skepticism. CBS Sports’ bowl projections do not list Arkansas among the SEC’s likely postseason teams and the oddsmakers peg the Razorbacks’ win total at just 5.5 for the season.
“This is a roster with some talent, but there are holes, especially up front and in the secondary,” noted College Football News in its own preview.
Pittman, for his part, remains bullish.
“We know what’s at stake,” he said at SEC Media Days last year. “Our guys have bought in, and we’re not backing down from anybody.”
Yet, the Razorbacks’ recent recruiting classes are getting better, but are still behind the SEC’s upper teams. The offensive line, once a strength under Pittman, has struggled with injuries and departures and the running back corps is young and unproven.
Fans in Fayetteville are restless. Razorback Stadium, once a fortress, saw attendance dip last year after early losses to LSU and Texas A&M. The hope is that stability at quarterback and a retooled defense can generate enough momentum to avoid another midseason spiral.
“We’re going to be better on both sides of the ball,” Pittman promised last year and they proceeded to get to Memphis for the Liberty Bowl. After a disastrous 2023 season, though, it was improvement.
The SEC’s new scheduling model, with no divisions and a rotating eight-game conference slate, means every week is a battle.
The Razorbacks’ path includes road trips to Alabama and Ole Miss, and home games against Texas and Missouri.
The Razorbacks can prove Phil Steele wrong and give their fans a reason to believe. If not, there will be a ton of questions.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/arkansas as Phil Steele ranks Razorbacks near SEC bottom in preseason magazine.
Ouch!
This post was edited on 6/30/25 at 9:51 am
Posted on 6/30/25 at 10:00 am to TrueLefty
quote:
Sooners also play Michigan in the non con.
Florida plays Miami and Florida State
Michigan lost a ton from a 5-7 team. They will be good in 2026 but I expect them to be a 6-6,7-5 team. OU should beat them by double digits.
This post was edited on 6/30/25 at 10:00 am
Posted on 6/30/25 at 10:26 am to dallastiger55
Phil Steele also has OU as the 5th toughest SEC schedule
Miss St
Arkansas
South Carolina
LSU
OU
Florida
Miss St
Arkansas
South Carolina
LSU
OU
Florida
Posted on 6/30/25 at 11:11 am to dallastiger55
quote:
Pate, Staples, and Feldman have them in their playoffs and top 10, and now Phil Steele has them ranked 8th and a playoff team.
Mateer can be inaccurate, and relies on his legs a lot. He had 178 carries last year for WSU, he wont get away with that in the SEC. It really comes down to how well Mateer and the OC (who Mateer followed from the Cougs), adjust to the difference in competition and play style.
Pate was also high on OU last year...
This post was edited on 6/30/25 at 11:19 am
Posted on 6/30/25 at 11:16 am to sooner4life130
quote:
I’m not sure what his metrics are but he’s usually wrong anyways but this front 7 will be like something I’ve ever seen as an OU fan for sure
Subtle youth brag.
This post was edited on 6/30/25 at 11:17 am
Posted on 6/30/25 at 11:55 am to RandySavage
I just read Steeles power rankings going into 2024, he had OU 7, Florida St 10, Utah 9, Michigan 10, and A&M 12th
Ouch
Ouch
Posted on 6/30/25 at 12:02 pm to Hyena531
OU will very likely have a higher ranked defense this year as far as advanced analytics than LSU.
They were 7th last year in FEI defense compared to LSU (25th), return a ton of talent and have one of the best defensive coaches in the nation.
Given that they were 80th in FEI offense last year if they even get back into the top 30-40 that is going to be a very difficult team to deal with next year.
They were 7th last year in FEI defense compared to LSU (25th), return a ton of talent and have one of the best defensive coaches in the nation.
Given that they were 80th in FEI offense last year if they even get back into the top 30-40 that is going to be a very difficult team to deal with next year.
Posted on 6/30/25 at 12:11 pm to dallastiger55
It’s not a bad pick. The defense is legit and they did seem to be a QB away from a solid team. I think their ceiling is around Tennessee last year.
Posted on 6/30/25 at 12:32 pm to dallastiger55
quote:
Michigan lost a ton from a 5-7 team. They will be good in 2026 but I expect them to be a 6-6,7-5 team. OU should beat them by double digits.
Im sure that's what Alabama thought going into their bowl game.
Posted on 6/30/25 at 12:52 pm to Wishbone85
yeah but they still have a pup at QB that will making his first ever road start. He will be damn good in 26 and 27, but this will be brutal
Posted on 6/30/25 at 4:35 pm to Hyena531
I get it.
But coming off two 6-7 seasons in the last three years kind of tempers one's expectations and surely you are not so removed from the Charlie Strong years that you don't appreciate that.
Heck, last preseason Sooner fans were sky high over finally getting to see our 5-star QB on the field only to have him battered behind a rebuilt O-line while 6 of the players he thought would be there to catch the ball were MIA.
For all that Venables continues to recruit well given the state of college football and so yeah, an improvement of +3 in the win column would be huge.
But coming off two 6-7 seasons in the last three years kind of tempers one's expectations and surely you are not so removed from the Charlie Strong years that you don't appreciate that.
Heck, last preseason Sooner fans were sky high over finally getting to see our 5-star QB on the field only to have him battered behind a rebuilt O-line while 6 of the players he thought would be there to catch the ball were MIA.
For all that Venables continues to recruit well given the state of college football and so yeah, an improvement of +3 in the win column would be huge.
Posted on 6/30/25 at 4:40 pm to JacieNY
It was a little more than just Arnold getting battered behind that Frankenline.
When he wasn't getting battered, he was absolutely terrible, even against weak competition.
That kid has mental issues, and an OL isn't going to solve that.
When he wasn't getting battered, he was absolutely terrible, even against weak competition.
That kid has mental issues, and an OL isn't going to solve that.
This post was edited on 6/30/25 at 4:43 pm
Posted on 6/30/25 at 7:25 pm to CharlotteSooner
OU may well be good but the only thing Phil Steele is good at is convoluted formulas to claim his terrible picks are somehow accurate.
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