It's too bad that Arkansas is in the SEC West. Were the team in the East, it's possible to see them running the SEC schedule and heading to a potential BCS National Championship Game berth. Alas, the Hogs are in a division loaded with three other teams that would likely do the same in the weaker half of the conference.
After all, the Razorbacks shelled South Carolina last year, even though the Gamecocks went on to defeat Florida the following week to clinch the East's ticket to the SEC Championship Game. Neither outcome looked to be a fluke. (Though you could argue that Arkansas was a uniquely bad match-up for South Carolina, that doesn't mean the game wouldn't have turned out the same way in a majority of clashes between the two teams.)
But the divisions aren't going to be realigned -- at least not anytime soon, though the SEC East could force a rethinking of that if it keeps playing like this. So Arkansas will have to compete in the SEC West, and one of the solid teams in the division is going to have to come in last among the most competitive squads. It's not that Arkansas is bad, it's just that the other teams in the division are also pretty good.
Place: 4th in the SEC West
Record: 8-4, 4-4 SEC
Could be: 6-6 to 11-1
Best chance for an upset (besides the obvious): at ALABAMA
Bowl: Outback
9.3.11 | MISSOURI STATE | WIN
9.10.11 | NEW MEXICO | WIN
9.17.11 | TROY | WIN
9.24.11 | at ALABAMA | POSSIBLE LOSS
10.1.11 | vs TEXAS A&M | POSSIBLE WIN
10.8.11 | AUBURN | POSSIBLE LOSS
10.22.11 | at OLE MISS | POSSIBLE WIN
10.29.11 | at VANDERBILT | LIKELY WIN
11.5.11 | SOUTH CAROLINA | POSSIBLE WIN
11.12.11 | TENNESSEE | POSSIBLE LOSS
11.19.11 | MISSISSIPPI STATE | POSSIBLE LOSS
11.25.11 | at LSU | POSSIBLE WIN