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You are here: Home / 2010 / July / 24 / The Most Important Game on Arkansas’ Schedule

The Most Important Game on Arkansas’ Schedule

By Sharp "Tusk" Williams on July 24, 2010

Which is the Most Important Game or Games on Arkansas’ 2010 Football Schedule?
Consider these possible answers:
A. Georgia
B. Alabama
C. The 1st Four SEC Games
D. All SEC Games
E. The Next SEC Game

2010 DateOpponentLocationTimeTelevision
  Sat., Sep. 04 Tennessee TechFayetteville, Ark.  6 p.m.PPV 
  Sat., Sep. 11 Louisiana-MonroeLittle Rock, Ark.  6 p.m.FSN 
  Sat., Sep. 18 Georgia *at Athens, Ga.  11 a.m.ESPN or ESPN2 
  Sat., Sep. 25 Alabama *Fayetteville, Ark.  TBA
  Sat., Oct 09 Texas A&Mat Arlington, Texas  TBA
  Sat., Oct. 16 Auburn *at Auburn, Ala.  TBA
  Sat., Oct. 23 Ole Miss *Fayetteville, Ark.  TBA
  Sat., Oct. 30 Vanderbilt - Homecoming *Fayetteville, Ark.  TBA
  Sat., Nov. 06 South Carolina *at Columbia, SC  TBA
  Sat., Nov. 13 UTEPFayetteville, Ark.  TBA
  Sat., Nov. 20 Mississippi State *at Starkville, MS  TBA
  Sat., Nov. 27 LSU *Little Rock, Ark.  TBA
* Conference Games2010 Razorback Football Schedule

Some believe that the Georgia game is the most important. Georgia would get the conference season started off right and would be huge for the confidence of the team leading up to a showdown with Alabama. Being the helpful folks we are at Hog Database, we’ll give them a hand. Maybe someone’s mentioned it, but it would be nice for Arkansas to reverse Georgia’s stranglehold on wins. Since 2000 Arkansas is 0-4 against the Bulldogs. Maybe the Georgia game is the most important.

Some believe that the Arkansas-Alabama game must be the most important. Make no mistake here. Arkansas’ 35-7 loss could have easily been worse for the simple reason that despite improvements in a number of areas by the Alabama game, the Tide was capable of airing-out the ball almost at will in the second half and didn’t. On the other hand, it states the obvious to say that the 14-0 defending BCS Champions from 2009 must be beat for Arkansas to challenge for first in the SEC West. If Arkansas doesn’t beat ‘Bama, the Hogs would have to rely on TWO of ‘Bama’s other SEC opponents (Florida, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Tennessee, LSU, Mississippi St., and Auburn) to beat the Tide for Arkansas to win the West, and Arkansas would have to win-out in conference play. Otherwise ‘Bama would hold a head-to-head tiebreaker over Arkansas. Proponents of the Alabama game rightfully see the size of the task and the implications for an SEC West Championship to label the Arkansas-Alabama game “the most important” on the Hogs’ schedule. But there’s a better answer out there.

Have you ever considered whether some part of Arkansas’ football schedule is more challenging than another so that those games are the most important?

Here’s another pinch-yourself stat from the early version of the SEC Scoring Database.

In 9 of the last 10 seasons, Arkansas finished the first half of its SEC Schedule with a record of no better than 1-3. With the sole exception of 2006, Arkansas didn’t even split the first-half season games with SEC opponents.

1st HalfWL2nd Half
1401
314
224
8131
1040
That’s not good. Since 2003 only LSU’s 2007 squad has turned a 6-2 record into a trip to the SEC Championship Game.

Putting the two together, under current standards, the Hogs would have been out of the SEC West race through the first half of the conference schedule in 9 of the last 10 years.

On the other hand, the Hogs have a 3-1 or 4-0 record in 50% of their last 4 regular-season conference games over the last ten years. The Hogs have done no worse than splitting the second-half conference games in 90% of the last ten years and haven’t lost their final 4 SEC games since 2000.

If you conclude that Arkansas’ first four conference games are the most important games on its schedule, maybe you’re right. Well… almost right…

With 6 of the last 7 SEC West Conference Champions turning in conference records of 7-1 or 8-0, there’s no difference between losing to Alabama or to Mississippi State. SEC West Champion Profile v. 2009-2010 Arkansas Razorbacks

A Correct Answer is “All of the Above” with an even more precise answer being “The Next SEC Game!”

1st Half Conference Results

DateTeamPFPAOpponentWL
10/17/2009Arkansas2023Florida01
10/10/2009Arkansas4423Auburn10
9/26/2009Arkansas735Alabama01
9/19/2009Arkansas4152Georgia01
13
10/18/2008Arkansas2021Kentucky01
10/11/2008Arkansas2522Auburn10
10/4/2008Arkansas738Florida01
9/20/2008Arkansas1449Alabama01
13
10/20/2007Arkansas448Mississippi10
10/13/2007Arkansas79Auburn01
9/22/2007Arkansas2942Kentucky01
9/15/2007Arkansas3841Alabama01
13
11/4/2006Arkansas2620South Carolina10
10/21/2006Arkansas383Mississippi10
10/7/2006Arkansas2710Auburn10
9/23/2006Arkansas2423Alabama10
9/16/2006Arkansas2119Vanderbilt10
40
10/22/2005Arkansas2023Georgia01
10/15/2005Arkansas1734Auburn01
9/24/2005Arkansas1324Alabama01
9/10/2005Arkansas2428Vanderbilt01
04
10/23/2004Arkansas1420Georgia01
10/16/2004Arkansas2038Auburn01
10/2/2004Arkansas3045Florida01
9/25/2004Arkansas2710Alabama10
13
10/25/2003Arkansas719Mississippi01
10/18/2003Arkansas2833Florida01
10/11/2003Arkansas310Auburn01
9/27/2003Arkansas3431Alabama10
13
10/19/2002Arkansas1729Kentucky01
10/12/2002Arkansas3817Auburn10
10/5/2002Arkansas3841Tennessee01
9/28/2002Arkansas1230Alabama01
13
10/13/2001Arkansas107South Carolina10
9/29/2001Arkansas2334Georgia01
9/22/2001Arkansas1031Alabama01
9/8/2001Arkansas313Tennessee01
13
10/28/2000Arkansas1921Auburn01
10/14/2000Arkansas727South Carolina01
9/30/2000Arkansas738Georgia01
9/23/2000Arkansas2821Alabama10
13

2nd Half Conference Results
DateTeamPFPAOpponentWL
11/28/2009Arkansas3033LSU01
11/21/2009Arkansas4221Mississippi St.10
11/7/2009Arkansas3316South Carolina10
10/24/2009Arkansas1730Mississippi01
22
11/28/2008Arkansas3130LSU10
11/22/2008Arkansas2831Mississippi St.01
11/8/2008Arkansas2134South Carolina01
10/25/2008Arkansas2123Mississippi01
13
11/23/2007Arkansas5048LSU10
11/17/2007Arkansas4531Mississippi St.10
11/10/2007Arkansas1334Tennessee01
11/3/2007Arkansas4836South Carolina10
31
11/24/2006Arkansas2631LSU01
11/18/2006Arkansas2814Mississippi St.10
11/11/2006Arkansas3114Tennessee10
11/4/2006Arkansas2620South Carolina10
31
11/25/2005Arkansas1719LSU01
11/19/2005Arkansas4410Mississippi St.10
11/12/2005Arkansas2817Mississippi10
11/5/2005Arkansas1014South Carolina01
22
11/26/2004Arkansas1443LSU01
11/20/2004Arkansas2421Mississippi St.10
11/13/2004Arkansas353Mississippi10
11/6/2004Arkansas3235South Carolina01
22
11/28/2003Arkansas2455LSU01
11/22/2003Arkansas526Mississippi St.10
11/6/2003Arkansas286South Carolina10
11/1/2003Arkansas7163Kentucky10
31
11/29/2002Arkansas2120LSU10
11/23/2002Arkansas2619Mississippi St.10
11/9/2002Arkansas230South Carolina10
10/26/2002Arkansas4828Mississippi10
40
11/23/2001Arkansas3841LSU01
11/17/2001Arkansas2421Mississippi St.10
11/3/2001Arkansas5856Mississippi10
10/27/2001Arkansas4217Auburn10
31
11/24/2000Arkansas143LSU10
11/18/2000Arkansas1710Mississippi St.10
11/11/2000Arkansas2063Tennessee01
11/4/2000Arkansas2438Mississippi01
22

Posted in Featured, News | Tagged Arkansas Football, Arkansas Razorback, Arkansas Razorback Football, Arkansas Razorbacks, Razorback Football, Razorbacks Football

Article written by Sharp "Tusk" Williams

SharpTusk is a featured blogger on Hog Database. He won "2009 Blog Of The Year" as voted by members of SportingNews.com and has posts referenced by local and national sports writers. Sharp began writing about Arkansas Razorbacks Football during the coaching change in 2007 and hasn't stopped. He has an eye for interesting stats, and an occasional penchant for creative writing. He's sure to keep you coming back for more.

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