It is fashionable among national and regional pundits, and understandably so, to have little faith in Arkansas football going into Year 1 of the Ryan Silverfield era.
You can add Paul Finebaum to the list of those who believe Silverfield is in for a tough go of things in his first campaign at the helm in Fayetteville.
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Speaking on Friday’s edition of The Chuck and Bo Show, Finebaum recounted that he often sees a path to 7-10 potential victories for the Razorbacks. But that isn’t the case in 2026.
“Not this year,” Finebaum said. “I studied that schedule pretty hard the other night, and as much as I want to be optimistic, I am in the business of trying to get all 16 [SEC} fan bases to try and watch and listen to our show… I have not found six wins on that schedule.”
Finebaum, of course, is not alone in his doubts about the Razorbacks’ ability to win football games come fall.
Both CBS and Athlon Sports predicted that Arkansas will finish last in the SEC this season for a second consecutive year. There are plenty of explanations for why.
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Not since the unexpected joyride that was Houston Nutt’s first season on the Hill in 1998 has a first-year coach at Arkansas had a winning record.
The only Razorback squad led by a first-year head coach since to win more than two SEC games was Sam Pittman’s 2020 group.
Arkansas went 3-7 while playing an all-SEC 10-game schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Surprisingly, the only first-year SEC coach to notch more than three conference wins in their first season prior to Nutt was his underwhelming predecessor, Danny Ford.
Playing in the SEC means navigating a difficult schedule on an annual basis, but Arkansas’ 2026 slate is light on cupcakes.
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The Sept. 5 season opener against North Alabama and the Sept. 26 tilt against Tulsa are the only two games Arkansas should, without a doubt, be victorious in.
The other 10, at the best, are toss-ups, if not games UA will be an underdog in.
Arkansas’ third non-conference game is a road trip Utah, which will have a fellow first-year man in Morgan Scalley steering the ship.
Still, the Utes have been built into a perennial contender and are coming off of an 11-win campaign in 2025.
SEC road trips to Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, Auburn and Texas will be inherently tough.
The Aggies and Longhorns may both be double-digit favorites when the Hogs come to town, and since the last time Arkansas played Vanderbilt in 2018, the Commodores have become a fringe playoff contender as well.
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Where the opportunity to prove Finebaum wrong and reach the six-win mark require for bowl eligibility lies for the Hogs is Razorback Stadium.
Assuming Arkansas takes care of business against North Alabama and Tulsa, five home conference matchups await.
A road win against Utah in Week 2, as well as a potential road win against Auburn in a matchup between first-year HCs could make six wins much more attainable.
Still, even giving UA those four wins would force it to find two SEC wins at home against the likes of Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Missouri or LSU.
Georgia and Tennessee are expected to be in playoff contention next season, and the former in contention for the national championship.
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LSU does have a first-year head coach as well, though the caveat is that it’s the eccentric force of nature that is Lane Kiffin.
Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Ryan Silverfield looks over to the sidelines during the spring game at Razorback Stadium. | Brett Rojo-Imagn Images
In many ways, Shane Beamer’s embattled South Carolina Gamecocks emulate Pittman’s 2024 team at Arkansas: they’re coming off of a 4-8 season in which they found only one SEC win.
Whether or not they respond as Pittman did with a seven-win campaign that briefly extended his tenure or crumble and leave Beamer without a job remains the question.
Regardless, South Carolina seems like Arkansas’ best shot at an SEC win going into the season, especially at home.
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Missouri on Oct. 31 seems like another winnable game, though Razorback fans are likely tired of hearing that statement in regard to the Tigers.
Still, Eli Drinkwitz’s team has plateaued over the last two years, posting 8-5 records in both 2024 and 2025.
It’s not out of the question that Silverfield could find a way to get Arkansas its first victory over Mizzou since 2021.
Razorback fans may not particularly like Finebaum’s forecast of another losing season, but it’s hard to say he’s wrong at the moment.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/arkansas as Finebaum Joins Those Skeptical of What Razorbacks, Silverfield Can Do in Year One.
