The post Arkansas football head coach Sam Pittman’s utterly confident take amid SEC schedule appeared first on ClutchPoints.
Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman didn’t flinch when asked about the daunting challenge ahead. At SEC Media Days the Razorbacks leader delivered a confident message that his team is ready to take on anyone and the SEC better be ready for them too.
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Rather than shy away from the 2025 schedule ranked among the toughest in the country, Pittman leaned into it. With a veteran core returning and renewed belief on both sides of the ball, the Razorbacks are entering the season with quiet swagger and their head coach is setting the tone early.
Coming off a 7-6 season in 2024 that ended with a Liberty Bowl win over Texas Tech, the program enters 2025 facing what ESPN believes as the fifth toughest schedule in college football. Despite that, the head coach remains defiant. In a story from Razorbackers’ Jackson McAfee, Pittman made his confidence unmistakable.
“[The schedule gives] the University of Arkansas one hell of an opportunity. That’s what it does. We got a good football team, too. They have to play Arkansas, too, now. We know who we’re playing, they know who they’re playing, too. We’re proud of our football team.”
The 2025 schedule features road trips to LSU and Texas, along with marquee matchups against Notre Dame, Auburn, and Texas A&M.
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But Pittman isn’t shying away from the heat. If anything, he’s leaning in.
The Razorbacks are returning key pieces on both sides of the ball. Their offense last season ranked in the Top 10 nationally in yards per game under offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino, and the defense, led by Travis Williams, improved to 37th in third-down stops. Close losses—three by just one possession—could swing their way with more experience.
That’s why the Razorbacks coach views this SEC gauntlet as more of a proving ground than a problem. With the College Football Playoff having expanded to 12 teams, Pittman believes the Razorbacks could surprise people if they finish strong.
A strong start against Alabama A&M and Arkansas State could build momentum, but the real test begins on September 13th at Ole Miss, followed by Notre Dame, Tennessee, and a brutal October stretch.
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Still, the SEC remains as deep and competitive as ever. Pittman’s bold confidence speaks to a stronger belief in Arkansas’s identity and upward trajectory.
If the Razorbacks can stay healthy and flip a few of those one-score games, a legitimate push for eight or more wins, and maybe a College Football Playoff spot, might not be out of reach. Either way, Pittman’s message is clear, this isn’t the Arkansas of old.
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