Arkansas Bowl Projections Following LSU Setback

What are the updated bowl projections for Arkansas football following Saturday’s 34-10 setback against LSU in Fayetteville?

Well, for starters, the Razorbacks (4-3, 2-2 SEC) still need to pick up at least two more victories over their final five games to clinch postseason eligibility after missing out after a 4-8 finish in 2023.

Next weekend’s matchup with Mississippi State in Starkville stands out as Arkansas’ most winnable remaining SEC game, and Sam Pittman believes his team will be motivated by the chase for bowl eligibility.

“We always want to go to postseason, and we can still do that,” Pittman said. “Our kids will be excited to try to get to postseason, and we have to rebound next week for Mississippi State who is playing a lot better than they were earlier in the year.”

The ESPN Football Power Index (FPI) dropped its win projection for Arkansas from 7.0 to 6.2 following Saturday’s loss, but it still gives the Razorbacks a 76.8 percent chance — down from 92.4 percent last week — to reach bowl eligibility with six wins despite having a remaining strength of schedule that ranks 13th nationally.

After traveling to Mississippi State, Arkansas returns home to face Ole Miss, hosts Texas following its second by week, welcomes Louisiana Tech to town for a late non-conference matchup in Fayetteville and closes the regular season at Missouri.

Here is a look at the latest bowl projections and opponents for Arkansas from several major outlets and national analysts:

• CBS Sports – Music City Bowl (Nashville, Tenn.) vs. Illinois
• 247Sports – AutoZone Libert Bowl (Memphis, Tenn.) vs. West Virginia
• ESPN (Schlabach) – Texas Bowl (Houston, Texas) vs. Cincinnati
• ESPN (Bonagura) – Birmingham Bowl (Birmingham, Ala.) vs. Tulane
• Action Network (McMurphy) – Texas Bowl (Houston, Texas) vs. Texas Tech