2015-2016 Arkansas College Football Preview<\/h2>\nOverview<\/h3>\n
Arkansas must have had one of the most impressive 7-6 seasons in recent memory. The Razorbacks went just 2-6 against the SEC, but four of those losses were by a single touchdown \u2013 including their one-point loss to Alabama \u2013 and their two wins were back-to-back shutouts of LSU and Ole Miss.<\/p>\n
[sc:NCAA240banner ]This season, the Razorbacks return senior quarterback Brandon Allen, running back tandem Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins \u2013 who both rushed for over 1,000 yards and scored 12 touchdowns each last season \u2013 as well as four starters across an excellent offensive line.<\/p>\n
Their much-improved defense, which ranked ninth in the nation in scoring defense last season, will need a bit of reloading after the loss of some key players – Trey Flowers, Darius Philon, Martrell Spaight and Alan Turner. Second-year defensive coordinator Robb Smith looks up to the task, though. He\u2019ll still have breakout star Taiwan Johnson on the defensive line, as well as an experienced secondary.<\/p>\n
Arkansas is still a notch below the big guns in the SEC, but don’t discount the Razorbacks from causing a major shock. They’re priced at +1,000<\/a> to reign supreme in the SEC, and +4,500<\/a> to win the national championship.<\/p>\n Bret Bielema is renowned for assembling terrific running games, and he\u2019s done it again at Arkansas. With a terrific running back tandem and a bruising O-line, the Razorbacks could arguably\u00a0have the best rushing attack in the country this season.<\/p>\n That running game should continue to take a lot of the pressure off quarterback Brandon Allen, who was solid but unspectacular last season. He threw for 2,285 yards and had 20 touchdowns against just five interceptions, but ranked just seventh out of 11 qualified SEC quarterbacks in terms of QB rating.<\/p>\n The Razorbacks could very easily ride their running game all the way to a winning season this year. But if they have ambitions of breaking into the upper echelons of the SEC, they\u2019ll need a bit more efficiency from their senior quarterback this season.<\/p>\n Arkansas\u2019s first SEC assignment comes in the form of Texas A&M in a neutral field. The Razorbacks lost this corresponding fixture last season \u2013 which was played in the Dallas Cowboys\u2019 AT&T Stadium \u2013 in heartbreaking fashion. They gave up a 14-point fourth quarter lead as the Aggies eventually won in overtime.<\/p>\n After experiencing those kinds of heartbreaking losses all season long, this year\u2019s rematch against a much-improved A&M team will be a nice litmus test for the Razorbacks to see whether they actually have learned their lesson.<\/p>\n Create a betting account now<\/a> and get ready to test your college football wagering skills in the upcoming season.<\/p>\n Best Case Scenario<\/strong><\/p>\n Arkansas continues to run people over with its imposing running game. But this time, the Razorbacks turn those close losses into wins thanks to Allen\u2019s growth at quarterback. Arkansas maintains its upward trajectory in Year 3 under Bielema, as the program gets its first double-digit win season since 2011.<\/p>\n Worst Case Scenario<\/strong><\/p>\n Allen fails to provide an added dimension to the offense in his senior year, as Arkansas follows last season\u2019s depressing script of dominating on the ground, but still losing close games. As a result, the Razorbacks remain just a game or two above .500.<\/p>\n Despite five of Arkansas’ eight conference games coming away from home, the Razorbacks and their running game pull off a couple of tough road wins to finish 10-3, going over 8.0<\/strong><\/a> regular season wins.<\/p>\n[sc:NCAA490banner ]\nKey Player \u2013 Brandon Allen<\/h3>\n
![\"Brandon+Allen+Arkansas\"](\"http:\/\/topbet.eu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Brandon+Allen+Arkansas.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nKey Game \u2013 vs. Texas A&M (Sept. 26)<\/h3>\n
Best\/Worst Case Scenario for the Season<\/h3>\n
Complete Schedule<\/h3>\n
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\n \nDATE<\/th>\n OPPONENT<\/th>\n TIME<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n \n Sat, Sept. 5<\/th>\n vs. UTEP<\/th>\n 3:30 PM ET<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n \n Fri, Sept. 11<\/th>\n vs. Toledo (neutral field)<\/th>\n 4:00 PM ET<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n \n Sat, Sept. 19<\/th>\n vs. Texas Tech<\/th>\n 7:00 PM ET<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n \n Sat, Sept. 26<\/th>\n vs. Texas A&M (neutral field)<\/th>\n TBA<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n \n Sat, Oct. 3<\/th>\n @ Tennessee<\/th>\n TBA<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n \n Sat, Oct. 10<\/th>\n @ Alabama<\/th>\n TBA<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n \n Sat, Oct. 24<\/th>\n vs. Auburn<\/th>\n TBA<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n \n Sat, Oct. 31<\/th>\n @ UT Martin<\/th>\n TBA<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n \n Sat, Nov. 7<\/th>\n @ Ole Miss<\/th>\n TBA<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n \n Sat, Nov. 14<\/th>\n @ LSU<\/th>\n TBA<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n \n Sat, Nov. 21<\/th>\n vs. Mississippi State<\/th>\n TBA<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n \n Fri, Nov. 27<\/th>\n vs. Missouri<\/th>\n 2:30 PM ET<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n Writer\u2019s Prediction<\/h3>\n