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Arkansas in ESPN FPI Top 25 after Oklahoma State loss

Italian Arkie

IT Guy Extraordinaire
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Dec 5, 2017
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The Arkansas Razorbacks (1-1) jumped in the ESPN Football Power Index (FPI) following their 39-31 (2OT) loss Saturday to the No. 16 Oklahoma State Cowboys (2-0) at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Arkansas' loss continued a disturbing trend under head coach Sam Pittman, as the Hogs are now 1-6 in one-possession games since the start of the 2023-24 season.

Even in the agonizing defeat, the Razorbacks still made big plays on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Taylen Green passes for 416 yards and a touchdown, while running back Ja'Quinden Jackson added 149 yards and three scores on the ground.

Defensively, the Razorbacks flat-out dominated the Cowboys in the first half. Oklahoma State only accumulated 77 total yards and a 1-for-6 mark on third downs during the first two quarters, but finished the game with 385 total yards thanks to poor field position and two overtime periods.

Following the loss, the Hogs rose in the rankings in one of ESPN's top predictive metrics for college football.

After coming in at 30th overall following Week 1, the Razorbacks ascended seven spots to No. 23 off the back of the loss to Oklahoma State in ESPN’s FPI this week.

Head coach Sam Pittman’s squad now has a 5.8-6.2 projected win total with a 57.7% chance of obtaining six wins during the season. On top of that, Arkansas has a 0.3% chance of winning the SEC and a 2.7% chance of making the College Football Playoff, according to the FPI.

After one week of football, Arkansas fell to No. 19 in the country in efficiency rankings, according to ESPN. This includes an 83.3 (No. 20) offensive rating.

The defensive rating moved down to 83.5 (No. 22) this week as well. The special teams unit also decreased its rating, as it stumbled to 26.6 (No. 118) after the Oklahoma State game.

Compared to the rest of the SEC, the Razorbacks come in at No. 10 in the FPI just above South Carolina, Florida, Mississippi State, Auburn, Kentucky and Vanderbilt. The Hogs look better in the efficiency department, as they slot in at No. 6 in the SEC.

Going into a Week 3 matchup against the UAB Blazers — a team that ranks No. 110 in the FPI — the Razorbacks will have a big advantage in their home-opener at Razorbacks Stadium.

Arkansas and UAB are set for a 3:15 p.m. CT kickoff on Saturday at Razorbacks Stadium in Fayetteville. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.
 
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