The Arkansas Razorbacks (5-3, 3-2 SEC) rose in the ESPN Football Power Index (FPI) following their 58-25 win Saturday over the Mississippi State Bulldogs (1-7, 0-5 SEC) at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi.
After coming in at 31st overall following their loss to LSU, the Razorbacks jumped six spots to No. 25 off the back of the win over Mississippi State in ESPN’s FPI this week.
Head coach Sam Pittman’s squad now has a 6.8-5.2 projected win total with a 98.2% chance of obtaining six wins during the season. On top of that, Arkansas has a 0.2% chance of winning the SEC and a 0.6% chance of making the College Football Playoff, according to the FPI.
According to ESPN, Arkansas now has the 20th-highest SOS (strength of schedule) and the 10th-best remaining SOS. The Razorbacks also slot in at No. 24 in Game Control rank, which reflects the chance that an average Top 25 team would control games from start to end. Finally, Arkansas is No. 37 in average in-game win probability.
After nine weeks of football, Arkansas soared to No. 24 in the country in efficiency rankings, according to ESPN. This includes a 68.5 (No. 27) offensive rating.
The defensive rating moved down to 72.8 (No. 26) this week, and the special teams unit increased its rating to 42.0 (No. 97) after the Mississippi State game.
Compared to the rest of the SEC, the Razorbacks come in at No. 11 in the FPI just above Oklahoma, Auburn, Vanderbilt, Kentucky and Mississippi State. The Hogs look better in the efficiency department, as they slot in at No. 8 in the SEC.
Arkansas' next matchup will be at home against Ole Miss (6-2, 2-2 SEC), which ranks No. 7 in ESPN's FPI with a 78.5 offensive efficiency (14th) and 80.5 defensive efficiency (7th).
The Razorbacks' game against the Rebels will kick off at 11 CT at Razorback Stadium on Saturday. It will also be broadcast on ESPN.
