Did CBS Get It Wrong? Razorbacks’ Pittman Receiving Little Respect
After winning nine games in 2021, the Hogs have since declined, and their coach’s ranking in polls has followed suit.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas coach Sam Pittman is being ranked similarly to where the Razorbacks are projected in the revamped SEC, which now includes Texas and Oklahoma. This isn’t particularly surprising.
In all likelihood, Pittman doesn’t care much about these rankings, assuming he’s even aware of them. It’s doubtful he manages his own social media or monitors what others post, though someone will probably bring it to his attention.
When CBS Sports ranked the SEC coaches earlier Tuesday, Pittman was placed ahead of two others: Clark Lea at Vanderbilt, who was 15th, and Jeff Lebby at Mississippi State, who was 16th. It’s understandable for Lea, given Vanderbilt’s position, and Lebby’s ranking is expected since he’s a first-year head coach.
However, it leaves fans questioning the current state of the Hogs’ program.
While many are placing their hopes on Bobby Petrino returning as head coach by December, there are numerous obstacles to overcome for that to become a reality.
Pittman is fully aware of his age and future plans after coaching the Razorbacks. He simply wants to decide for himself when he will step down.
In other words, Pittman would prefer to be the one walking into athletics director Hunter Yurachek’s office to resign rather than the other way around. Given the awkward firing of Bret Bielema on the field at the Missouri game back in 2017, a repeat of that scenario with Pittman is unlikely.
However, Pittman’s low ranking in the 16-team conference was somewhat surprising. He was ranked much higher when the team was having successful seasons and attending bowl games.
Last year’s poor performance was likely due to a dysfunctional mix of players and assistants who didn’t work well together.
Unsurprisingly, Kirby Smart from Georgia topped the list, followed by Brian Kelly from LSU. After that, the rankings got more interesting, and finding Pittman’s name required some scrolling.
The Hogs will start the season against UAPB in Little Rock. The last time these two teams played, the game was so lopsided by halftime that they agreed to use a running clock in the second half to speed things up. Following this, they will have a road game against Oklahoma State, which will provide much clearer insight into the team’s direction.
