If Sam Pittman has a chip on his shoulder going into 2025, you better believe it’s SEC-sized. The Arkansas HC isn’t just fired up for a redemption tour. He’s staring down one of the most brutal schedules in college football with a grin. Coming off a 7-6 campaign, he knows perception isn’t exactly sunshine and rainbows in Fayetteville. But he’s unfazed. “We finished in the Top 10 in offense last year,” he said at the SEC Media Days. “I think we have a better offensive football team than we had a year ago.” So, why does that confidence matter so much?
That Week 3 game for Arkansas, it’s a big one. That’s when the Razorbacks roll into Oxford under the lights to face Ole Miss for a revenge game. John Nabors of Locked on Razorbacks laid it out plain on That SEC Podcast on July 26. “It’s the game that’s going to really make or break the season,” he said. “If you win that game, it sets you up to where you stack up. It’s not a disaster… But if you lose and especially if you lose in a convincing way, you got Memphis on the road next… And then after that, you have Notre Dame at home. You could be looking at 2-3 before that Tennessee game that you have on the road.” There’s a reason USA TODAY ranked Arkansas 14th out of 16 SEC teams this summer. And it’s not because people are scared of their depth chart.
Last November, Ole Miss turned Razorback Stadium into a house of horror when they dropped a 63-31 beatdown that still echoes through the halls. Lane Kiffin, Jaxson Dart, and that ruthless Rebels defense made Arkansas look like an FCS warmup for the month. It wasn’t just a loss, it was a message and the Razorbacks get a shot at payback. Lose again in embarrassing fashion and Sam Pittman’s seat will get very hot very fast. But the HC isn’t folding. He’s doubling down instead.
Arkansas is slated to play four teams that will be in the Top-15 on the road including Ole Miss, Tennessee, LSU, and Texas. Based on polls, six or eight of the teams are ranked in the Top-25. On top of that, nine of the teams in their 2025 schedule played in the postseason while three of them made the playoffs. “I think it’s an outstanding schedule,” Sam Pittman said at SEC Media Days. “With that, everybody, that gives the University of Arkansas one hell of an opportunity. That’s what it does. We got a good football team, too.” And when it comes to Ole Miss in particular, the Hogs have revenge on the brain.
Sam Pittman’s crew is seeking revenge against Ole Miss
Fernando Carmona isn’t sugarcoating anything. The Arkansas offensive lineman practically called the Week 3 showdown a scheduled butt-kicking. Except this time, the Razorbacks plan to deliver it. On the 4th & 5 Podcast with former Razorback TE DJ Williams, he fired, “Ole Miss. I need them. I hate them. Just the way they [acted]. They had every right to act that way that day. I mean, they put belt to [expletive] to us.” The Rebels pulled out every humiliation trick including TikTok dances, fire extinguisher celebrations after five TDs from Jordan Watkins. This year, it’s personal and he isn’t the only one feeling it.
“It was really extremely disrespectful, especially it being on our field,” Carmona added. “I think everyone in the building who was here last year knows what Week 3 will look like and what that practice will look like. We will get our revenge.” And don’t forget the traitors in the building. Patrick Kutas, Luke Hasz, and Jaylon Braxton. All ex-Hogs, now Rebels. “It killed me,” Carmona said of Kutas’ departure. “He was one of the most down to earth, one of the most ‘Hog til I die’ kind of guy… I think that’s why I can’t wait for Week 3.” When young blood boils, expect intense showdowns.
Arkansas knows Ole Miss is vulnerable with new QB Austin Simmons and a rebuilt receiving corps. Pete Golding’s defense might not have the teeth it had last fall. That opens the door for Arkansas to crash the party just like Kentucky did in Oxford last season. This isn’t just a revenge game. It’s a reputation game. For Sam Pittman. For the locker room. For the future. Because if Arkansas walks into Oxford and flips the script, the season’s alive. But if history repeats, Razorback Nation might start asking who’s next in line.
The post Arkansas’ Shot at Revenge Over SEC Rival May Carry Bigger Weight for Sam Pittman appeared first on EssentiallySports.
