Auburn football is in dire straits. Arkansas football is not.
No, the Razorbacks haven’t had the season many fans hoped when the year began. Arkansas was coming off a nine-win year and the hope was the Hogs could turn that into nine wins during the regular season. Instead, they’re 4-3 – incidentally the exact record they had last year through seven games.
Auburn is swimming. Coach Bryan Harsin has been on the hot seat since the season began and with the Tigers just 1-3 in SEC play and going against a fellow 1-3 team, the pressure is on for Saturday.
Arkansas is a small betting favorite even with the game being on the Plains. But Auburn is fighting for its proverbial life. If the Tigers come away with a win, it won’t necessarily change long-term fortunes, but it could be enough to inject life into the program for a bit longer.
Here’s how Harsin could save his – ahem – bacon in Week 9.