Tag: preseason predictions

Arkansas picked to finish fourth in preseason SEC poll

Arkansas’ preseason spot of No. 4 is the team’s highest since 1995-96.

It’s been almost three decades since the expectations for the Arkansas women’s basketball team were as high as they are in 2022-23.

The last time the Razorbacks to finish fourth-or-better in the SEC was 1995-96. On Tuesday, the SEC media selected Arkansas to be fourth in this year’s preseason poll.

Coach Mike Neighbors’ team is coming off an 18-13 (7-9) season in which the Razorbacks finished tied for eighth in the SEC. They made the NCAA Tournment as a No. 10 seed but lost to Utah in the first round.

Arkansas returns a bulk of its rotation from last season, only having lost guards Amber Ramirez and Sasha Goforth, both starters. Ramirez exhausted her eligibility while Goforth, a Fayetteville native, retired because of health issues.

Guards Makayla Daniels and Samara Spencer will head the offense as the two returning starters who averaged double figures in scoring last year.

See the entire preseason 14 below.

Arkansas Lands at No. 23 in College Football News Preseason Rankings

Arkansas is a preseason Top 25 team in at least one poll with more to surely come.

It’s almost August, signaling a tide in the preseason rankings until game day. 

Preseason rankings should be kept in context, not in the literal sense of picking the champion. It’s the poll positions at the opening gate. 

Some rankings can be unnecessary and pointless, but the more reputable platforms that release rankings give fans clarity about the season ahead. For example, college Football News released their annual 131 team Preseason rankings. 

Arkansas landed at No. 23, increasing their stock as a team to watch in the SEC. 

The Top 25 ranking puts the Razorbacks two slots below their postseason No. 21 AP ranking. College Football News also predicted the Razorback would land at No. 16, which would be the highest preseason ranking since 2010 (ranked No. 10). 

It is in contrast to some of the other preseason ranking participants. Legendary sports writer Phil Steele ranked the Razorbacks No. 38 in his top 40 preseason rankings. 247 Sports also left the Razorbacks outside of the Top 25. 

A Top 25 preseason ranking is not far-fetched for Arkansas. They’re returning 11 starters unit that won nine games last season. Big wins against Texas and Texas A&M and a 7-point road loss to Arkansas give this team good experience for big game situations this upcoming season. 

KJ Jefferson has the potential to have one of the best offensive seasons this year, with four returning starters from the offensive lineman protecting him. The ground game is also expecting to flourish with Ricky Stromberg anchoring the offensive line. 

And once again, preseason rankings are only for entertainment.

College Football News predicts where each Big 12 team will finish in 2021

Here’s where CFN predicts each Big 12 team to finish in 2021. Spoiler: There’s a tiebreaker for the No. 2 spot behind Oklahoma.

It’s that time of year when many networks release their predictions for the upcoming 2021 college football season. Continue reading “College Football News predicts where each Big 12 team will finish in 2021”

College Football News predicts Texas’ 2021 season

They expect Texas to start the season 4-0 before dropping two straight.

Would Texas fans be content with three losses in 2021?

There’s a new coaching staff in town, which typically brings growing pains throughout the first year. Although three losses is certainly not living up to the high Texas expectations, it could potentially be enough to secure a spot in the Big 12 Championship game. Reaching the Big 12 title game in Steve Sarkisian’s first year is certainly something to be proud of.

College Football News recently predicted how Texas’ 2021 college football season will play out. The Longhorns finished with a 9-3 overall record, which had them tied with Iowa State for the No. 2 spot in the Big 12. Unfortunately, since CFN predicted Iowa State to defeat Texas during the regular season, Matt Campbell’s squad owned the tiebreaker and advanced to the Big 12 title game.

However, that includes a loss to TCU at the beginning of October. If Texas is able to escape Fort Worth with a win, and assuming they defeat the lesser quality opponents that they’re supposed to, the Longhorns could find their way to the Big 12 title game against Oklahoma.

Take a look at how CFN predicts Texas’ 2021 college football season to play out.