With the SEC moving to a nine-game conference schedule, the days of playing three 'cupcakes' a year are over. Of course, in the last season with three non-Power Four teams on the schedule, Arkansas plays a borderline top-25 Memphis team in the Bluff City and an Arkansas State team that's waited over a century to knock off the state's flagship university. Luckily, the Hogs are starting with one at Alabama A&M.
Starting the season with a tune-up game is exactly what every team needs. Some could say it's a dream scenario, but playing cupcakes could turn into nightmares just as quickly—just ask 2024's Notre Dame team.