Arkansas Football: The Ins and Outs, Highs and Lows of the 2012 Schedule

What an offseason it's been for the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Started the year off as possible national championship contenders, lost their head coach, rehired John L. Smith, and now, I guess they remain national championship contenders?

We do know they remain a talented football team and have seven starters on offense returning. But with an SEC schedule, nothing is quite guaranteed. They have enough talent to win plenty of games this season, but they'll have to stay strong through these difficult times and still beat several other solid football teams to accomplish their goals.

As we get closer to kicking off the regular season, here's your 2012 Arkansas Razorbacks complete schedule breakdown.

Easiest Game

It doesn't matter what's going on with Arkansas or who the head coach is.

The Razorbacks could have a one-armed chimpanzee that blew bubble gum on the sidelines, and they'd still be able to knock off Jacksonville State in Week 1. (Sorry I don't have a picture of one, believe me, I tried.)

Toughest Game

It's been a real ugly history for Arkansas taking on the Alabama Crimson Tide.

They've lost six of the last seven games against them, and three of those losses have been by 20-plus points.

The last victory for Arkansas over Alabama came in 2006. Regardless of how many key players Nick Saban and company lost during the offseason, you know his team will be ready when this game arrives.

It's going to be tough for Arkansas to get over the hump.

Potential Blowout

Now that we've already picked on Jacksonville State, it's time for Louisianan-Monroe to get the same treatment.

There's absolutely no chance the Warhawks can win this game, and it will result in a beatdown and seeing a lot of Razorback backups.

This team hasn't had a winning record in the Sun Belt since they joined the conference in 2001.

Potential for Disaster

A game against South Carolina also won't be easy for the Razorbacks and has the potential to really drop them in the rankings. Sure, the Razorbacks crushed the Gamecocks last year, but this is a different South Carolina team.

For one, quarterback Connor Shaw is a lot more experienced and is improving throughout practices. They're also getting some running back named Marcus Lattimore back from injury. A defense that was ranked third in the country is also returning six starters, and this game will take place in Columbia this time.

This should be a fantastic game against two dark horses in the SEC, but if the Gamecocks can generate pressure, it could get ugly. We all saw how Tyler Wilson performed last year when guys rattled his cage a bit.

Most Intriguing Matchup

One of the more interesting matchups on the Arkansas Razorbacks schedule is against the Alabama Crimson Tide. We talked about them a few slides back, but they're one of the few teams that are standing in the Razorbacks' way to win the conference.

In last season’s matchup, Arkansas couldn't get much going as they struggled to score 17 points and only put together 226 yards of total offense.

One of the key stats of that game was that the Razorbacks only managed to rush for 17 yards. Maybe getting a healthy Knile Davis back will change the outcome of this year’s matchup.

It would end a five-game losing streak to Alabama.

Trap Game

Before the Razorbacks take on the LSU Tigers for the last game of the season, they have to take a trip to Davis Wade Stadium to take on Mississippi State. That alone is a difficult task, having to deal with the cowbells constantly ringing in your ear and the obnoxious fans. 

Sure, the Bulldogs did lose six starters on offense, but they do return seven starters from a defense that was ranked 16th in scoring defense.

It's a squad that held Georgia to only 24 points and LSU to only 19. Of course, Arkansas should win this game, but it's no walk in the park, and it's important they don't look ahead to the LSU game.

Rivalry Game Prediction

The Tigers destroyed the Razorbacks last season by a margin of 24 points. They rattled quarterback Tyler Wilson all afternoon and cruised to an easy victory. But this season, Arkansas returns seven starters on offense and will get a healthy Knile Davis back at running back. In the 2010 victory over the Tigers, he rushed for 152 yards and scored a touchdown.

I believe the Razorbacks are one of the more talented teams on the offensive side of the ball, and I believe it's good enough to carry them to an SEC title. With the losses on the defensive side of the ball to LSU, I'm not sure the Tigers' defense can get enough stops or their offense is balanced enough to keep up.

I'll go with the home team in Arkansas in a close one.

Arkansas wins: 35-28

Upset Special

Now if the Auburn Tigers can't fix their defense that ranked 79th in points allowed, you can forget all about this early prediction. But with them returning 10 starters on that side of the ball and a new defensive coordinator, it should be somewhat of a better unit.

The Tigers also have a solid offense that features several players with potential and will likely have an athletic quarterback in Kiehl Frazier leading the way. The game will also be held in Jordan-Hare Stadium, which also gives the Tigers a solid advantage heading into this game.

This will be the second road game in a row for Arkansas, after playing Texas A&M. If Auburn can play up to their potential and feed off the crowd, I could see the Tigers making things interesting in this game.

Heisman Highlight Game

Arkansas has two players capable of making a Heisman run this year, in quarterback Tyler Wilson and running back Knile Davis. They both have huge expectations this season, will be key to a championship run and look to put up ridiculous stats this season.

The game that could become their Heisman moment is the Week 3 game against Alabama. A great defensive team, defending national champions, huge stage and will really set the tone early in the SEC West.

In last year's game against Alabama, Wilson wasn't himself and only threw for 185 yards and two touchdowns, when the game was all but over. If he can really step up to the plate and perform the way he did against Mississippi State, (365 passing yards and three touchdowns) you'll be looking at a Heisman candidate.

Must-Win Game

We broke down the rivalry game a few slides back, but this is the game they must win if they expect to win the SEC and reach a national championship.

With all of the talent Alabama and LSU are returning, it really wouldn't be a surprise if the race is as close as it was last season in the SEC West.

Also, with this being the last game of the regular season, a loss would drop Arkansas a few spots in the rankings, making things extremely difficult in trying to gain ground to position themselves for a possible championship.

If the Razorbacks can take care of business here, it wouldn't be a surprise if they end up in Atlanta with a chance to earn a bid to extend the SEC streak to seven straight years for the BCS national championship.