Should Razorback fans be content with bowl eligibility in 2024?

Arkansas' 20-10 loss to No. 3 Texas is nothing for the Razorbacks to ashamed of - on it's own, at least.

Nor was a 39-31 2OT road loss to then-No. 16 Oklahoma State or a 21-17 loss to Texas A&M at AT&T Stadium.

But when you zoom out and examine the bigger picture of Arkansas' football program in November of 2024, those losses suddenly become much more frustrating. In the fifth year of the Sam Pittman era, most fans are deeming them as unacceptable.

That begs the question: Given the circumstances present before Arkansas' season-opener, should fans be happy with bowl eligibility being what Pittman and the Hogs hang their hat on at the end of the season?

Few national pundits predicted Arkansas to do much more than win six games before the season started, if they picked Arkanss to win six games at all. With a new offensive coordinator, a new quarterback and a program short on momentum, bowl eligibility was not a guarantee for Arkansas in the pre-season.

But it was after a stellar season-opening performance against UAPB and a dominant first half against Oklahoma State that Arkansas fans realized this year's squad had the potential to be special and exceed all expectations.

As we know, Arkansas went on to cough up its lead against the Cowboys in Stillwater, losing in double overtime. However, two wins later, Arkansas had a chance to beat Texas A&M and host the biggest game in college football the next weekend when Tennessee came to Fayetteville.

Unfortunately, the Aggies staved off the Razorbacks in a 21-17 slugfest that saw Arkansas make far too many mistakes down the stretch.

The losses to Oklahoma State and Texas A&M were made even more infuriating on Oct. 5, when Arkansas pulled off the stunning 19-14 upset of then-No. 4 Tennessee, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.

At the same time, however, 12 points were the difference between Arkansas being 4-2 and Arkansas being 6-0.

Six weeks after the Hogs turned Dickson Street into the party capital of the world, the Razorbacks fell the No. 3 Texas 20-10 in Fayetteville, losing their third SEC game over their last four contests. Like the losses to Oklahoma State and Texas A&M, it was a game encapsulated by a litany of mistakes that cost Arkansas in the end.

The best way to describe Arkansas' 2024 season? Death by a thousand cuts.

As I stated previously, Arkansas' individual losses this season aren't cause for major uproar or concern. They do, however, paint a bigger picture that is the reason why so many fans are hoping Sam Pittman is watching games on the lake in 2025 rather than the Arkansas sideline.

Over the past three seasons, Pittman's teams have developed an unfortunate trend of being unable to make clutch plays to close out tight games. That's not to say Arkansas should be expected to win every close game, especially against teams the caliber of Texas, but they certainly shouldn't lose every one of them, either.

Against LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Alabama and BYU a season ago, Arkansas wasn't able to make the plays necessary to win. In 2022, Arkansas lost games to Alabama, Missouri, Liberty and LSU due to the same reason.

Three of Arkansas' five losses this season have been caused by Arkansas constantly shooting itself in the foot. A 5-5 record is not bad at all considering what the expectations were for Arkansas going into the season, but week after week, the same problems that have constantly plagued Pittman continue to do so.

So, after presenting the necessary evidence, what is the correct answer to the question posed earlier?

There are two main answers that most fans would deem acceptable, and each has it's own merit.

On one hand, bowl eligibility should be celebrated - assuming Arkansas handles business and scores it's sixth win of the season against Lousiana Tech on Nov. 23 - given the low expectations for the Hogs in the pre-season. Arkansas isn't near the top of the SEC, but they're not in the basement, either. While not an elite team this season, they're good enough to beat the teams they're supposed to beat, and they proved against Tennessee, occasionally hang with or knock off a college football giant.

On the other hand, Pittman's last three seasons have been fairly unremarkable, and the only consistent thing about Arkansas' football program over that span is that the Hogs have been inconsistent. This season has certainly been an improvement over 2023, but has also been a season full of missed opportunities.

Ultimately, it's Hunter Yurachek's decision as to whether or not a bowl game is enough for Pittman to remain as the head coach of the Razorbacks. If Arkansas does earn their sixth win over the next two weeks, both sides of the argument will undoubtedly be heard thousands of times.