Arkansas and Texas Tech are set to face off in the 2024 AutoZone Liberty Bowl today. The Razorbacks started as the favorites in the Liberty Bowl, but the spread has moved in favor of Texas Tech, making Arkansas 2.5-point dogs.
It's curious how the Hogs managed to be favorites at all with how the transfer portal and NFL draft opt-outs have decimated the team's two-deep.
Arkansas will field three new offensive linemen that haven't played a meaningful snap this season. In addition, there'll be new starters at wide receiver, running back, tight end, defensive line, and in the secondary to varying degrees.
Tech, on the other hand, has a few missing pieces but is relatively intact. Then why aren't they massive favorites? The problem with the Red Raiders isn't the quantity of players leaving but the quality.
Tech's quarterback Behren Morton is out after having surgery, so in his place is true freshman Will Hammond. WR Josh Kelly — Texas Tech's leading receiver — is also moving on to the NFL. And to top it off, the Red Raiders' defense was the worst in the Big 12. It's just enough that it might even the odds for Arkansas.
In this article, Razorbackers staff try to make sense of what's leftover from the transfer portal carnage and give their predictions for the 2024 AutoZone Liberty Bowl.
Razorbackers staff predictions- Liberty Bowl: Arkansas vs Texas Tech
Antonio
Although transfer and NFL Draft departures have significantly diminished the talent Arkansas brings to this game against Texas Tech, the Razorbacks still have much talent remaining on both sides of the ball. With starting quarterback Behren Morton unavailable for the Red Raiders because of shoulder surgery, they must rely on backup quarterback Will Hammond. While the Arkansas secondary performed poorly against LSU and Ole Miss, Texas Tech poses nowhere near the challenges those two teams did for the Hogs.
When the team faced Texas, Louisiana Tech, and Missouri, Arkansas’s final three regular season games, the secondary showed improvement from its disastrous performances against LSU and Ole Miss. Therefore, this does not bode well for a backup quarterback, Will Hammond, having to start against an SEC defense tested by the best conference in college football. While Hammond may experience some success early in the game, the Hogs’ defensive coordinator, Travis Williams, will make necessary adjustments before or during halftime.
Taylen Green, Arkansas’s starting quarterback, will be the best player to step on the field. Bobby Petrino, an offensive genius and one of the best offensive coaches in football history, has proven he can take any roster and create a nightmarish situation for opposing defenses. With enough time to organize his offense after the previously mentioned departures, expect to see a potent Arkansas offense today. Understanding that the Red Raiders have proven they can score many points, one can expect Petrino to strive to dominate the time of possession battle.
Arkansas and Texas Tech will provide fans with an exciting and competitive game. While the Red Raiders will present the Razorbacks with challenges throughout the game, Arkansas will do enough on offense, defense, and special teams to defeat Texas Tech, providing the team with excellent momentum going into next season.
Arkansas 34 – Texas Tech 30
John
Texas Tech will rely on their freshman QB in his first collegiate start in the bowl game. The Razorback defense should make him uncomfortable enough to force a few mistakes. Arkansas will have a depleted offense due to the transfer portal and draft, but they will rely on their rushing attack, which should be good enough to get the job done.
Arkansas 20 – Texas Tech 17
Pat
Travis Williams' defense has played it's best against freshmen quarterbacks this season. If Red Raider stud halfback Tahj Brooks follows suit with Tech's other two triplets in quarterback Beheren Morton and wideout Josh Kelly, and opts out in favor of the NFL draft, Arkansas quarterback Talen Green and freshman stud halfback Braylen Russell — fresh out of the transfer portal for the second time in as many weeks — should be enough to get a few S-E-C! chants wafting across the bridge into West Memphis for the second time in three years.
Sure, The Red Raiders suffered less attrition to the portal over all, but playing in the SEC is enough to overcome a 1.5 point spread.
Arkansas 31-Tech 24
Austin
The Hogs are coming off a tumultuous two weeks where one significant player after another entered the transfer portal or opted out to enter the NFL draft. No position was hit harder than the offensive line. All three interior starters have transferred, including Arkansas's backup center, which left the Razorbacks without one for the bowl game.
Texas Tech has its share of problems, too. It'll have to break in a new QB with Hammond, but in his one meaningful game this season, he looked polished for a youngster. The Red Raiders also have a defense that stops the pass like a colander stops water. But none of it matters if Arkansas might not even connect on the snap. The Razorbacks have just lost too much for me to pick them in this game.
Texas Tech 31 – Arkansas 27