Arkansas faithful are tired of going to the Liberty Bowl, and rightfully so. Since 2010, the Razorbacks have played in Memphis four times against East Carolina, Kansas State, Kansas, and last season, Texas Tech. Razorbacks fans just want something new, but not necessarily in the way ESPN suggests.
Writers Mark Schlabach and Kyle Bonagura tried their hand at projecting the matchups for every bowl game heading into the 2025-26 college football season. Unfortunately, Arkansas wasn't granted a great deal of faith. Only Bonagura offered a projection for the Birmingham Bowl.
Birmingham Bowl or Bust in 2025?
Trading a frigid December night in Memphis for a cold December afternoon in Birmingham doesn't seem likely to get the juices flowing for many Arkansas fans. The game is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 29, at 2:00 PM, so most of Razorback Nation will be at work as the game starts. While that might be frustrating to read, at the same time, you can't expect much better projections.
The expectations around Arkansas aren't very high. For most odd makers, the Razorbacks' season total over/under is set at 5.5, favoring the over. That's right in line with ESPN's Football Power Index model, which has Arkansas winning between 5.9 and 6.1 games.
Liberty Bowl Champions 🏆 pic.twitter.com/RsUkssy3ut
— Arkansas Razorback Football (@RazorbackFB) January 3, 2025
Yes, the Hogs have a difficult schedule ahead of them, which is in part why Arkansas' win projection is so low. However, the loss of key players like Brad Spence, Patrick Kutas, and Luke Hasz, among others, leaves many question marks heading into the season. Uncertainty often manifests in poor preseason outlooks, so Arkansas could very well exceed the preseason expectations.
But if it does come down to playing in the Birmingham Bowl, would that even be good enough for the fanbase? Or would they rather play in Memphis for the fifth time in 15 years? That's the real question.