Early 2016 schedule outlook: Arkansas

Bret Bielema has steadily increased his win total in each of his first three seasons at Arkansas, peaking in 2015 with a roller-coaster 8-5 campaign.

As we turn our thoughts toward 2016, the question around Fayetteville is whether Bielema and the Hogs can take the next step forward and push it to nine or more wins for the first time since claiming 11 victories during the 2011 campaign.

Arkansas’ slate certainly is favorable in spots and conducive toward sending Bielema (18-20 at Arkansas) and the Razorbacks to at least their third bowl in a row under the former Wisconsin head coach.

For the first time in program history, Arkansas will welcome four SEC opponents to Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. And not just any opponents. The Hogs will play host to No. 1 (final AP poll) Alabama, No. 10 Ole Miss, No. 25 Florida and No. 16 LSU — arguably the top-four teams in the SEC this year. One drawback, however, is that they’ll face the Crimson Tide and Rebels in consecutive weeks, as well as the Gators and Tigers back-to-back after coming off their Week 9 bye (Oct. 29).

Such is life when you play in a stacked division such as the SEC West.

Outside the division, Arkansas will travel to Columbia to close out the regular season against Missouri — one week after traveling to Starkville to face a Dak Prescott-less Mississippi State. The Hogs also travel to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, to face Texas A&M during Week 4.

The slate also features several first-time opponents and the rekindling of a pair of rivalries that have been dormant since the 1990s. The Razorbacks get their first look at Texas State, in Fayetteville, and Alcorn State, in Little Rock, early in the year. Bielema’s squad opens the season with a Week 1 home tilt against Louisiana Tech, a team they haven’t faced since 1997.

But the biggest out-of-conference test comes in Week 2 with a trip to Forth Worth to take on Texas Christian for the first time since the Hogs left the Southwest Conference for the SEC after the 1991 season. Arkansas holds a 43-23-2 all-time record over TCU in a rivalry that dates back to 1920, but this is no longer your grandfather’s Horned Frogs. TCU finished No. 7 in the AP poll with an 11-2 record and is annually among the nation’s elite, going 192-99 (.660) since the last time the Hogs and Frogs squared off.

It’s not the easiest schedule and it’s going to take a fast start, unlike the previous two seasons, for Bielema and the Hogs to reach next-level status. That means surviving its Texas-centric September where Arkansas sandwiches a home game against Texas State between the aforementioned trips to the greater Dallas area.

Let’s take a closer look at Arkansas’ 2016 schedule.

SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN

Home games (7): Louisiana Tech (Sept. 3), Texas State (Sept. 17), Alcorn State (Oct. 1 in Little Rock), Alabama (Oct. 8), Ole Miss (Oct. 15), Florida (Nov. 5), LSU (Nov. 12).

Road games (5): TCU (Sept. 10), Texas A&M (Sept. 24 in Arlington, Texas), Auburn (Oct. 22), Mississippi State (Nov. 19), Missouri (Nov. 26).

Longest home stretch: 3 (Alcorn State, Alabama, Ole Miss).

Longest road stretch: 2 (Mississippi State, Missouri).

OPPONENT BREAKDOWN

2015 ranked teams (final regular season): No. 2 Alabama, No. 16 Ole Miss, No. 22 LSU.

2016 ranked teams (early projections): No. 2 Alabama, No. 7 LSU, No. 13 Ole Miss.

Potential trap game: At Auburn. Arkansas goes on the road to Auburn after playing consecutive home games against Alabama and Ole Miss. The Razorbacks face the Tigers prior to their Week 9 bye with home tilts against Florida and LSU awaiting. If Bret Bielema’s squad looks past Auburn, the Tigers will make them pay.

Toughest SEC games: vs. Alabama, vs. Ole Miss, vs. Florida, vs. LSU.

FULL SCHEDULE