Though the season is only halfway over, Arkansas is running out of time. Beating Auburn on Saturday at Razorback Stadium is crucial to the Hogs’ bowl hopes.

At 2-4, the Razorbacks need four more victories to qualify for a bowl game. And their six remaining opponents include tough SEC West foes LSU, Ole Miss and Mississippi State.

Next weekend’s game with Tennessee-Martin should be an easy victory. The regular-season finale with Missouri on the day after Thanksgiving looks promising, too.

It’s the games in between that are dicey. The Hogs are likely underdogs in road games against No. 24 Ole Miss and No. 5 LSU followed by a home date with Mississippi State.

Arkansas will have to win at least one of them.

The good news: the Hogs’ bowl hopes seemed dim late last season before they upset LSU and Ole Miss to reach six wins and gain a spot in the Texas Bowl, where they routed traditional rival Texas to finish 7-6. So they know their mission is possible.

Auburn presents a crucial opportunity. The Tigers (4-2) have been a major disappointment on offense. Jeremy Johnson, raved about by coach Gus Malzahn during the offseason, has too many mistakes and not enough big plays. Sean White, yet to throw a TD pass, has taken over at quarterback.

No, the Tigers aren’t a pushover. Kentucky, another team fighting for a bowl berth, found that out last Thursday night when the Tigers pulled out a victory in Lexington.

But Auburn is Arkansas’ best chance for a fifth victory. Knocking off either Ole Miss or Mississippi State to reach bowl eligibility wouldn’t be an insurmountable hurdle.

A loss to Auburn would force Arkansas to win two of their toughest remaining three games. LSU and Ole Miss will be ready. Both can win the West title by winning out. And playing Dak Prescott and the Bulldogs in Starkville is no gimme, either.

Need another reason why the Hogs must beat Auburn? Momentum. They’ll need to generate  some momentum to have any chance of earning three later victories.

For Arkansas, the matchup looks like Hog Heaven. The Hogs’ power running game, led by Alex Collins, should mow down a Tigers defense that ranks No. 101 in the country in rushing defense, allowing more than 197 yards per game and 5.1 yards per carry. Collins has averaged more than 113 yards rushing per game and 5.5 yards per attempt.

It’s an opportunity the Hogs can’t afford to waste.