FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas will not play the toughest football schedule in the nation again in 2015, noted analyst Phil Steele reported Thursday.
The Razorbacks’ schedule this fall has been judged by Steele as the third-toughest in the country.
Steele rated Alabama first as having the toughest 2015 schedule, followed by USC, Arkansas, California and Washington. Rounding out his top 10 were Auburn at No. 6, followed by Texas, Utah, Stanford and Kansas.
Steele factors in opponent won-loss records, expected strength of opponents and other factors in his ratings as compared to the NCAA’s ratings, which simply compute opponents’ won-loss records.
Arkansas was deemed to have played the toughest schedule in the country in 2014, both by the NCAA and Steele’s postseason review, despite facing Nicholls State, which finished 0-12.
Arkansas will play its first three SEC games away on the road, against Texas A&M at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Sept. 26, followed by true road games at Tennessee and Alabama.
The Hogs also play Ole Miss and LSU on the road, and take on Auburn, Mississippi State and Missouri at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
Arkansas’ non-conference games, all at home, are against Texas-El Paso in the season opener (Sept. 5), Toledo in Little Rock (Sept. 12), Texas Tech (Sept. 19), and against Tennessee-Martin (Oct. 31).