Nate Allen
FAYETTEVILLE - Arkansas’ tough 2020 football schedule as rated earlier this summer by the Preseason Coaches poll just got tougher according to the Associated Press Media Preseason poll released Monday.
According to the Coaches poll, six of the Razorbacks 10 opponents on their entirely SEC 10-game schedule rank in the Top 25.
Make that seven in the AP poll. Tennessee, receiving the most votes from the Coaches not making their Top 25, rank 25th by the media voting in the AP poll.
The AP nationally lists Alabama and Georgia third and fourth; LSU, sixth; Florida, eighth; Auburn, 11th; Texas A&M, 13th; and Tennessee, 25th.
The Coaches poll lists Alabama, third, defending SEC East champion Georgia fourth; defending national and SEC champion LSU, fifth; Florida, eighth; Auburn, 11th; and Texas A&M, 13th.
Both polls will change radically once the season starts since two Power Five conferences, the Big Ten and the Pac 12, have cancelled their football and other fall sports seasons because of coronavirus concerns.
Ohio State, second in both polls to No. 1 Clemson of the ACC; Penn State, seventh in both polls; Wisconsin, 12th in both polls; Michigan, 15th by the Coaches and 16th by the AP; Minnesota, 18th by the Coaches and 19th by the AP; and Iowa, 23rd by the Coaches and 24th by AP; all belong to the Big Ten.
Oregon, ninth in both polls, and Southern California, 17th in both polls, belong to the Pac 12.
In order of appearance, the Razorbacks, with all their home games at Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, start their clashes with the SEC’s all Preseason Top 25 teams hosting Georgia, Sept. 26 in the season-opener; at Auburn Oct. 10 in Auburn, Ala.; at Texas A&M Oct. 31 in College Station, Texas; hosting Tennessee, Nov. 7; at Florida Nov. 14 in Gainesville, Fla.; hosting LSU, Nov. 21; and hosting Alabama, Dec. 5.
The Razorbacks’ three games against fellow unranked SEC teams are Oct. 3 at Mississippi State in Starkville, Miss.; Oct. 3 hosting Ole Miss and Nov. 28 at Missouri in Columbia, Mo.