Sam Pittman discusses why this weekend's game between Arkansas and Cincinnati is so meaningful

For the first time since 1980, a ranked Arkansas (19) team is battling another Top 25 team in the season opener. Kicking off their season against Cincinnati (23), a College Football Playoff team from one year ago, Razorbacks head coach Sam Pittman discussed how important this game is to win for both parties involved.

“I think it’s a big deal that SEC Nation is here, that’s one of the three Top 25 matchups, we’re on ESPN,” Pittman said. “You want that for the program, publicity for the program, and obviously we want to be standing room only and those things – which I think we – are but it’s changed a little bit over the last couple of years … now, the expectations were certainly high, and they’re high in our building as well.

“But I think opening up against the Top 25 program – which I think Cincinnati’s higher than that, even I think they would do well in the SEC. That should have helped us in the summer, should have helped us in fall camp understanding that we’re … playing a team that’s in no way inferior to us. We’re playing a team that’s every bit as good as we are, so I think that’s helped us. I hope it has.”

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While Arkansas has retained most of their major contributors from last season, 2022 will feature a new-look Bearcat squad entering the 2022 season under a new offensive regime made up by new offensive coordinator Gino Guidugli following Mike Denbrock’s departure to LSU. Cincinnati also lost the heart and soul of its offense – quarterback Desmond Ridder.

Ridder was a four-year starter for Cincinnati, arriving the same time as head coach Luke Fickell in 2017, where he went on to pass for over 10,00 yards and 87 touchdowns in his collegiate career on top of rushing for 2,180 yards and 28 touchdowns – big shoes to fill for the eventual starter, though Fickell hasn’t decided on a sure-fire QB1 as of this writing.

The matchup between the Razorbacks and Cincinnati are – as Pittman mentioned – are one of three Top 25 battles during college football’s opening week, joining No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 11 Oregon and No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 5 Notre Dame.

Arkansas and Cincinnati are slated to kick their seasons off against one another this Saturday live from Fayetteville at 3:30 p.m. ET live on ESPN.