Momentum is big in college football, and it's always interesting to see how one week might carry over to the next. Sometimes catching a team at just the right time can be half the battle.
Close losses, emotional losses (or emotional wins), bye weeks, drastic differences in opponents' schemes from one week to the next, trap games -- all of these things can play a huge role at times. It doesn't always decide the winner, but it's one of the those strange intangibles that has to be considered when trying to predict a team's record.
Here's a breakdown of Arkansas' 2016 schedule (minus the season opener against Louisiana Tech) and a few things to be mindful of with each game:
SEPT. 10 | @ TCU
This should be a battle between two 1-0 teams as Arkansas hosts Louisiana Tech in Week 1 while TCU has South Dakota State in its opener. The Razorbacks have dominated this series 30-3, but the two teams haven't met in 25 years. TCU has won 14 straight home openers while the Hogs have gone 2-4 in their last four road openers.
The following week, Arkansas gets lowly Texas State while the Frogs host Iowa State for a September 17 Homecoming.
Overall, there are probably almost no intangibles to be considered here. This early in the season and both teams being heavy favorites to start out 1-0, this is a pretty straight-up matchup.
SEPT. 17 | vs. TEXAS STATE
Texas State starts out playing at Ohio on the opening weekend and does get a bye week prior to traveling to Fayetteville, but it shouldn't matter. Without trying to get disrespectful about it, this is a team that went 3-9 last year with some pretty ugly losses. Dennis Franchione, who had the Bobcats bowl-eligible three times in five years, has moved on. First-year coach Everett Withers is now the head man in San Marcos.
According to Phil Steele, TSU is 0-20 against current Power 5 conference members, and the Razorbacks are 23-1 all-time against current Sun Belt Conference members. Regardless of how the Hogs fare at TCU a week prior, this is a well-placed, low-risk game for the Razorbacks in Week 3.
