Arkansas opens a stretch of three straight home games starting on Saturday against Texas A&M. If Bobby Petrino wants the job full-time – and the Hogs want to go to a bowl this year – they probably have to win two of these next three. The Aggies are by far the toughest of the bunch, but Arkansas is going to need a big upset anyway. A 3-0 homestand could really set up for some momentum down the stretch.

Here’s some news and notes.

Le’Veon Moss is out. Texas A&M’s top running back is a pretty significant loss. Among skill players, he ranks third on the team in both total yards (380) and EPA (+8.7). Veteran backup Reuben Owens fills in.

Andreas Paaske is out. The blocking tight end for the Hogs suffered a season-ending injury against Tennessee. The Hogs’ tight end room is pretty deep, but he was a really good run blocker.

Damari Alston is no longer with Auburn. The Tigers’ backup running back is no longer with the team, per Hugh Freeze. It’s never a good sign for a coach on the hot seat when key players end up in disciplinary trouble (remember Cole Kelley’s DWI arrest in November 2017?).

Games of note

This list of games features both major SEC and national games plus games where potential Razorback coaching candidates may be in action.

Saturday morning

Army at Tulane (11 am, ESPNU). Jon Sumrall and Tulane are 5-1 and can get bowl eligible with a win over Army. The Green Wave’s only major game left is a road game against Memphis in three weeks.

Saturday afternoon

Purdue at Northwestern (2 pm, Big Ten Network). I don’t think Barry Odom will be a major candidate for this job, but if he can get Purdue to five wins, you have to at least be impressed with the job he’s done. Getting to five wins probably requires upsetting Northwestern.

Texas A&M at Arkansas (2:30 pm, ESPN). The Aggies are up to 4th in the AP poll, but bad things tend to happen to them when they get that high. The last time they faced Arkansas ranked fourth or better was when they were ranked second in the 1975 season finale. Final score: Hogs 31, Aggies 6.

Ole Miss at Georgia (2:30 pm, ABC). Is this Lane Kiffin’s year to break through? The Rebels were unfocused last week against Washington State, probably because they were peeking ahead to this game. They beat the Bulldogs last year, and a win here puts them in the driver’s seat of the SEC race.

SMU at Clemson (2:30 pm, ACC Network). This is a rematch of last year’s ACC title game. Rhett Lashlee has yet to lose a regular-season ACC game, but he lost to Clemson last year.

UNLV at Boise State (2:30 pm, FS1). Dan Mullen’s 6-0 Rebels opened as double-digit underdogs on the road against Boise. They’ve proven all doubters wrong so far, but this is the Game of the Year in the Mountain West.

UTSA at North Texas (2:30 pm, ESPN+). Jeff Traylor is probably out as a candidate, but Eric Morris, despite the loss to South Florida last week, still has a chance at a special season. He was a position coach and/or recruiter for Patrick Mahomes, Cam Ward, and John Mateer, so if you like quarterbacks, he might be an interesting candidate.

Memphis at UAB (3 pm, ESPN2). Trent Dilfer is out at UAB, so watch former Hog Alex Mortensen lead the Blazers against undefeated Memphis, which remains in commanding position for a playoff berth.

Mississippi State at Florida (3:15 pm, SEC Network). The 4-2 Bulldogs could be beatable when they come to Fayetteville, and Billy Napier’s red-hot seat might blow up with a loss in the Swamp on Saturday. The Gators are already 2-4 but they’ve played a brutal schedule.

Saturday evening

Texas at Kentucky (6 pm, ESPN). Texas righted the ship with a win over Oklahoma, but their offense has still been very rough.

Tennessee at Alabama (6:30 pm, ABC). The Tide have collected several big wins since an opening loss to Florida State, but they’ve still looked beatable at times. Tennessee is good, but is the Volunteer defense up to the challenge of stopping Ty Simpson?

FAU at South Florida (6:30 pm, ESPNU). Alex Golesh and the Bulls stomped North Texas last week, and a road trip to Memphis in a couple weeks is their biggest remaining game.

Missouri at Auburn (6:45 pm, SEC Network). We’re on Firing Watch at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday, as Hugh Freeze and 3-3 Auburn really need a win. Missouri has been the Grim Reaper for hot seat coaches over the years, getting two Tennessee coaches, Bret Bielema, and Dan Mullen all fired after beating them. Should Freeze survive, Arkansas has sealed the fate of three Auburn coaches since 2008 (Tuberville, Chizik, Harsin), and the Tigers come to Fayetteville next week.