The University of Arkansas football team finished No. 5 in both the final Associated Press Top 25 and USA Today Top 25 Coaches’ Poll, marking the program’s first top-five finish since 1977.
The Razorbacks (11-2), who tied a school record with 11 wins after defeating No. 11 Kansas State in the Cotton Bowl, ended the season with a top-five ranking for just the fourth time in school history.
Arkansas finished No. 2 in 1964 in the AP Poll and No. 3 in both 1965 and 1977.
The No. 5 finish this season is the highest from any Bobby Petrino-led squad. While at Louisville, his teams finished No. 6 in 2006 and No. 7 in 2004.
This is the second season in a row that Arkansas has finished as a ranked team. The Hogs ended last year at No. 12. The last time the Razorbacks had consecutive ranked season finishes was in 1998-99.
2011 NCAA Football Final Rankings
| Ranking | AP Top 25 | USA Today Coaches’ Poll |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Alabama | Alabama |
| 2. | LSU | LSU |
| 3. | Oklahoma State | Oklahoma State |
| 4. | Oregon | Oregon |
| 5. | Arkansas | Arkansas |
| 6. | USC | Boise State |
| 7. | Stanford | Stanford |
| 8. | Boise State | South Carolina |
| 9. | South Carolina | Michigan |
| 10. | Wisconsin | Michigan State |
| 11. | Michigan State | Wisconsin |
| 12. | Michigan | Baylor |
| 13. | Baylor | TCU |
| 14. | TCU | Houston |
| 15. | Kansas State | Oklahoma |
| 16. | Oklahoma | Kansas State |
| 17. | West Virginia | Virginia Tech |
| 18. | Houston | West Virginia |
| 19. | Georgia | Southern Miss |
| 20. | Southern Miss | Georgia |
| 21. | Virginia Tech | Cincinnati |
| 22. | Clemson | Clemson |
| 23. | Florida State | Florida State |
| 24. | Nebraska | Nebraska |
| 25. | Cincinnati | Brigham Young |
Source: ESPN.com
