2012 Arkansas Razorbacks football team
The 2012 Arkansas Razorbacks football team represented the University of Arkansas as a member of the Southeastern Conference during the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by John L. Smith in his first and only season as head coach, the Razorbacks compiled an overall record of 4–8 with a mark of 2–6 in conference play, placing sixth in the SEC's Western Division. The team played five home games at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas and two home games at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Arkansas.
The Razorbacks entered the season coming off of a win in the 2012 Cotton Bowl Classic, finishing the season with an 11–2 record and a No. 5 ranking in the AP poll. However, head coach Bobby Petrino was fired in the offseason after it was discovered that he covered up an extramarital affair with a member of his staff. Athletic director Jeff Long hired former special teams coordinator John L. Smith, who had recently left to become the head football coach at Weber State University, to replace Petrino on a ten-month contract. Despite these circumstances, the Razorbacks were ranked No. 10 in the preseason AP poll.
The Razorbacks started the season with a win over [2012 2012 Jacksonville State Gamecocks football team|Jacksonville State Gamecocks football team|Jacksonville State], coached by Arkansas head coach Jack Crowe, and rose to No. 8 in the AP poll. However, after an upset loss to unranked Louisiana–Monroe in overtime, they dropped out of the poll. The Razorbacks never reentered the rankings, as the loss began a four-game losing streak. After the season, Smith's contract was not renewed. Instead, Arkansas chose to hire Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema.