Rather than have the score run up on you, wouldn't you rather return the favor too?
(WITTY COMMENT ABOUT TRANSFERRING QUARTERBACKS PENDING)
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Bret Bielema To Arkansas!
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In a stunning coup, Arkansas will hire Wisconsin's Bret Bielema as its next football coach, Yahoo! Sports has learned.
Bielema, who has taken the Badgers to three straight Rose Bowls, was nowhere on the radar amid months of speculation over who Arkansas would hire.
An announcement will come Tuesday, sources told Y! Sports, but Bielema is not expected to be introduced until Wednesday.
But like adding Rutgers and Maryland will prevent this sort of thing from happening. People in charge of things are just in charge of them, for no reason.
December 4th, 2012 at 4:14 PM
#2
I can't blame Arkansas.
December 4th, 2012 at 4:14 PM
#3
Wow, a second tier SEC team
Wow, a second tier SEC team just poached one of the B1G's most successful coaches. Wtf is going on?? $$$$$
December 4th, 2012 at 4:36 PM
#4
Big Ten needs to start spending all that money
Being the rishest conference and having all of that BTN and ESPN money coming in is absolutely pointless if the teams won't step up and start paying their coaches and staffs like the big boy conferences. This is the reason the Big Ten is falling behind. There's no reason Big Ten schools can't start offering any coach in the county $4M+ to come to their school. A school like Purdue should absolutely be looking to get someone big. Instead, they'll probably find some retread or CUSA coach or something and pay them $2M a year.
You've got the money, spend it.
December 4th, 2012 at 4:51 PM
#5
Exactly
This might be Wisconsin's own fault here. He lost 6 (SIX!) assistant coaches last year that wisco didn't pay to keep. (h/t @espn_bigten)
Wiscy didn't shell out for assistants.
December 4th, 2012 at 5:01 PM
#6
Preach!
Petrino was making $3.7 (million per year), Les Miles was making $3.9 but got a raise to stay at LSU. Bielema was making $1.8 and got a raise to $2.6 at the end of the 2011 season. (Hoke makes $3.0, Urban Meyer $4.3 FWIW.)
December 4th, 2012 at 5:29 PM
#7
The midwestern thing to do is to save it
for sometime when you really need it... like when your HC is leaving for another school. Oops
December 4th, 2012 at 4:44 PM
#8
Brian touched on it earlier
Brian touched on it earlier in UV, but basically: MAC::B1G as B1G::SEC
December 4th, 2012 at 5:41 PM
#9
Makes me see red!
My thoughts EXACTLY! The B1G is a joke this year!! The 3 time Rose Bowl bound Conference champion won’t have a coach because he feels an SEC also-ran is a better coaching job.
Well he can keep the same colored shirts without logos.
December 4th, 2012 at 4:14 PM
#10
Wisconsin scored again..
Wisconsin scored again..
December 4th, 2012 at 4:14 PM
#11
DIVISIONAL REALIGNMENT NOW.
DIVISIONAL REALIGNMENT NOW.
December 4th, 2012 at 4:41 PM
#12
Naw, Leaders division is just fine
In fact, KEVIN WILSON is now the longest tenured coach in the Leader's Division!!! Two whole years.
BIGGGG TEHHHHHHHHHNNNNN
December 4th, 2012 at 4:56 PM
#13
Who?
Who?
December 4th, 2012 at 5:21 PM
#14
(No subject)
December 4th, 2012 at 5:29 PM
#15
I was half-joking but your
I was half-joking but your point is amazing that everyone but the division (conference for that matter) doormat will have changed coaches within the past year.
To expand your point neither Rutgers nor Maryland is rolling with a long tenured man either.
Also mostly joking, that picture doesn't help much. I would gather from comments that he is Indiana's coach but given the lack of notority of that program the picture sorta looks like just a guy with an Indiana polo on.
December 4th, 2012 at 5:38 PM
#16
Jim Delany has no morals but what he does have is a very
Jim Delany has no morals but what he does have is a very particular set of skills, skills he has acquired over a very long career. Skills that make him a nightmare for people like us.
December 4th, 2012 at 4:15 PM
#17
I think people
might be overrating Bielema a bit as a coach...
December 4th, 2012 at 4:19 PM
#18
Meh.
Hard to argue with 3 consecutive Rose Bowls, regardless of how it happened.
December 4th, 2012 at 4:23 PM
#19
Hard to argue
Hard to argue when you ignore all the arguments.
December 4th, 2012 at 4:33 PM
#20
They don't ask "how?", they
They don't ask "how?", they ask "how many?".
December 4th, 2012 at 4:58 PM
#21
So you're saying he's good at
So you're saying he's good at being lucky?
December 5th, 2012 at 12:20 AM
#22
If i were a Hawgs fan,
i would seriously be meh. Bret is not a big time recruiter, his assistants all started chasing greener pastures, and his offense is boring. His primary claim to the throne - he turned fat guys into passable road graders and found big power backs. Lloyd owned him to the point Wojo wrote a Fraudgers column every year. If Lloyd exposed him every year by out-powering him, what will saban/miles/obc....do every year? MEH
December 4th, 2012 at 4:23 PM
#23
Well
This year's team made the Rose Bowl because 2 better teams were ineligible. Last year's team made the Rose Bowl, but that was viewed as something of a disappointment for a team that had legitimate national title hopes. I don't think he's a bad coach, but if he's one of the Big 10's best coaches, that's an indictment of the Big 10 more than praise of Bielema. His recruiting is fine, but not amazing, and his in-game coaching is often terrible. I haven't been to Arkansas boards yet, but I'm guessing the reaction will be more "meh" than "this is an amazing coup!" Maybe I'm wrong, thought.
December 4th, 2012 at 4:29 PM
#24
I think it's going to be
I think it's going to be thought of as an amazing coup, as they hired a coach from a top tier program in a top tier conference.
I think it will turn out 'meh' though.
December 4th, 2012 at 6:12 PM
#25
Yes, but didn't
Ohio s. snag their coach from SEC top tier Florida? The "health reason" thing was crap.
Unfortunately, the year off maybe made it look like he wasn't leaving the SEC for the Big ten. But that's pretty much what he did....
December 4th, 2012 at 8:54 PM
#26
That would have been very
That would have been very interesting to see, if Urban would actually leave Florida to go to Ohio State, with no break in between
December 4th, 2012 at 4:22 PM
#27
I don't disagree with that,
I don't disagree with that, but the perception that a second tier SEC team can poach a 1b tier coach from the B10 isn't great for the conference. It would be one thing if he was from Arkansas...
December 4th, 2012 at 4:32 PM
#28
There are only
two tiers in the SEC and Arkansas is in the first tier. Please don't misunderstand, this is not a conference thing. Meyer, Hoke, O'Brien, Fitzpatrick, and Dantonio (YTD) are better coaches than Bielema. Arkansas was desparate for some kind of credibility and Wisconsin is not a lasting product in the Big Ten. It is a great move for Bielema, but I don't think Arkansas is getting much of a coach.
December 4th, 2012 at 4:39 PM
#29
Everyone is better than Bielema?
If we take off the maize colored glasses, under what objective criteria is Hoke a better coach than Bielema? I mean, Hoke seems like a better human being, but he hasn't even won a conference title yet (in any conference -- MAC, MWC, B1G). Bielema has done a pretty fine job at Wisconsin.
December 4th, 2012 at 4:46 PM
#30
Hoke probably has more Coach
Hoke probably has more Coach of the Year awards on his mantle (one from BSU, one from SDSU, and one from 2011 here). We should note as well that if Michigan and Wisconsin had been in each other's division, we'd have gone to the Big Ten Championship Game each of the last two seasons while they'd be sitting at home.
December 4th, 2012 at 5:19 PM
#31
But BB gets the best transfer
But BB gets the best transfer QBs ever!!!
December 4th, 2012 at 5:37 PM
#32
Dantonio to Wisconsin!
Dantonio to Wisconsin!
December 4th, 2012 at 5:39 PM
#33
Chizik to MSU!
Chizik to MSU!
December 4th, 2012 at 4:46 PM
#34
Hoke won a BCS game?
Hoke won a BCS game?
December 4th, 2012 at 4:58 PM
#35
Bielema
lost to 2008 Michigan. Do I need to continue?
December 4th, 2012 at 4:50 PM
#36
Wisconsin's not a lasting
Wisconsin's not a lasting product? They've been consistently good since Alvarez's 3rd season in 1993. That's 20 years. They've won almost 70% of their games since then and have been to more Rose Bowls than any other team in the Big 10.
December 4th, 2012 at 5:06 PM
#37
Sorry, but
I think that most people see Wisconsin as a second-tier big ten program.
December 4th, 2012 at 4:15 PM
#38
So...
Bielema, who is about as classic as a Big 10 smash mouth football coach, is going to the SEC...to do what exactly?
I will be shocked if he is still there four years from now. What an idiotic move.
December 4th, 2012 at 4:24 PM
#39
MANBALL in Little Rock? I
MANBALL in Little Rock? I don't see this ending well for him next year or the year after. He's already behind the curve what with their complete lack of talent on defense and the OL. ARK will never win the conference having to compete with Florida, LSU, Alabama, etc. It had to be a money (and warmer weather) move.
December 4th, 2012 at 4:31 PM
#40
Me too
The beginning of this year showed him to be really dependent on his assistants. The announcers for the Big Ten championship game were crediting Wisconsin for going back to their olds ways on OL, but how the hell did Bielema allow them to get away from that to begin with?
December 4th, 2012 at 4:31 PM
#41
Fayetteville, actually...
but no matter.
But yeah, the current state of their team is a complete dumpster fire. Considering the value the ESSS EEEE SEEE puts on winning, and winning right now, he'll be in a world of trouble. Why leave a respected program for one that needs a complete overhaul. Makes little sense to me.
December 4th, 2012 at 4:55 PM
#42
Peyton Hillis, Darren
Peyton Hillis, Darren McFadden, etc. Long line of talented running backs coming out of Arkansas, put a competnent O-line in front of them and get a decent defensive coach and you'll get a Wisconsin level program in Arkansas soon enough. Maybe not able to always keep up with the big boys, but good for a conference title or two and a floor of about 9 wins. I think he'll do just fine down there.
December 4th, 2012 at 5:27 PM
#43
a "floor" of 9 wins?
i think not.
December 4th, 2012 at 5:28 PM
#44
True enough but the Arkansas
True enough but the Arkansas fans aren't content with that. Razorback football is the only sport down there and their fans are near-insane. I disagree with you that Bielema will sniff a conference championship down there and, if not, it won't be enough. He's definitely moving out of his comfort zone as yearly conference championship contender. He's got a lot of work ahead of him, but I guess that's why they're paying him the big bucks!
December 4th, 2012 at 4:25 PM
#45
Have you seen SEC Football?
It's B1G style football with top tier talent. That classic 1v2 battle between LSU and Alabama last year was a great SEC defensive battle. Or a 9-6 B1G snoozefest.
Miles and Saban are both old B1G coaches. They play smashmouth too.
December 4th, 2012 at 5:13 PM
#46
I think this is very close to
I think this is very close to the mark.
Look, Alabama is already MANBALL with, as JeepinBen says, top-tier talent. Muschamp at Florida is on record as saying he wants to move in the direction of power football. I could make the argument that Georgia is closer to power football than it is to Oregon-spread.
I don't see Bielema's style as a bad fit in the SEC. With talent and time I think he would do fine. The question is whether he'll get either.
I wonder how much of this is also based on what he sees as the challenges recruiting in the frozen north with a resurgent Michigan, Ohio State and Notre Dame sucking up the good talent?
Final thought - Wisconsin vs. Stanford is no "gimme" for Wisconsin. That's smash-v-smash football. If Wisconsin loses that there'll be a whole bunch of scorn heaped on Bielema's head ... three straight and no room to argue about Oregon's speed or tempo.
December 4th, 2012 at 5:49 PM
#47
Why would there be scorn?
Wisconsin is the third-best team in their division this year and struggled pretty badly at times this year. Stanford should be the clear favorite in this one, and Wisconsin is expected to lose. So unless they're just humilated I don't see that.
December 4th, 2012 at 8:52 PM
#48
Because three straight losses
Because three straight losses in the Rose Bowl is hard to overcome, regardless of whether one is the underdog or not.
Plus, coming off the drubbing Wisconsin laid on Nebraska, the first best in its division, with Wisconsin putting up eight miles of rushing yards ... the expectation would be Wisconsin should match up with Stanford.
Also, playing 3-yards-and-a-cloud vs. Oregon's up-tempo spread-n-shred gave Wisconsin a little bit of wiggle room coming off a loss. But Stanford is essentially the west coast Wisconsin.
For what it's worth, I like the Wisconsin / Stanford matchup. If Wisconsin shows up to play, that may well be a hell of a ball game.
December 5th, 2012 at 2:11 AM
#49
You do know that all the top
You do know that all the top programs in the SEC play "B1G style football"
December 4th, 2012 at 4:17 PM
#50
What?!
I don't like Bielema at all, but I thought he was at least a loyal Wisconsin guy. This is some weird, wild stuff.
December 4th, 2012 at 4:25 PM
#51
Agree. I always got the
Agree. I always got the impression that Wisconsin was the destination job for Bielema. Didn't he play DL at Iowa? Big Ten guy his entire life?
Oh well, I was wrong again.
