OT: Bret Bielema Reminds us that the SEC(!!!!) is the Greatest Conference EVER!!!

Submitted by FauxMo on

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/14488784/bret-bielema-ar…

 

I wonder what Bret's endgame is here? It seems to me this is his roundabout way of excusing his 7-5 season by reminding his own fan base just how tough the SEC really is. Of course, since one of his losses came to a MAC team and another to a mid-tier Big 12 team, maybe Bret should rethink his approach...

bronxblue

January 3rd, 2016 at 10:28 AM ^

Bert is a classic villian, and he's playing heel here to the hilt. But Arkansas remains a mediocre program, and my guess is that won't change any time soon.

rob f

January 3rd, 2016 at 10:39 AM ^

that doesn't impress much at all when you look at the matchups.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think they were underdogs in any of them other than Florida vs. Michigan (and in this one, they got totally blown out).

sum1valiant

January 3rd, 2016 at 11:18 AM ^

To be fair, the fact that they're favored in every match up is also an indication of the quality and depth of the conference. They're favored because they're better, not because the bowl match ups are conspiracies. They went 8-2 because they're better right now, not because NW, Iowa, and MSU were the worst teams in the big ten.

kgh10

January 3rd, 2016 at 12:54 PM ^

MSU had an incredibly fortunate season that lead them to play a team that greatly outmatched them. OSU plays Bama and we have a game. Or worst case Iowa plays Bama, gets smoked, and MSU plays a good game with Stanford. I think that would've been a much better match for Sparty than Bama was. Anyone who watched MSU all season knew they were there bc of a giant horseshoe hanging around their necks all season, not bc they were an actual playoff contender.




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Hail Harbo

January 3rd, 2016 at 11:42 AM ^

It is a stretch to say MSU was a dog to 'Bama, and if MSU was a dog to Alabama it logically follows that B1G is a dog to the SEC.  If you don't like that blow out loss to the SEC, and I don't, I certainly don't like the blow out loss #13 NW suffered at the hands of #23 Tennessee. 

Michigan, Nebraska, Wisconsin, and OSU certainly held up their end of the bargain but the blowout losses of Northwestern, Iowa, and MSU did the B1G brand no good whatsoever.

So while you might not be impressed by the SEC 8-2 bowl record, you should keep in mind that they had a 3-1 record against the B1G.

 

EThos92

January 3rd, 2016 at 11:56 AM ^

They're puffing their chests out quite a bit again already. The thing is, they have a whole bunch of decent teams, but only one that's actually good. I'm pretty sure that any of the top 4 in the B1G would beat Ole Miss though. Oh well. I guess this is the price we have to pay for that glorious Sparty schadenfreude.

Harlick

January 3rd, 2016 at 12:10 PM ^

Northwestern was favored vs Tennessee, but the rest of the bowl schedule was unimpressive.
LSU vs Texas Tech
Auburn vs Memphis game played in AL
Mississippi St vs NC State
Tennessee vs Northwestern (bad showing by B1G)
Florida vs Michigan (game played 60 minutes from campus)
Ole Miss vs Oklahoma State
Georgia vs Penn State
Arkansas vs Kansas St
Alabama vs MSU

Compare that to

Indiana vs Duke
Nebraska vs UCLA
Wisconsin vs USC
Iowa vs Stanford
Minnesota vs CMU

The SEC has four cupcake bowl games where the B1G has one and only two games are played in the B1G footprint, where the SEC has almost every game played in their footprint.

xtramelanin

January 3rd, 2016 at 3:09 PM ^

bowl games are either very close to home or, as you point out, in the SEC foot print.  if those SEC teams had to play in the snow of soldier field or even somewhere like NY during the winter, their fans would be staying away in droves and their players would be freezing their little toukases off. 

Harlick

January 3rd, 2016 at 8:13 PM ^

LSU vs Texas Tech (played in Texas)
Auburn vs Memphis game played in AL
Mississippi St vs NC State (played in North Carolina so this game did favor NC state)
Tennessee vs Northwestern (bad showing by B1G) played in Tampa
Florida vs Michigan (game played 60 minutes from campus)
Ole Miss vs Oklahoma State (played in New Orleans)
Georgia vs Penn State (played in Jacksonville)
Arkansas vs Kansas St (played in Memphis)
Alabama vs MSU

Compare that to

Indiana vs Duke (played in NYC)
Nebraska vs UCLA (played in San Francisco)
Wisconsin vs USC (played in San Diego)
Iowa vs Stanford Rose Bowl

Almost every game the SEC plays is in their footprint and close to home. Compare that to the B1G and it isn't close to the same challenge.

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

January 3rd, 2016 at 10:47 AM ^

"What people have to realize is we play each other," he said. "If somebody wants to find out, come in and play all seven of us, and see what you think.

"It blows my mind that people can't wrap around that concept. They just see it as a loss. Well, who'd they lose to?"

Toledo, for one.  Can't tell whether there's more fat on Bielema's brain or his ass.

At least his division is 2-0 against Tennessee-Martin, though.