Bielema Back To The Big Ten? Could Be Headed To Nebraska? (UPDATED)

UPDATE AT BOTTOM OF STORY

Football Scoop.com is citing sources that Nebraska athletic director Shawn Eihorst has Arkansas

head coach Bret Bielema in his cross hairs and wants the Boss Hog to move north to Lincoln, Nebraska to coach the Cornhuskers.

Getty Images

Bielema and Eihorst have a relationship dating back to their Wisconsin days.  Eihorst wore many hats in the Badger athletic department from 2006 - 2011 moving up the latter as Deputy A.D. under Barry Alvarez.

Of course Bielema was the head coach of the Badgers.

The current Razorback head coach was asked about his commitment to Arkansas during a teleconference with local reporters.

“I took this opportunity without anybody knowing about it or hearing about it. … I’m not one of those coaches that gets my name involved or anything like that. When I started talking to Arkansas, I told them, ‘If my name comes out in a way other than my own release, then I’m going to be out of this conversation.' It’s just how I’ve always operated. … I can't tell you how excited I am for next year. Obviously, my commitment to Arkansas is long-term."

Should the two parties reach an agreement then Nebraska would have to pony up $2.5 million to buy out Bielema's contract.

Would Bielema bolt Arkansas to return to the Big Ten Conference?  Nebraska would seem to be a great fit for his system.

You have to ask why would he make that move to leave an Arkansas program that has some momentum.  

The carousel keeps spinning

Chris Low of ESPN.com spoke to Bielema Wednesday afternoon.

Talked to Bret Bielema and he said he's not going to Nebraska and that he's all Hog.
— Chris Low (@ClowESPN) December 3, 2014

Bielema has worked too hard to get the Hogs' program to a point where they can compete in the West to bolt now.
— Chris Low (@ClowESPN) December 3, 2014

Rivalry Week Primer: Arkansas With Hype Video for Missouri Game

((ht: arkansas razorbacks))

It's not exactly a classic "rivalry", but it's a pretty big SEC game. Arkansas, winner of three straight SEC games squares off with Missouri.

For the Razorbacks, a bowl berth could be on the line, for the Tigers, win and they clinch the SEC East title and a shot at playing in the SEC Title game next week.

The Razorbacks appear to be ready as evidenced by this killer hype video. It's very well done, we like the colorization and graphics, well done Arkansas video team...

ICYMI: Fat Guy TD Pass To Another Fat Guy

((HT: TodaysTHV.com/KTHV))

The HQ thinks we have a record... fattest pitch-and-catch combo for a TD in the Ess-E-Cee

Sebastian Tretola's TD pass in the Arkansas win over UAB kinda looks like a rub-your-nose-in-it moment against the Blazers...

But, it's at the minute mark in the highlights brought to you by Mary Dunleavy and her cast of ex-Hogs

Long snapper Alan D'Appollonio caught the shotgun formation pass as the Razorbacks improve to 4-4...

And, we think, Tretola passes Jared Lorenzen for the record.

Bret Bielema Gets Emotional In Postgame Presser After Bama Loss

((HT: Saturday Down South))

The HQ will stipulate (much to Brother Wilkie's liking, we're sure) that Arkansas will be very good...

Not necessarily this year, maybe next year, definitely the year after that if head coach Bret Bielema gets to keep doing what he's doing.

He knows he's close. Just listen to his preamble in the questions and answers session after the tight loss to Alabama


It's now to the point where he is not even referencing his old conference by name...

Redacted past for the new guy...

Duck! Auburn Has A Gatling Gun That Shoots T-Shirts

((ht: cbssports.com))

And we thought you just had to pay attention during baseball and hockey games for objects flying into the stands.

We were wrong.

Check out the "T-Shirt Gatling" gun rolled out at Auburn during the Auburn/Arkansas game earlier this season. There's a really good chance someone in the crowd got drilled if they weren't paying attention.

And if you've been to an Auburn game...well...

Though we do wonder if this is a subtle message to Texas where everything is supposed to be bigger. Or maybe not...

If you don't know what a "Gatling" gun is, we shouldn't have to explain it. Suffice to say it's a big gun that shoots objects in rapid fire succession.

Check out the video:



And since you are now fascinated...here's some slo-mo video of the contraption:

Ess-E-Cee Recap: Congrats To UK And What Was Bielema Thinking...???

((HT: WLEX-TV/KBTX-TV))

Mark Stoops was able to do something that his successors have not been able to do- actually beat an SEC opponent for the first time in almost 1,100 days...

The Wildcats knocked off Vanderbilt (who are looking to be a really bad football team, by the way) in Lexington- even as a favored program heading into Saturday.

Strangely, fans would like to see the stands at Commonwealth Stadium more-filled than they currently are...
Just ask them...
On the flip side, the HQ would like to know what Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema was thinking in overtime running to the right on a 4th and 2 when he needed a first down to keep the period moving- and your running game was non-existent. You had your chance, Arkansas, and you flat blew it. "A lot of things that caused us to lose this game today came from within our locker room," Razorbacks coach Bret Bielema said postgame. "Our third edge we talk about is playing clean, and that means playing penalty-free. ... The good news is we can correct those things. Our guys did several things throughout the course of the game to get excited about. But obviously, not enough to close it." Here's your local look...

Razorbacks QB's Truck Possibly Torched

((HT: KFSM-TV))

The Chevy Avalanche pick-up Razorback back-up QB Brandon Allen drives was burned very early Monday morning. The incident is being investigated as an arson...

The car alarm was going off outside Allen's apartment and he apparently went outside to see it burning, drifting backwards, and roling into a ditch.

Head football coach Bret Bielema, at his weekly press conference, said Allen is fine, and that the school is letting local police handle the case. Bielema also said that Allen will not be speaking publicly about the case.

Strangely, Allen's truck was not the only car fire in Fayetteville early Monday morning...

Here's the story of a burned group of cars...

5 Top 25's Go Down In One Night...

It was not a night to be a ranked team in the world of college hoops...

Indiana fans wore hard hats at Assembly Hall as Indiana took care of 20th ranked Iowa 93-86
Will Sheehey scored a career-high 30
((HT: BTN))


And Penn State swept Ohio State with their win over the Buckeyes 65-63... and they stormed the court...
Surprising no one...
((HT: BTN))


Arkansas also got their season sweep over Kentucky with their overtime win IN LEXINGTON!!!

Which, the HQ is sure, has sent the entire Big Blue nation into some kind of histrionics
((HT: SEC on ESPN))
Houston's Danuel House scored 19 off the bench as the Cougars knocked off #21 Memphis 77-68 Mark Followill and Chris Walker discuss ((HT: CBS Sports Network))
And, finally, St. Louis' 19-game winning streak came to a screeching halt with their loss to Duquesne...
It was Duquesne's first over a Top 10 team since a 72-68 win over #9 Xavier on February 7, 2009, and it was DU's first road win over a Top 10 team since a 73-72 win at #6 Bradley on March 5, 1962...

Bielema Apologizes, Sandy Barbour Explodes

((HT: ESPN/Arkansas Razorbacks))

Here's where it all started with Bret Bielema...


And it finally got to the point where Coach Bielema apologized (finally) for dragging the name of deceased Cal football player Ted Agu into the discussion that said, in part:

"In my press conference last night, I referenced information about the tragic loss of a life of a student-athlete. My comments were intended to bring awareness to player safety and instead they have caused unintended hurt. As a head coach who works with young individuals every day, the passing of Ted Agu is a reminder to us all how short and precious life is. I would like to extend my deepest condolences and sympathy to the Agu family, Coach Sonny Dykes and to the University of California family."

Cal AD Sandy Barbour responded in kind via her Twitter:

"Bret Bielema’s comments about our Ted Agu are misinformed, ill-advised and beyond insensitive.”

“Using the tragic loss of one of our student athletes as a platform to further a personal agenda in a public setting is beyond inappropriate.”

Bielema even went further in a ridiculous interview before the apology discussing why he brought Agu into the discussion...

From Sports Illustrated:

"The reason I brought up the Cal player is this: We all have sickle cell players. To me, it's the most scary individual thing we face. There are no signs. There are no indicators. You test every one of your players when they come in. And there are players who come in that have no idea they have it. Then you've got to call the parents, sit the kid down and talk to them what it means -- what the possibilities of things happening are. It's a scary deal..."

Bielema's interview in SI is mandatory reading for its silliness and stupidity over the idea of clock stoppages and instant diagnoses of athletes physical problems...

Oh...

Arkansas has their season opener at Auburn...
How do you think that will go...???

Kinda like this...???
((HT: Auburn Athletics))


And the prevailing opinion on the Plains will go a little something like this...

Bret Bielema Has Issues With Hog Walk

((HT: Jimmy Cone via Instagram))

Some people, like some in the Vrabel household, might hashtag this #karma as well...

But, hey, the pavement was a little on the wet side...

Nice recovery, though...
Carry on...

It Wouldn't Be NSD Without An "Alex Collins..."

((HT: FoxSports))

Plantation ((FL)) High RB Alex Collins committed to Arkansas on "The New College Football Show: Next Class" Monday night on Fox Sports Net around the country.

Here was the moment and the discussion...


But... and this is a big "BUT..." Tuesday, his mother said that she wanted to be at the signing ceremony at the high school, Alex said it would be okay to be there.

This morning, according to OSG sources, Alex's mom created a scene before the ceremony at the school and, during all of the emotion, runs off with the Letter of Intent and now can't be found. Our sources say that the letter has already signed, but not faxed to Arkansas.

During the 4-letter coverage, anchor Rece Davis asked new head coach Bret Bielema asked about Collins...
((HT: ESPN/youtube))


Collins is 18, so he can be a (somewhat) emancipated signee, but the rest of the Ess-E-Cee would like to welcome Bielema to the 'cruitin' world...

(Opinion) Coaching Carousel gets stupid: Les Miles and Jon Gruden stuff

Okay. This one has been bothering me for awhile.

It's bad enough that college football schools just randomly, willy-nilly fire coaches. But what is worse is the random speculation that seems to fly out of left field for who will replace them.

Sure, I get that over-zealous alumni think that if they get a new football coach that they'll get a "Big Name" guy and he'll fix everything, but how often does that work?

It was absolutely amazing on Tuesday to see how fast the Les Miles/Arkansas rumor flew around the Internet. Yes, it came from a pretty reliable blog (Sports by Brooks), that is often ahead of the mainstream media when it comes to big-ticket stories. But Brooks's Tweet that Arkansas made a 5-year, $27.5 million offer for Miles to leave LSU to come to Arkansas went viral in hours. Heck, it was mentioned during the Indiana/North Carolina basketball game last night.

Read the ESPN.com story on it RIGHT HERE

The problem with it...

While maybe Arkansas asked Miles agent about it, there is and was no way that it would ever happen. It would defy any kind of logic. Sure, Les is a bit of a wild-card...but. A successful, national championship level coach spurns the team he's coached for years to jump to a wannabe? No, not in our lifetime.

We do however believe Arkansas floated the offer. (The Times-Picayune in New Orleans reported it too)  But we would also add that there is a BIG difference between an offer being made and someone actually considering it. 

And then there is this.

WREG-TV in Memphis is now reporting that Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has offered former Tampa Bay Buccaneer coach and current ESPN football analyst Jon Gruden a share of the Browns if he'll take a contract offer from the University of Tennessee.

Read that story RIGHT HERE

The problem.

(1) Gruden is still being paid by Tampa Bay and the NFL won't allow him to double dip.
(2) Gruden just started a new deal with ESPN.
(3) According to multiple NFL reporters, the Browns deny any knowledge or existence of said offer.
(4) Haslam himself denies this.

The real issue here is the Tennessee fans believe that Gruden should be there coach. And they will say anything to make it happen. Yeah, sure his wife went there and he was a grad assistant there for a year, but really, be honest with yourself Tennessee fan: Why would he take THAT job?

Unfortunately, this is all exacerbated by a local and to an extent national media who fan the flames by speculating who THEY think would be a good coach for them. Sometimes it's delusional (ie: James Franklin to NC State or Miles to Arkansas) and sometimes it's very good (ie: Mark Stoops to Kentucky).

And then there is Auburn. Auburn, a school teetering on the edge of probation and coming off the worst season in decades. A school with a lot of money and the stereotype of the way-too over-zealous fan base. And that fan base is a bit torn. Many want to hire Bobby Petrino, who would win, but further pile dirt upon the schools reputation. Or do they go the more traditional route and hire a Mark Hudspeth or Sonny Dykes? Inquiring minds want to know....

We totally get that everyone has an opinion. And college football fans think their team can achieve greatness simply by changing the coach. But not everyone is Nick Saban and not everyone associated with a big name means a ticket to greatness. Does anyone outside of Tennessee think Gruden can walk in and take a team that won 1 SEC game this year and contend for a title in 2013? How long a rope would he get before they'd be calling for his head too?

The thing everyone forgets is sometimes you have to get a really good assistant coach (ie: Wil Muschamp at Florida) or go to a coach who has had success at a lower level (ie: Hugh Freeze). There are guys out there who'd be great at a bigger school, if the alumni and media would allow the school to look at them.

They also forget that quite often a name is floated just for the simple fact that coach wants a better deal where he is. How many times does Jimbo Fisher's name get floated for jobs? Each time Miles name gets out there, he gets a bigger and better extension. Don't buy the hype, when these names get floated, it's usually an agent looking to get his guy more money.

We just wish that everyone would refrain from jumping to quick conclusions. The thing that so many schools, alumni, fans and media seem to forget is that sometimes the devil you've got is better than the devil you want.

Besides, Todd Graham can't have every job? Can he?

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