2013 | Arkansas | 3–9 | 0–8 | 7th (Western) | |||
2014 | Arkansas | 7–6 | 2–6 | 7th (Western) | W Texas | ||
2015 | Arkansas | 8–5 | 5–3 | T–3rd (Western) | W Liberty | ||
2016 | Arkansas | 7–6 | 3–5 | T–5th (Western) | L Belk | ||
2017 | Arkansas | 4–8 | 1–7 | 7th (Western) |
I'm actually inclined to agree with this. Don't understand all the Bielema love. Really don't think he'd be a sure thing by any means.Guys, are we serious with this Bret Bielema talk? He rode Alvarez's coattails to the top at Wisconsin (building essentially nothing himself) and was mediocre at best at Arkansas. He's notorious for being a total jerk, so I'm surprised when it's insinuated he could compile a strong staff.
I wouldn't touch that hire with a ten foot pole, and I'd be SO disappointed if that's who ends up succeeding Lovie at Illinois.
He won the companion sweepstakes though.Guys, are we serious with this Bret Bielema talk? He rode Alvarez's coattails to the top at Wisconsin (building essentially nothing himself) and was mediocre at best at Arkansas. He's notorious for being a total jerk, so I'm surprised when it's insinuated he could compile a strong staff.
I wouldn't touch that hire with a ten foot pole, and I'd be SO disappointed if that's who ends up succeeding Lovie at Illinois.
Guys, are we serious with this Bret Bielema talk? He rode Alvarez's coattails to the top at Wisconsin (building essentially nothing himself) and was mediocre at best at Arkansas. He's notorious for being a total jerk, so I'm surprised when it's insinuated he could compile a strong staff.
I wouldn't touch that hire with a ten foot pole, and I'd be SO disappointed if that's who ends up succeeding Lovie at Illinois.
He rode Alvarez's coattails to the top at Wisconsin (building essentially nothing himself)
Yeah, this quote from Ken Niumatalolo had me all jazzed on the concept:That USA today article that was linked on the previous page is intriguing. It would be neat to see some team try it again. A modernized version with more of a run/pass mix could work. That system with a mobile qb that could throw would be virtually unstoppable IMO. So much uncertainty about where the ball is going on each play.
Modern defenses in a major conference would start to figure out the key elements better than in the old days so that is where the passing game would need to come in.
Also, I never knew how long and impressive Blackman's resume was before Illinois.If you’re at a different place, you obviously could tweak it more and throw the ball more,” Niumatalolo says. “We try to shorten the game here and keep their offense off the field and limit their possessions. It’s about winning. I wouldn’t say we’d go to coach (Mike) Leach stuff, but you could run our stuff out the gun. You could throw the ball more.
Modern defenses in a major conference would start to figure out the key elements better than in the old days so that is where the passing game would need to come in.
Also, I never knew how long and impressive Blackman's resume was before Illinois.
As has been pointed out, unlikely Bielema leaves the NFL, and not sure he'd be a sure thing if he came here. But per his time a Arkansas, I seem to remember reading back we he got fired that part of it was he really wasn't a good fit for the South and the SEC. As to him being a jerk, some of that characterization might be because he didn't really like the media and gave short, terse interviews. (Any surprise he's coaching in New England.) I also seem to remember reading that he was well liked by his players.
The real hidden truth is how impressive Blackman's resume was AT Illinois.
24-11-1 against Big Ten opponents other than Woody and Bo.
The real hidden truth is how impressive Blackman's resume was AT Illinois.
24-11-1 against Big Ten opponents other than Woody and Bo.
Kinda funny, given his comment to the Iowa State coach when he played at Iowa.Guys, are we serious with this Bret Bielema talk? He rode Alvarez's coattails to the top at Wisconsin (building essentially nothing himself) and was mediocre at best at Arkansas. He's notorious for being a total jerk, so I'm surprised when it's insinuated he could compile a strong staff.
I wouldn't touch that hire with a ten foot pole, and I'd be SO disappointed if that's who ends up succeeding Lovie at Illinois.
Yeah. You can't compare his record to those from the 60s and before or the 90s and after. Absolute apples and oranges in both cases due to Big 10 scheduling restrictions of the time. Look at the non-conference schedules he had to play.
If he could have cherry-picked a couple non-conference wins every year and if the Big 10 allowed more than one team to go to a bowl game back in the 70s, then Blackman's time here would be remembered completely differently. He suffered greatly from the Big 10's stone age "Big 2, Little 8" mentality back then.
Modern defenses in a major conference would start to figure out the key elements better than in the old days so that is where the passing game would need to come in.
It is so preposterous that people talk about this stuff like Paul Johnson and Georgia Tech didn't happen. Paul Johnson WON THE ACC playing an absolutely rigidly doctrinaire triple option style. They beat highly ranked and hugely talented opponents, Clemson, Georgia, Florida State, Miami, Virginia Tech OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
Not discounting what he did at all. Just think as you step up in competition in the Big Ten that you have to be prepared to mix in the pass more. I absolutely would be intrigued by the possibilities of some kind of offense where you use deception & trickery to overcome talent gaps.It is so preposterous that people talk about this stuff like Paul Johnson and Georgia Tech didn't happen. Paul Johnson WON THE ACC playing an absolutely rigidly doctrinaire triple option style. They beat highly ranked and hugely talented opponents, Clemson, Georgia, Florida State, Miami, Virginia Tech OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
Shows you how lame I am that this was a watershed moment for me, but finding that out really redpilled me into seeing that the entire Guentherian narrative of a program that died with the Slush Fund and needed to accept mediocrity was a total lie.
Like, obviously on its face you shouldn't accept mediocrity, but the pop history of Illinois football peddled by the Loren Tate's and Jim Turpin's of the world over the decades is a complete fabrication. Mike White was not the exception, Valek and Moeller were.
Only if he comes with the pleated khakis...
Maybe Barry Switzer will come out of retirement?