2012 College Football Thread

[IgnatiusTheKing]

Originally Posted by einmusiker

Only problem is they probably wont fire him now :/

Totally agree with eric/. Why in the world would you ever want to fire Bret Bielema? The guy is 68-24 in seven seasons and is on the way to a third straight Rose Bowl.

Originally Posted by eric/

Interesting article about the strength of the Big Ten (for those who are interested)

Link

I think the B1G as the fourth best conference this year (and many years) is entirely plausible. Some would call that "weak" (if not "down") but the perception this year is that the top of the B1G isn't strong at all.

• Ohio State might be good but they don't pass the eye test and we won't get to see them play a top SEC/Big 12/Pac-12 team, so who knows?
• Wisconsin lost 5 games.
• Nebraska has been good in spurts but has been crushed a few times by so-so teams.
• Michigan didn't beat anyone of note and hasn't really played that well against the best teams on their schedule. Best win: Northwestern. "Best" loss: Ohio State.
• Penn State has outperformed expectations and played better as the year has gone on, but without a bowl game there's no way to tell if they're still the team that lost to Ohio and Virginia.
• Northwestern is just okay. No good wins but no bad losses, either.

This year I'd rate the conferences:

1. SEC
2. Pac-12
3. Big 12
t4. B1G
t4. ACC
6. MAC
7. Big East
8. MWC
9. Sun Belt
10. C-USA
11. WAC

[einmusiker]

Originally Posted by IgnatiusTheKing

Totally agree with eric/. Why in the world would you ever want to fire Bret Bielema? The guy is 68-24 in seven seasons and is on the way to a third straight Rose Bowl.



I think the B1G as the fourth best conference this year (and many years) is entirely plausible. Some would call that "weak" (if not "down") but the perception this year is that the top of the B1G isn't strong at all.

• Ohio State might be good but they don't pass the eye test and we won't get to see them play a top SEC/Big 12/Pac-12 team, so who knows?
• Wisconsin lost 5 games.
• Nebraska has been good in spurts but has been crushed a few times by so-so teams.
• Michigan didn't beat anyone of note and hasn't really played that well against the best teams on their schedule. Best win: Northwestern. "Best" loss: Ohio State.
• Penn State has outperformed expectations and played better as the year has gone on, but without a bowl game there's no way to tell if they're still the team that lost to Ohio and Virginia.
• Northwestern is just okay. No good wins but no bad losses, either.

This year I'd rate the conferences:

1. SEC
2. Pac-12
3. Big 12
t4. B1G
t4. ACC
6. MAC
7. Big East
8. MWC
9. Sun Belt
10. C-USA
11. WAC

The guys been handed blue chip talent year after year because of barry alvarez and has made awful decisions in close games causing the team to lose when it counts

[eric/]

Originally Posted by einmusiker

The guys been handed blue chip talent year after year because of barry alvarez and has made awful decisions in close games causing the team to lose when it counts

You can make the argument he's made bad decisions, but you don't just get top recruits every year no matter what. Bielma has to go out there and make it happen. 7 Years he's been doing it.

----------

Originally Posted by IgnatiusTheKing

I think the B1G as the fourth best conference this year (and many years) is entirely plausible. Some would call that "weak" (if not "down") but the perception this year is that the top of the B1G isn't strong at all.

But who knows until bowl season?

I want to comment on a few of your points:

Originally Posted by IgnatiusTheKing

[*]Ohio State might be good but they don't pass the eye test and we won't get to see them play a top SEC/Big 12/Pac-12 team, so who knows?

True, and fair.

Originally Posted by IgnatiusTheKing

[*]Wisconsin lost 5 games.

3 in overtime, 2 to field goals in the last minute. They also fired their offensive line coach at the beginning of the season, and they lost on the road to Ohio State, and Oregon State (who is ranked pretty high), and they beat Utah State.

Originally Posted by IgnatiusTheKing

[*]Nebraska has been good in spurts but has been crushed a few times by so-so teams.

Yeah, Nebraska is inexplicable.

Originally Posted by IgnatiusTheKing

[*]Michigan didn't beat anyone of note and hasn't really played that well against the best teams on their schedule. Best win: Northwestern. "Best" loss: Ohio State.

To be fair though, they lost 2 of their 4 games to undefeated teams, and 1 of them to Alabama.

Originally Posted by IgnatiusTheKing

[*]Penn State has outperformed expectations and played better as the year has gone on, but without a bowl game there's no way to tell if they're still the team that lost to Ohio and Virginia.

Yeah I think they turned it around, but I don't think they are as great as people think.

Originally Posted by IgnatiusTheKing

[*]Northwestern is just okay. No good wins but no bad losses, either.

Agreed. I'd say they could contend with most teams in the top 15 (outside of the top 4), not win necessarily, but contend.

Originally Posted by IgnatiusTheKing

This year I'd rate the conferences:

1. SEC
2. Pac-12
3. Big 12
t4. B1G
t4. ACC
6. MAC
7. Big East
8. MWC
9. Sun Belt
10. C-USA
11. WAC

I would agree, but I have to give the BIG 4th over the ACC. The ACC's two marquee programs this year just haven't cut it at all.

[IgnatiusTheKing]

Originally Posted by einmusiker

The guys been handed blue chip talent year after year because of barry alvarez and has made awful decisions in close games causing the team to lose when it counts

Alvarez has been gone since 2005.

Originally Posted by eric/

3 in overtime, 2 to field goals in the last minute. They also fired their offensive line coach at the beginning of the season, and they lost on the road to Ohio State, and Oregon State (who is ranked pretty high), and they beat Utah State.

I won't argue with any of that, but truly good teams find a way to win at least some of those, don't they? I'm not saying they're bad, just that they're not as good as they have been, which contributes to the notion that the B1G is down.

Originally Posted by eric/

To be fair though, they lost 2 of their 4 games to undefeated teams, and 1 of them to Alabama.

Yep, and again, not saying they're a bad team so much as that they haven't lived up to expectation. The new QB seems to have them going in the right direction, though. He seems to be a better fit for that system than Denard. It'll be interesting to see how they do against South Carolina's defense.

Originally Posted by eric/

Agreed. I'd say they could contend with most teams in the top 15 (outside of the top 4), not win necessarily, but contend.

I haven't seen them play this year so I'm really basing my opinion on their record and wins/losses vs who they've played. I'll be very interested to see how they play against Miss St, who has completely fallen apart late in the year and who, despite having quality athletes in the secondary, has been torched by the two spread teams they played this year (A&M and Ole Miss).

Originally Posted by eric/

I would agree, but I have to give the BIG 4th over the ACC. The ACC's two marquee programs this year just haven't cut it at all.

The ACC's middle is awful but their top two have been pretty good. I would argue they've been better than the top of the B1G and that the middle of the B1G is better, but we'll find out a bit more about some of them in bowl season. If Wisconsin beats Stanford, if Nebraska beats UGA, if Michigan beats South Carolina or if Clemson beats LSU…any of those will say quite a bit about those teams.

[IgnatiusTheKing]

Originally Posted by einmusiker

The guys been handed blue chip talent year after year because of barry alvarez and has made awful decisions in close games causing the team to lose when it counts

Welp, you'll never have to (or get the chance to) fire Bret Bielema because he just gave Wisconsin the finger and left for Arkansas. With former DC Dave Doeren now headed from Northern Illinois to NC State, the easy choice for BB's replacement is off the market, too.

Wonder who they'll go after?

In other coaching news, it sounds like Gus Malzahn might be headed back to Auburn.

[Toppa G's]

Originally Posted by einmusiker

This whole disappointing seasion was rectified with the badgers beat down of nebraska in the BIG championship. even bielemas terrible time management and coaching decisions couldnt blow it. Only problem is they probably wont fire him now :/

Here's one way to get rid of him
Arkansas to hire Bielema

EDIT: beaten to the punch by Ignatius

[HE15MAN]

Gators have hired ex Kentucky Head Coach Joker Phillips as their new WR Coach and Recruiting Coordinator.

[eric/]

Originally Posted by IgnatiusTheKing

Welp, you'll never have to (or get the chance to) fire Bret Bielema because he just gave Wisconsin the finger and left for Arkansas. With former DC Dave Doeren now headed from Northern Illinois to NC State, the easy choice for BB's replacement is off the market, too.

Wonder who they'll go after?

In other coaching news, it sounds like Gus Malzahn might be headed back to Auburn.

Bit surprised by that move, actually. He must be getting a huge salary increase.

[IgnatiusTheKing]

Other coaching news: Malzahn to Auburn is official, and now Arkansas is supposedly looking at A&M OC Kliff Kingsbury. I hope he doesn't leave, but I never expected him to be here very long. I think he's going to be a fantastic head coach one day. Here's hoping we get one more year out of him before he goes.

Tennessee is supposedly zeroing in on Charlie Strong. That would be a very good hire, I think, especially with the way Muschamp has remade Florida in LSU/Alabama's image. Good defense will be key for the Vols.

Originally Posted by eric/

Bit surprised by that move, actually. He must be getting a huge salary increase.

I was surprised, too. He's basically leaving a top 3 B1G program for an SEC West bottom dweller (or mid-level team, at best). Sure, Arkansas has been up the last few years with Petrino (before this season, obviously), but their success since they came into the conference in 1992 has been sporadic, at best.

I did read that he's been at odds with Wisconsin's administration about, among other things, assistant coaches' salaries. That shouldn't be a problem in the SEC. And if the rest of the Wisconsin fanbase is as radical in their thinking as einmusiker, getting out while the getting was good could have factored in a bit, as well.

[einmusiker]

Originally Posted by Toppa G's

Here's one way to get rid of him
Arkansas to hire Bielema

EDIT: beaten to the punch by Ignatius

GOOD!!!! maybe we can get someone with some time management skills

[IgnatiusTheKing]

Originally Posted by einmusiker

GOOD!!!! maybe we can get someone with some time management skills

Can you imagine Paul Chryst getting hired? That would mean Pitt would be looking for a new head coach for the third year in a row.

[eric/]

Originally Posted by einmusiker

GOOD!!!! maybe we can get someone with some time management skills

Hopefully they take you to the Rose Bowl for 3 straight years, have a winning record, and win the conference championship too.

[IgnatiusTheKing]

Originally Posted by eric/

Hopefully they take you to the Rose Bowl for 3 straight years, have a winning record, and win the conference championship too.

Hahaha. Unlikely, huh? Some people...

[steve2112]

Originally Posted by IgnatiusTheKing

Can you imagine Paul Chryst getting hired? That would mean Pitt would be looking for a new head coach for the third year in a row.

Arkansas State is now looking for their third coach in three years. It's the new coaching pipeline or something.

[eric/]

Originally Posted by IgnatiusTheKing

Hahaha. Unlikely, huh? Some people...

Bret Bielema was 68-24 (.739) in seven seasons as Wisconsin’s head coach, the ninth-highest winning percentage among active coaches in the NCAA with at least five years of experience. He guided the Badgers to their third consecutive Big Ten championship this season, and they became the first team to represent the Big Ten in three straight Rose Bowls since Michigan in 1976-78.

Over the past four years, Wisconsin has won 40 games, which is tied for the most of any four-year stretch in school history.

Yeah, but good riddance!

[IgnatiusTheKing]

Good read on Bielema by my favorite sportswriter, Dan Wetzel.

If you haven't read "Death to the BCS", you should. Even though its dead now, that book was instrumental in killing it and will show you why. It'll also show you why the change coming in 2014 isn't enough.

Originally Posted by steve2112

Arkansas State is now looking for their third coach in three years. It's the new coaching pipeline or something.

Damn you're right. Last one's doing pretty well at that school you hate, too. Didn't see that coming back in September.

Originally Posted by eric/

Yeah, but good riddance!

Haha.

[einmusiker]

Originally Posted by eric/

Hopefully they take you to the Rose Bowl for 3 straight years, have a winning record, and win the conference championship too.

Originally Posted by IgnatiusTheKing

Hahaha. Unlikely, huh? Some people...

I guess we'll see...

Bielema saw the writing on the wall. If Wisky loses another rose bowl he would have been out like a light. He got out while the gettin was good

[eric/]

Originally Posted by einmusiker

I guess we'll see...

Bielema saw the writing on the wall. If Wisky loses another rose bowl he would have been out like a light. He got out while the gettin was good

Alvarez would never fire him.

And if you want to take that analogy, look at Oklahoma's BCS record and ask why they haven't fired Stoops.

Frankly, my friend, it is nothing short of ridiculous to fire Bielma.

[IgnatiusTheKing]

I think Bielema was bored with dominating the B1G—even with mediocre teams—and wanted a challenge only the SEC could provide.

[stonyc]

Originally Posted by IgnatiusTheKing

I think Bielema was bored with dominating the B1G—even with mediocre teams—and wanted a challenge only the SEC could provide.

The money didn't hurt, either.

If nothing else, it's a low-risk/high-reward situation for him...

- win, and he's loved and makes more $$$
- lose, and he still has connections that would make him attractive to K-State (assistant under Snyder) and Iowa (played and started coaching there) should their head coaching situations change

[eric/]

Originally Posted by IgnatiusTheKing

I think Bielema was bored with dominating the B1G—even with mediocre teams—and wanted a challenge only the SEC could provide.

To be fair,

Michigan is down
Ohio State can't go to the Rose bowl this year,
Ohio State lost their head coach last year
The year before that I don't remember.

Wisconsin has been a top 3-4 team, but I would hardly say Bielema was dominating the BIG, especially with "medicore" *cough* NCAA all time touchdown leader running backs *cough* teams

[einmusiker]

http://blogs.wsj.com/dailyfix/2012/1...ogle_news_blog

:hopes:

[IgnatiusTheKing]

Originally Posted by stonyc

The money didn't hurt, either.

He's actually not making THAT much more at Arkansas. Something in the range of $600k more per year, which to most of us is a lot, but in the grand scheme of his contract probably isn't enough to get him to jump. It seems pretty clear there were other factors.

Originally Posted by eric/

To be fair,

Michigan is down
Ohio State can't go to the Rose bowl this year,
Ohio State lost their head coach last year
The year before that I don't remember.

Wisconsin has been a top 3-4 team, but I would hardly say Bielema was dominating the BIG, especially with "medicore" *cough* NCAA all time touchdown leader running backs *cough* teams

Haha. I was only kidding. Just fishing for a reaction!

Originally Posted by einmusiker

http://blogs.wsj.com/dailyfix/2012/1...ogle_news_blog

:hopes:

He's been out of coaching eight years?

[eric/]

Originally Posted by IgnatiusTheKing

Haha. I was only kidding. Just fishing for a reaction!

Pshh, it's not out of the realm of the SEC arrogance to suggest such a thing

[smithrh]