Bielema's Resume and Jeff Long

[widespreadsooie]

Bret Bielema was 37-19 in Big 10 play with three Rose Bowl berths. Sounds pretty good. Since Bielema's seat started warming up you began to hear how Bielema beat up on Big 10 bottom feeders and never won enough against the cream of the crop. Well I decided to drill down some numbers. Based on the info below, how in the world could have Jeff Long ever hired Bielema to beat Alabama, Auburn, LSU, and A&M?

Big Ten Team (Their record over BB tenure at WIS) (BB's record against that team while at WIS)

Ohio St. (47-7) (1-5)
Nebraska (12-4) (1-1)
Penn St. (38-16) (2-3)
Mic. St. (31-23) (2-4)
Michigan (31-23) (3-2)
Iowa (27-27) (3-2)
Northwestern (26-28) (2-1)
Purdue (23-31) (5-0)
Illinois (18-36) (4-1)
Minnesota (15-39) (7-0)
Indiana (11-43) (7-0)

Bielema won 93% of Big 10 games played against the bottom 5 who had a combined winning % against the Big 10 of 35%
He won 38% of Big 10 games played against the top 5 who had a combined winning % against the Big 10 of 69%

[HF#1]

Coming to Arkansas was a bad career move for Bielema.

[Hogwild]

Coming to Arkansas was a bad career move for Bielema.

If he stays in Madison and has similar success as his predecessors than he would be in line for the Florida job

[Razorbackers]

Bret Bielema was 37-19 in Big 10 play with three Rose Bowl berths. Sounds pretty good. Since Bielema's seat started warming up you began to hear how Bielema beat up on Big 10 bottom feeders and never won enough against the cream of the crop. Well I decided to drill down some numbers. Based on the info below, how in the world could have Jeff Long ever hired Bielema to beat Alabama, Auburn, LSU, and A&M?

Big Ten Team (Their record over BB tenure at WIS) (BB's record against that team while at WIS)

Ohio St. (47-7) (1-5)
Nebraska (12-4) (1-1)
Penn St. (38-16) (2-3)
Mic. St. (31-23) (2-4)
Michigan (31-23) (3-2)
Iowa (27-27) (3-2)
Northwestern (26-28) (2-1)
Purdue (23-31) (5-0)
Illinois (18-36) (4-1)
Minnesota (15-39) (7-0)
Indiana (11-43) (7-0)

Bielema won 93% of Big 10 games played against the bottom 5 who had a combined winning % against the Big 10 of 35%
He won 38% of Big 10 games played against the top 5 who had a combined winning % against the Big 10 of 69%

Our next coach will not have anywhere near as impressive as a resume, for sure.

[smb]

Really CBB resume was ok but not great.

[Atlhogfan1]

Bret Bielema was 37-19 in Big 10 play with three Rose Bowl berths. Sounds pretty good. Since Bielema's seat started warming up you began to hear how Bielema beat up on Big 10 bottom feeders and never won enough against the cream of the crop. Well I decided to drill down some numbers. Based on the info below, how in the world could have Jeff Long ever hired Bielema to beat Alabama, Auburn, LSU, and A&M?

Big Ten Team (Their record over BB tenure at WIS) (BB's record against that team while at WIS)

Ohio St. (47-7) (1-5)
Nebraska (12-4) (1-1)
Penn St. (38-16) (2-3)
Mic. St. (31-23) (2-4)
Michigan (31-23) (3-2)
Iowa (27-27) (3-2)
Northwestern (26-28) (2-1)
Purdue (23-31) (5-0)
Illinois (18-36) (4-1)
Minnesota (15-39) (7-0)
Indiana (11-43) (7-0)

Bielema won 93% of Big 10 games played against the bottom 5 who had a combined winning % against the Big 10 of 35%
He won 38% of Big 10 games played against the top 5 who had a combined winning % against the Big 10 of 69%

What coaches at programs like that and ours have to do.

Petrino's SEC wins and opponent's SEC records that season:

2008 2-6:
LSU 3-5
AU 2-6

2009 3-5:
AU 3-5
SC 3-5
MSU 3-5

2010 6-2:
UGa 3-5
OM 1-7
Vandy 1-7
SC 5-3
MSU 4-4
LSU 6-2

2011 6-2:
AU 4-4
MSU 2-6
OM 0-8
Vandy 2-6
SC 6-2
Tenn 1-7


Opponents beaten SEC record: 49-87
Winning % = 36%

[Razorbackers]

Really CBB resume was ok but not great.

say word?

[PorkRinds]

Bret Bielema was 37-19 in Big 10 play with three Rose Bowl berths. Sounds pretty good. Since Bielema's seat started warming up you began to hear how Bielema beat up on Big 10 bottom feeders and never won enough against the cream of the crop. Well I decided to drill down some numbers. Based on the info below, how in the world could have Jeff Long ever hired Bielema to beat Alabama, Auburn, LSU, and A&M?

Big Ten Team (Their record over BB tenure at WIS) (BB's record against that team while at WIS)

Ohio St. (47-7) (1-5)
Nebraska (12-4) (1-1)
Penn St. (38-16) (2-3)
Mic. St. (31-23) (2-4)
Michigan (31-23) (3-2)
Iowa (27-27) (3-2)
Northwestern (26-28) (2-1)
Purdue (23-31) (5-0)
Illinois (18-36) (4-1)
Minnesota (15-39) (7-0)
Indiana (11-43) (7-0)

Bielema won 93% of Big 10 games played against the bottom 5 who had a combined winning % against the Big 10 of 35%
He won 38% of Big 10 games played against the top 5 who had a combined winning % against the Big 10 of 69%

Hell at this point I'd take those numbers here.

[widespreadsooie]

I guess my point is that BB was at WIS for 7 years and was beating the top half of the conference 1/3 times. Why hire him to beat the blue bloods of the SEC instead of going the up and comer route, someone who is unproven?

[hogsanity]

I guess my point is that BB was at WIS for 7 years and was beating the top half of the conference 1/3 times. Why hire him to beat the blue bloods of the SEC instead of going the up and comer route, someone who is unproven?

Show us any coach in any p5 league for 7 years that doesn't make his bones beating up on the bottom 2/3rds of the league. Unless his name is Meyer or Saban I will be shocked.

[widespreadsooie]

Show us any coach in any p5 league for 7 years that doesn't make his bones beating up on the bottom 2/3rds of the league. Unless his name is Meyer or Saban I will be shocked.

Not really my point. BB proved he struggled with the best teams in his conference. Why would JL think he could ever win the West or the SEC for that matter?

[hogsanity]

Not really my point. BB proved he struggled with the best teams in his conference. Why would JL think he could ever win the West or the SEC for that matter?

Everyone not named Saban struggles with the best teams in their conference. Why would JL think any of them could ever win the West or the SEC.

Hogville logic - BB only won 1/3 rd of his games against the top teams in the Big10 and only went to 3 Rose Bowls, anyone should have known he wouldnt win here, BUT guy at Memphis with only 11/2 season as a HC ANYWHERE is a sure thing.

[DeltaBoy]

Coming to Arkansas was a bad career move for Bielema.

It was bad for both of us.

[widespreadsooie]

Everyone not named Saban struggles with the best teams in their conference.

Why not go after the Scott Frost or Mike Norvell of 2012?

[Tusks]

If he stays in Madison and has similar success as his predecessors than he would be in line for the Florida job

You guys gotta stop drinking during the day

[ballz2thewall]

shot from today's meeting. pulaski tech.

[Tusks]

Why not go after the Scott Frost or Mike Norvell of 2012?

Butch and Gus

[widespreadsooie]

Butch and Gus

True they didn't pan out but at least the writing wasn't already on the wall with them like it was BB.

[widespreadsooie]

Actually Gus is doing fine

[jkstock04]

Our next coach will not have anywhere near as impressive as a resume, for sure.

Lol

[Tusks]

Actually Gus is doing fine

Just saying that's the Frost and Norvell of 2012.

I think Frost and Norvell have lots more SEC upside than Butch and Gus

[Razorfox]

Um, beating the top teams in your conference 1/3 of the time is pretty good.  Very few coaches/programs do better than that. 

If we did that, and beat the corresponding expected non-conference opponents, we would probably win 8+ games EVERY year. 

[Jim Harris]

Show us any coach in any p5 league for 7 years that doesn't make his bones beating up on the bottom 2/3rds of the league. Unless his name is Meyer or Saban I will be shocked.

True that. Frank Broyles only beat Texas 26 percent of the time over 19 years. He beat up on a bunch of bottom feeders. Nobody wants to hear that, but the "glory days" of Arkansas football was beating up on bottom feeders and winning barely a quarter of the time vs. Texas in its heyday. In the 1960s, a third team would join Texas and Arkansas in the battle for contender each year but it changed regularly, it wasn't a consistent "powerhouse." SMU had a brief run of 3 years. Texas A&M had a huge recruiting haul in 65-66 that led to a bunch of sophomores winning it in 67 and then they disappointed as juniors and seniors, Texas Tech was formidable around those two upstarts, mostly 64-65, but pretty much was traditional Texas Tech as they are today. Baylor was headed down after the early 1960s and not to come back until 1974.
Now, when Holtz was here, there were less bottom feeders and a lot less top-heavy SWC as well. A&M was recruited to a program high in the mid 1970s, Houston entered the league and was formidable each year, Texas Tech was still Tech with occasional moments of glory, SMU started its purchase plan and became stout as the 70s wound down and into the 1980s before probation, Baylor was up and down with a roster full of NFL prospects. TCU and Rice were still bottom-feeding in terms of talent.
But that era wasn't like the Broyles 1960s, when Arkansas and Texas were No. 2 in wins behind Alabama. That's why I'd put Holtz in that Saban or Meyer class. Just the same, without Broyles Arkansas could have been like it had always been, among the other SWC bottom feeders while Texas won 99 percent of its SWC games (ha). As a fan then, I'm pretty happy that Broyles built an Arkansas program with a solid foundation that could at least beat the rest of the bottom feeders at the time.

But on this subject, Bielema at Arkansas hasn't really faced a conference schedule, and surely not a division schedule, that resembled that lower half of the Big Ten while he was there. We have been the bottom feeder. It's as if he were coaching Indiana in the SEC West.

[steveaustin69]

Show us any coach in any p5 league for 7 years that doesn't make his bones beating up on the bottom 2/3rds of the league. Unless his name is Meyer or Saban I will be shocked.

Agreed. Were you expecting him to have a losing record against these teams?

[Razorbackers]

Lol

Buddy, you show me a coach we're going to get with Brets record at Wisky and 3 BCS appearances and conference titles.

You goons are so obtuse this week lol

[widespreadsooie]

Those top 5 I listed had an average big 10 record of 5.52-2.48. That's 6-2 or 5-3 and BB hit them at a 38% clip. Not impressive enough to think he would fair any better against the top of our conference. I don't care how you spin it. Lazy hire by JL.

[hawgon]

True that. Frank Broyles only beat Texas 26 percent of the time over 19 years. He beat up on a bunch of bottom feeders. Nobody wants to hear that, but the "glory days" of Arkansas football was beating up on bottom feeders and winning barely a quarter of the time vs. Texas in its heyday. In the 1960s, a third team would join Texas and Arkansas in the battle for contender each year but it changed regularly, it wasn't a consistent "powerhouse." SMU had a brief run of 3 years. Texas A&M had a huge recruiting haul in 65-66 that led to a bunch of sophomores winning it in 67 and then they disappointed as juniors and seniors, Texas Tech was formidable around those two upstarts, mostly 64-65, but pretty much was traditional Texas Tech as they are today. Baylor was headed down after the early 1960s and not to come back until 1974.
Now, when Holtz was here, there were less bottom feeders and a lot less top-heavy SWC as well. A&M was recruited to a program high in the mid 1970s, Houston entered the league and was formidable each year, Texas Tech was still Tech with occasional moments of glory, SMU started its purchase plan and became stout as the 70s wound down and into the 1980s before probation, Baylor was up and down with a roster full of NFL prospects. TCU and Rice were still bottom-feeding in terms of talent.
But that era wasn't like the Broyles 1960s, when Arkansas and Texas were No. 2 in wins behind Alabama. That's why I'd put Holtz in that Saban or Meyer class. Just the same, without Broyles Arkansas could have been like it had always been, among the other SWC bottom feeders while Texas won 99 percent of its SWC games (ha). As a fan then, I'm pretty happy that Broyles built an Arkansas program with a solid foundation that could at least beat the rest of the bottom feeders at the time.

But on this subject, Bielema at Arkansas hasn't really faced a conference schedule, and surely not a division schedule, that resembled that lower half of the Big Ten while he was there. We have been the bottom feeder. It's as if he were coaching Indiana in the SEC West.

Yeah, but we were like Miles' LSU to Saban's Bama back then with us and Texas.  You can say we only won 25% of the time against Texas while Broyles was here but that was about 95% more than anyone else beat Texas in those days.  For instance, OU beat Texas one time between 1958 and 1970.

We were elite, just not the most elite.

[HoggyCat]

Welcome to what I was saying in December of 2012.

[HoggyCat]

Actually Gus is doing fine

Take out bert & gus' first years as SEC coaches and Gus is 2 wins better than beet overall.

[HoggyCat]

Break it down further and look at who he played each year. A coupe big years he had, he avoided tOSU & PSU all together. Then year 7, when he was 7-5 and third in division, PSU & tOSU were both ineligible.

[Atlhogfan1]

Those top 5 I listed had an average big 10 record of 5.52-2.48. That's 6-2 or 5-3 and BB hit them at a 38% clip. Not impressive enough to think he would fair any better against the top of our conference. I don't care how you spin it. Lazy hire by JL.

Petrino was 3-9 against SEC opponents who finished 5-3 or better.  25% 

[RazorWest]

Take out bert & gus' first years as SEC coaches and Gus is 2 wins better than beet overall.

Not sure that makes sense.  Take out Bielama's worst year and Gus's best then apples to apples?  stretch

[RazorWest]

Um, beating the top teams in your conference 1/3 of the time is pretty good.  Very few coaches/programs do better than that. 

If we did that, and beat the corresponding expected non-conference opponents, we would probably win 8+ games EVERY year.

Which is actually what we averaged before Bret showed up.  8 regular season wins a year since going to 12 game season

[widespreadsooie]

Petrino was 3-9 against SEC opponents who finished 5-3 or better.  25% 

Petrino went to a Sugar Bowl and had us #3 in country and Gus went to a NC, should have won it.

[Atlhogfan1]

Petrino went to a Sugar Bowl and had us #3 in country and Gus went to a NC, should have won it.

Starting to get the point.  Your OP was dumb.  Successful coaches at programs like Arkansas and Wisconsin and Virginia Tech live off of beating the bottom teams with an occasional upset mixed in.  Nothing wrong with the Bielema resume from the standpoint you presented.  Other reasons to have doubted the decision. 

[RazorWest]

Bret Bielema was 37-19 in Big 10 play with three Rose Bowl berths. Sounds pretty good. Since Bielema's seat started warming up you began to hear how Bielema beat up on Big 10 bottom feeders and never won enough against the cream of the crop. Well I decided to drill down some numbers. Based on the info below, how in the world could have Jeff Long ever hired Bielema to beat Alabama, Auburn, LSU, and A&M?

Big Ten Team (Their record over BB tenure at WIS) (BB's record against that team while at WIS)

Ohio St. (47-7) (1-5)
Nebraska (12-4) (1-1)
Penn St. (38-16) (2-3)
Mic. St. (31-23) (2-4)
Michigan (31-23) (3-2)
Iowa (27-27) (3-2)
Northwestern (26-28) (2-1)
Purdue (23-31) (5-0)
Illinois (18-36) (4-1)
Minnesota (15-39) (7-0)
Indiana (11-43) (7-0)

Bielema won 93% of Big 10 games played against the bottom 5 who had a combined winning % against the Big 10 of 35%
He won 38% of Big 10 games played against the top 5 who had a combined winning % against the Big 10 of 69%

On paper, he looked like a good hire.  Jeff Long needs to be able to project success not just hire someone who had success. 

[hogsanity]

Petrino went to a Sugar Bowl and had us #3 in country and Gus went to a NC, should have won it.

BB actually won his league THREE TIMES and went to the Rose Bowl THREE times, and had his team ranked as high as #4 during the 2010 and 2011 seasons. So again what is your point?

[AirWarren]

Coming to Arkansas was a bad career move for Bielema.

YUP!!!!

[widespreadsooie]

BB actually won his league THREE TIMES and went to the Rose Bowl THREE times, and had his team ranked as high as #4 during the 2010 and 2011 seasons. So again what is your point?

He made all those Rose Bowls because of programs on bowl suspension. My point is why did we go with him who proved he can't play with the cream of crop? Nobody has answered that question.

[widespreadsooie]

Starting to get the point.  Your OP was dumb.  Successful coaches at programs like Arkansas and Wisconsin and Virginia Tech live off of beating the bottom teams with an occasional upset mixed in.  Nothing wrong with the Bielema resume from the standpoint you presented.  Other reasons to have doubted the decision. 

I've seen your posts before, I would refrain from calling others dumb.

[widespreadsooie]

Starting to get the point.  Your OP was dumb.  Successful coaches at programs like Arkansas and Wisconsin and Virginia Tech live off of beating the bottom teams with an occasional upset mixed in.  Nothing wrong with the Bielema resume from the standpoint you presented.  Other reasons to have doubted the decision. 

And before you assume he mixed the occasional upset in I would check his record as an underdog

[hogsanity]

He made all those Rose Bowls because of programs on bowl suspension. My point is why did we go with him who proved he can't play with the cream of crop? Nobody has answered that question.

As has been pointed out to you, no one, other than Saban, does well against the top of their league year after year. Someone even pointed out how bad BP did here against SEC teams with winning records, and of course you ignored that little tidbit.

So, if doing well against the top of the league is your criteria, just who do you think they should be looking at?

[widespreadsooie]

As has been pointed out to you, no one, other than Saban, does well against the top of their league year after year. Someone even pointed out how bad BP did here against SEC teams with winning records, and of course you ignored that little tidbit.

So, if doing well against the top of the league is your criteria, just who do you think they should be looking at?

Why not go the up and comer route? That's part 2 of the question. JL was lazy with this hire.

[Razorbackers]

BB actually won his league THREE TIMES and went to the Rose Bowl THREE times, and had his team ranked as high as #4 during the 2010 and 2011 seasons. So again what is your point?

Carpetbaggers

[Razorfox]

He made all those Rose Bowls because of programs on bowl suspension. My point is why did we go with him who proved he can't play with the cream of crop? Nobody has answered that question.

Actually people have answered it several ways.  You are too dense to see it.  NO ONE besides Saban and Meyer can claim to beat the cream of the crop regularly. 

Hell, by definition, anyone that does that replaces the cream of the crop. 

[hogsanity]

Why not go the up and comer route? That's part 2 of the question. JL was lazy with this hire.

So wait, let me get this straight, it is supposed to be some barometer of success how well you have done against the top of your league, and it is a lazy hire to get a guy that had just won a p5 league 3 times in a row and been ranked #4 at one point in 2 straight seasons, but it would be wise to hire a guy with almost no HC experience at all?

I will guarantee you if Long had hired an up and comer, and word had gotten out he could have had a 3 time big10 title winning coach instead, Long would have been fired for that.

[Razorfox]

So wait, let me get this straight, it is supposed to be some barometer of success how well you have done against the top of your league, and it is a lazy hire to get a guy that had just won a p5 league 3 times in a row and been ranked #4 at one point in 2 straight seasons, but it would be wise to hire a guy with almost no HC experience at all?

He's just unhappy with life and is throwing spears to try to feel better.  It makes no sense. 

[widespreadsooie]

So wait, let me get this straight, it is supposed to be some barometer of success how well you have done against the top of your league, and it is a lazy hire to get a guy that had just won a p5 league 3 times in a row and been ranked #4 at one point in 2 straight seasons, but it would be wise to hire a guy with almost no HC experience at all?

Yes. Do your homework. See who he's lost to and exactly how he made those Rose bowls. He was 4-4 in Big 10 when he made one of those Rose Bowls. You have people on the board right now wetting their pants over the thought of Norvell but wouldn't touch Les Miles with a ten foot pole.

[Razorbackers]

Yes. Do your homework. See who he's lost to and exactly how he made those Rose bowls. He was 4-4 in Big 10 when he made one of those Rose Bowls. You have people on the board right now wetting their pants over the thought of Norvell but wouldn't touch Les Miles with a ten foot pole.

He also won back to back 11 win seasons and won the conference outright the year before that.

You should do your homework, ya dingus.

[widespreadsooie]

I guess all the Wisconsin fans who felt sorry for us to have BB as a hire were wrong in the end.