From the Bench - National Media Won't Be Only Group Piling on Bielema if He Doesn't Win Soon

[goodguytex]

Haha....5 eh?

He isnt going to make it doing what he has been doing. He will never achieve above 8 wins here unless the whole SEC implodes. He is a loudmouth he is juvenile and frankly isnt a very good coach. Now you can go on telling me about his first year and then return to glory blah blah....you are the perfect example of a poster who knows it all, determines who is a real hog fan and is going to jump up and down when someone much more intelligent lays out the groupthink for the week. You are the joke

PRJ

Ok, let me ask then.... What does he need to do different from a coaching standpoint to you to be successful?

[HoggusMaximus]

Fact: Bielema went 3-9 last year.
Fact: If he doesn't start winning, the heat will be turned up.
Fact: Recruiting needs to continue to improve if we are going to be competitive.
Fact: Bielema needs to limit his tweeting to recruiting.
Fact: When teams repeatedly change DC's and philosophies, the defense isn't going to be very good.
Fact: The Arkansas offense needs to be able to throw the ball effectively.
Fact: BP isn't the HC anymore and neither is Grandpa JLS.
Fact: A lot of posters on here like to argue just for the sake of arguing.
Fact: NO ONES opinion is always 100% right or 100% wrong.
Fact: Some of you guys need to chill-out.

I think that just about covers all of the bases, and then some.

Am I the only one who read with dwight schrute voice in their head?

[urkillnmesmalls]

Hogville has now given 3 pages to a hack writer who referenced ANOTHER hack writer, Clay Travis, as the inspiration for his diatribe. 

Here's a guy who just a few weeks ago proclaimed success for MA with a trip to the NCAAT, and prodded fans who bailed with their support, as though HE was on the MA bandwagon from day one with complete faith.  That was enough to make me laugh.  FFWD a solid two weeks, and he has now reversed field completely, and is using the lack of the NCAAT appearance as a reason to can Jeff Long. 

Now...that's the type of iron clad logic that we're dealing with here.  They don't make that many waffles at the Waffle House.    

[LZH]

Three years.

Seriously?  Winning just six games is asking too much?  For $3.2M and all that chirping..........it's not asking enough.

[urkillnmesmalls]

Seriously?  Winning just six games is asking too much?  For $3.2M and all that chirping..........it's not asking enough.

Nichols Sate, Northern Illinois, and UAB.  Those should be three wins, despite some irrational fear of Northern Illinois after losing their all world QB.  You wanna see hot seat...if he loses that one, hot won't cover it. 

Texas Tech...not sure.  They're the perfect team to expose our continued concern on defense, so that's a big wild card.  I want to believe we can run over them on offense, but the question will be whether we can stop them or not. 

For those expecting us to have the pieces in place to take out Aub, Bama, and UGA...then I don't know where you're getting that.  We should have a fighting chance against the rest, and hopefully we can get to 6 or 7 wins.  That seems reasonable.  BUT...I would wager quite a bit that even if we put up 4 or 5 wins, you'll get to see CBB for another season...chirping and all.    

[MuskogeeHogFan]

It's amazing how stats can be used to bolster an argument when they are so glaringly right.

Think we would have exceeded that 21 yard differential in total offense had BA not gone down? I do and I think we might have averaged 50-75 more yards of total offense per game, maybe more. Defense, not so much, but more extended drives would have kept the defense off the field more. A healthy BA and that 50-75 or more yards of total offense per game wins us 6-7 games last year.

[DeltaBoy]

Think we would have exceeded that 21 yard differential in total offense had BA not gone down? I do and I think we might have averaged 50-75 more yards of total offense per game, maybe more. Defense, not so much, but more extended drives would have kept the defense off the field more. A healthy BA and that 50-75 or more yards of total offense per game wins us 6-7 games last year.

Yep we were really Close to wining 6 last year. 

[Steef]

Everybody wants to pile on Bielama and in all honesty, he has lobbed some softballs to his critics.

Funny thing is, had he just won 7 or 8 games last year, there wouldn't be nearly this much repeated weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Know what the difference was between that 10-4, 2006 season and last season? Healthy QB's for a start. But beyond that, a difference of 20 yards rushing per game and 1 more yard passing on offense. Yeah, 21 more yards of total offense per game in 2006 than 2013.

The real difference was on defense. In 2006 we allowed about 300 yards of total defense per game, 185 per game in pass defense as opposed to 2013 where we allowed 50 yards more (235) per game, so 413 yards of total defense.

Bielema canned the weak part of that defense. He knows he screwed up using Ash last year and he is attempting to correct the problem. After a first season that was like a bucket of ice water in your face, he is trying to get it turned around. We all know what happened last year. I can't see that we need mutliple daily reminders of how many folks feel he was the wrong hire. Let's see what happens this year with a healthy QB and a new DC.

I agree with everything but with one codicil...

Not sure Ash made the difference last year. No matter WHO was our DC last year, we had serious issues in the secondary and linebackers. Talent/speed/experience issues.

Coaching can't make a kid faster. Not SEC faster, anyway. Either you are or you aren't.

Not trying to defend Ash, really. Just putting in ALL the truth.

I really expect to see some of our newbies getting real PT this season in the backfield. And it's time for Otha to have a complete season...and fulfill his potential.

[LZH]

Nichols Sate, Northern Illinois, and UAB.  Those should be three wins, despite some irrational fear of Northern Illinois after losing their all world QB.  You wanna see hot seat...if he loses that one, hot won't cover it. 

Texas Tech...not sure.  They're the perfect team to expose our continued concern on defense, so that's a big wild card.  I want to believe we can run over them on offense, but the question will be whether we can stop them or not. 

For those expecting us to have the pieces in place to take out Aub, Bama, and UGA...then I don't know where you're getting that.  We should have a fighting chance against the rest, and hopefully we can get to 6 or 7 wins.  That seems reasonable.  BUT...I would wager quite a bit that even if we put up 4 or 5 wins, you'll get to see CBB for another season...chirping and all.    

I can stand a little chirping if I can take my young'n to Memphis this Christmas break to watch us play.......as long as it isn't 60 below zero (that I probably wouldn't blame him for, believe it or not).

[MuskogeeHogFan]

I agree with everything but with one codicil...

Not sure Ash made the difference last year. No matter WHO was our DC last year, we had serious issues in the secondary and linebackers. Talent/speed/experience issues.

Coaching can't make a kid faster. Not SEC faster, anyway. Either you are or you aren't.

Not trying to defend Ash, really. Just putting in ALL the truth.

I really expect to see some of our newbies getting real PT this season in the backfield. And it's time for Otha to have a complete season...and fulfill his potential.

All the truth includes reacting wrong to the reads and calls, being out of position, reacting late because you are playing confused and therefore, appearing to be a lot slower than you may be. That's why I lay this at the feet of Ash. I think he presented a complicated scheme that was difficult to grasp, his defensive units apparently weren't all on the same page, and he didn't have the Secondary ready to play.

Part of that is conjecture, the last part about not having them ready to play, is simply fact.

[RebelliousHog]

Yep we were really Close to wining 6 last year. 

Dude, your hatred of all things CBB cloud your rational look at facts

Rutgers we lost 24-28. Defense killed us and BA not playing hurt tons. Winable game
TAMU lost 33-45   Again defense a healthy BA and those yards Musk was talking about COULD have made a difference  Winable game
Ole Miss lost 24-34 10 point loss so the things musk names comes into play
Miss St. loss in OT. Obvious  winable game
LSU loss 27-31 took a last minute drive for them to win  Winable game

Win 3 of the 5 and we have 6 wins. So, yes, we were close.

[RebelliousHog]

Win all 5 and YOU would be anointing CBB as a football savior.

[urkillnmesmalls]

All the truth includes reacting wrong to the reads and calls, being out of position, reacting late because you are playing confused and therefore, appearing to be a lot slower than you may be. That's why I lay this at the feet of Ash. I think he presented a complicated scheme that was difficult to grasp, his defensive units apparently weren't all on the same page, and he didn't have the Secondary ready to play.

Part of that is conjecture, the last part about not having them ready to play, is simply fact.

Ahh...I'm not quite as willing to throw Ash under the bus as you are.  BB is a defensive minded coach, and he had every chance to take as much control of that unit as he needed, so he's not getting a free pass on anything related to players not ready to play, or not getting the players on the field that were at least going to give it 100%.  I think we finally did that, but it meant getting a lot younger and making mistakes, but at least they were giving effort while making them. 

What I don't blame BB for is the amount of inexperience we had to have on the field.  That lies at BP's feet, and it will this season too.  But in 2015...it's all on BB's shoulders in my mind.  That's long enough to be competitive on defense in my mind. 

As for how we looked on the field.  I've never seen anything like these last two seasons defensively.  I have seen many zone defenses in my day, but I've never seen one where guys literally STOOD in one place on the field.  It wasn't as obvious on TV, because the camera is on the ball, but in person...you could literally see the secondary moving to their "area of the field" and parking it, waiting for someone to catch the ball, and then hopefully tackling them. 

Now...if that was being done to just hope to limit damage because of the talent or experience level, then I've never seen that employed quite like that before.  I have to believe we can do at least moderately better than that this season. 

[HognotinMemphis]

If you are a contender in the SEC, you are NEVER caught with one average QB. You have a serviceable backup or three. We had ZILCH last year behind a new starter...and I think it is pretty clear, a starter who will never be anything special. He is no Mallett, not a Wilson...not even close and never will be.

Over a 100 replies and over 1600 views in less than a day to a post by one so many of you think very little of. Good work, Bob!

[LZH]

not getting the players on the field that were at least going to give it 100%.  I think we finally did that, but it meant getting a lot younger and making mistakes, but at least they were giving effort while making them.

Whatever festered when Petrino left apparently hung around for two years.  Hopefully those who perpetrated it are all gone, or at the very least, have been set straight in no uncertain terms.

[superior_wang]

it surely will be a national story if he doesnt win soon. Very successful coach, heads to sec and cant win..huge story.

[Hawgon]

The fact that we were really close to winning three or four more games last year and found a way to lose every single one of them is what worries me the most.  BB did not show a good in game decision making process last year.  I think he is at best, going to be like Nutt and as Wisconsin fans complained about him.  He is good enough to get you to the cusp, but then always does something stupid to get you knocked down a peg or two.

Oh, well, this year is going to be tough regardless.

[urkillnmesmalls]

If you are a contender in the SEC, you are NEVER caught with one average QB. You have a serviceable backup or three. We had ZILCH last year behind a new starter...and I think it is pretty clear, a starter who will never be anything special. He is no Mallett, not a Wilson...not even close and never will be.

Over a 100 replies and over 1600 views in less than a day to a post by one so many of you think very little of. Good work, Bob!

The replies aren't to his post HiM.  We've derailed it onto a meaningful discussion.   

Your first sentence is a joke.  Just off the top of my head, I can think of recent issues at QB with both LSU and Auburn when they were forced to play Frazier a few seasons back.  It happens...and you're still discrediting the fact that at best, BB could have brought in a Fr. to take over the reigns.  Again...whose fault is that?  It can be argued as to whether they should have burned AA's red shirt, but they chose not to do that, and tried to make it work with Derby.  It's reasonable to assume they didn't want to sacrifice now for the betterment later. 

But...you and others continue to rip away, despite it being ONE YEAR under BB.  Patience is a neglected virtue around here lately....

[urkillnmesmalls]

The fact that we were really close to winning three or four more games last year and found a way to lose every single one of them is what worries me the most.  BB did not show a good in game decision making process last year.  I think he is at best, going to be like Nutt and as Wisconsin fans complained about him.  He is good enough to get you to the cusp, but then always does something stupid to get you knocked down a peg or two.

Oh, well, this year is going to be tough regardless.

That's a fair assessment.  I have no issue with that opinion.  We all saw some questionable coaching last season.  It's the 5-7 posters who are acting as if one season is an indicator of infinity that I take issue with.  NO patience. 

The initial records of MANY successful coaches have been posted on here multiple times, but it doesn't resonate.  It can be your opinion that he's going to fail and live up to the Wisconsin fan's warnings.  But...just be aware that 3 wins in his first season doesn't indicate perpetual gloom and doom either, because too many coaches have had to weather that storm and gone on to do great things. 

[Hawgon]

Well, I see little reason for any sort of optimism if I am right.  Let's just say for the sake of argument that I am right and he is a Nutt level coach.  That does not equal a Nutt kind of record at Arkansas these days.  During Nutt's tenure at Arkansas the SEC West was unquestionably the weaker division of the conference and Alabama was down.  If you want to see what a Nutt level coach gets you in today's SEC West, see what Nutt himself did his last two years at Ole Miss.

[LZH]

If you want to see what a Nutt level coach gets you in today's SEC West, see what Nutt himself did his last two years at Ole Miss.

Welp, that reality shot pretty much ruined my coffee and banana...........thanks alot.

[GuvHog]

Fact: Bielema went 3-9 last year.
Fact: If he doesn't start winning, the heat will be turned up.
Fact: Recruiting needs to continue to improve if we are going to be competitive.
Fact: Bielema needs to limit his tweeting to recruiting.
Fact: When teams repeatedly change DC's and philosophies, the defense isn't going to be very good.
Fact: The Arkansas offense needs to be able to throw the ball effectively.
Fact: BP isn't the HC anymore and neither is Grandpa JLS.
Fact: A lot of posters on here like to argue just for the sake of arguing.
Fact: NO ONES opinion is always 100% right or 100% wrong.
Fact: Some of you guys need to chill-out.

I think that just about covers all of the bases, and then some.

FACT: Fans love it when their team is winning and relevant. BP gave them that (#5 in the nation).

FACT: They want it again and will expect nothing less from CBB

FACT: Hog fans are impatient and won't wait a long time for that success to return.

Due to those facts it is my opinion that if things don't improve drastically by the end of year 3, CBB's seat will be very hot in year #4.

[Inhogswetrust]

Haha....5 eh?

He isnt going to make it doing what he has been doing. He will never achieve above 8 wins here unless the whole SEC implodes. He is a loudmouth he is juvenile and frankly isnt a very good coach. Now you can go on telling me about his first year and then return to glory blah blah....you are the perfect example of a poster who knows it all, determines who is a real hog fan and is going to jump up and down when someone much more intelligent lays out the groupthink for the week. You are the joke

PRJ

Hayden Fry, Bill Snyder and Barry Alvarez all thought he was a good coach. I'll take their word for it over yours. They are experts. I bet you are not.

[Hawgon]

Hayden Fry, Bill Snyder and Barry Alvarez all thought he was a good coach. I'll take their word for it over yours. They are experts. I bet you are not.

And Frank Broyles thought Houston Nutt hung the moon and was "perfect for Arkansas".

[LZH]

FACT: Fans love it when their team is winning and relevant. BP gave them that (#5 in the nation).

FACT: They want it again and will expect nothing less from CBB

FACT: Hog fans are impatient and won't wait a long time for that success to return.

Due to those facts it is my opinion that if things don't improve drastically by the end of year 3, CBB's seat will be very hot in year #4.

If the only wins he has this year is against the New Edinburg 7th grade and goes 0-fer in the SEC again, he'll be sweating out year #3.  I have little doubt about this.

[Inhogswetrust]

Think we would have exceeded that 21 yard differential in total offense had BA not gone down? I do and I think we might have averaged 50-75 more yards of total offense per game, maybe more. Defense, not so much, but more extended drives would have kept the defense off the field more. A healthy BA and that 50-75 or more yards of total offense per game wins us 6-7 games last year.

Agreed. That is also agreeing perhaps without the D doing any better but off the field more.

[Hawgon]

If the only wins he has this year is against the New Edinburg 7th grade and goes 0-fer in the SEC again, he'll be sweating out year #3.  I have little doubt about this.

If we go winless two years in a row in the SEC, we should burn down the BAC and run BB and Long out on rails.

[LZH]

Hayden Fry, Bill Snyder and Barry Alvarez all thought he was a good coach. I'll take their word for it over yours. They are experts. I bet you are not.

Doesn't 378 posts qualify as expert?

[LZH]

If we go winless two years in a row in the SEC, we should burn down the BAC and run BB and Long out on rails.

If that happens, my opinion of Jeff Long will change an awful lot.

[Inhogswetrust]

And Frank Broyles thought Houston Nutt hung the moon and was "perfect for Arkansas".

Frank was getting a little over the top by then. I'd take their word for it over Franks at the time. You do realize Frank thought all of those three are good coaches as well.  Nobody is perfect BUT believing THREE well respected coaches over ONE is better odds.

[Inhogswetrust]

Doesn't 378 posts qualify as expert?

On posting yes! On coaching expertise no.

[LZH]

On posting yes! On coaching expertise no.

I've been under the impression for years that it's the same thing...........

[Hawgon]

Frank was getting a little over the top by then. I'd take their word for it over Franks at the time. You do realize Frank thought all of those three are good coaches as well.  Nobody is perfect BUT believing THREE well respected coaches over ONE is better odds.

Well, go see what Alvarez said about him when he left.  Write it off as sour grapes if you want, and maybe it was, but that doesn't sound like someone who thought BB had a first rate coaching mind.

If one really wanted to go there, one could theorize that Alvarez hand picked BB as his successor because like Frank Broyles, Alvarez really wanted to run things and be the shadow coach.  That theory certainly fits with what we know about Alvarez's ego and subsequent statements.

Oh well, time, and I mean this year, will tell us who is right.  We'll either see significant improvement, or we won't.  If we don't year three is a death watch.

[urkillnmesmalls]

Well, I see little reason for any sort of optimism if I am right.  Let's just say for the sake of argument that I am right and he is a Nutt level coach.  That does not equal a Nutt kind of record at Arkansas these days.  During Nutt's tenure at Arkansas the SEC West was unquestionably the weaker division of the conference and Alabama was down.  If you want to see what a Nutt level coach gets you in today's SEC West, see what Nutt himself did his last two years at Ole Miss.

Well, of course you shouldn't have any optimism.  Heck, he came in and fielded a defense full of Fr. and Soph.'s, and there's no reason not to blame him for everything and expect an immediate turn around playing in the SEC with a bunch of underclassmen.  He couldn't even manage to land one of the top RB's in the nation, from Fla no less.   

Now that you have it all figured out and laid out for me, I'm going to dispense with any optimism at all, and convert to being completely pessimistic.  Where is that HDN II bandwagon parked anyway?  There's a lot of wisdom in evaluating how things will turn out by gauging how things go in the outset, and shame on me for being so blind.   

But just for the sake of argument, wasn't there a LOT of smack talk from Ole Miss when HDN got there and they kicked our ass two years in a row?  Remember...they were brilliant.  Was THAT any indication of how things would turn out long term for Nutt? 

I rest my case. 

[superior_wang]

If the only wins he has this year is against the New Edinburg 7th grade and goes 0-fer in the SEC again, he'll be sweating out year #3.  I have little doubt about this.

they ought to get a scrimmage with Kingsland while they are down that way.

[GuvHog]

And Frank Broyles thought Houston Nutt hung the moon and was "perfect for Arkansas".

Frank thought no such thing. He wanted to Hire Tommy Tuberville instead but John White took the hiring power out of his hands and gave it to a Committee.

[MJ2]

Here's the bottom line-  CBB will be rewarded very handsomely for not succeeding.   Contracts like this are give to CEO's all the time and invariably are paid off.   I see the same thing happening here.   He's not motivated by a desire to win because he's rewarded for not winning.   Think about it.

[RebelliousHog]

I don't think there is a NCAA coach in America who is "not motivated by a desire to win". The job is inherently competitive. If the Hogs don't succed CBB WILL be paid well nonetheless.  That is contractual BEFORE they ever coached and played a game.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Here's the bottom line-  CBB will be rewarded very handsomely for not succeeding.   Contracts like this are give to CEO's all the time and invariably are paid off.   I see the same thing happening here.   He's not motivated by a desire to win because he's rewarded for not winning.   Think about it.

How many football coaches do you know that have won consistently at a high level that didn't have that competitive urge inside them? Money is nice, but it doesn't fill that hunger to win.

[The_Iceman]

Its funny how Robert posts an article and then tucks tail and runs away.

Coward.

[hog.goblin]

He is RIGHT

to be right you have to have an opinion.  the only thing shields did is paraphrase Travis

it's just embarrassing for him

[PygmalionEffect]

Haha....5 eh?

He isnt going to make it doing what he has been doing. He will never achieve above 8 wins here unless the whole SEC implodes. He is a loudmouth he is juvenile and frankly isnt a very good coach. Now you can go on telling me about his first year and then return to glory blah blah....you are the perfect example of a poster who knows it all, determines who is a real hog fan and is going to jump up and down when someone much more intelligent lays out the groupthink for the week. You are the joke

PRJ

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz



sorry, I dosed off

[bigbadhog]

Well since you speak so eloquently and expertly on the subject of loudmouths  and juveniles one would/could certainly draw a conclusion you wrote the official guide/handbook on that particular topic. Hummmmmmmmmm...................and while we're at it who exactly are you referring to when you say "when someone much more intelligent lays out the groupthink for the week"....well whoever THAT is sure isn't either Robert or you! BTW while we're at it what the hell is groupthink? Is that even a proper word recognized in the dictionary?

It is when people group together and think they are right while ignoring the facts - like the people on HV who support BB and think he is a great fit for the Razorbacks...

[Robert Shields]

Its funny how Robert posts an article and then tucks tail and runs away.

Coward.

What part of the column do you disagree with?

[Hogwild]

Well, I see little reason for any sort of optimism if I am right.  Let's just say for the sake of argument that I am right and he is a Nutt level coach.  That does not equal a Nutt kind of record at Arkansas these days.  During Nutt's tenure at Arkansas the SEC West was unquestionably the weaker division of the conference and Alabama was down.

Bama was down, but so was Florida under Zook. The East wasn't unquestionably the better division.  LSU won 2 National Championships & Auburn ran the table with Brown & Williams. His last 6 years the only SEC West team to lose the title game other than Nutt, was when LSU had to play 12 games in 11 weeks (Katrina)

2001- LSU
2002- UGA over Arkansas
2003- LSU
2004- Auburn
2005- UGA
2006- Florida over Arkansas
2007- LSU

[Inhogswetrust]

I've been under the impression for years that it's the same thing...........

Good point. Some people do believe that!

[Inhogswetrust]

Well, go see what Alvarez said about him when he left.  Write it off as sour grapes if you want, and maybe it was, but that doesn't sound like someone who thought BB had a first rate coaching mind.

If one really wanted to go there, one could theorize that Alvarez hand picked BB as his successor because like Frank Broyles, Alvarez really wanted to run things and be the shadow coach.  That theory certainly fits with what we know about Alvarez's ego and subsequent statements.

Oh well, time, and I mean this year, will tell us who is right.  We'll either see significant improvement, or we won't.  If we don't year three is a death watch.

IF Alvarez didn't think he had a god coaching mind he wouldn't have hired him to succeed him in there in the first place. Sour grapes it was since I saw where he thought BB was a good head coach overall.

[Inhogswetrust]

Frank thought no such thing. He wanted to Hire Tommy Tuberville instead but John White took the hiring power out of his hands and gave it to a Committee.

There are some things like that, that I heard.

[Inhogswetrust]

It is when people group together and think they are right while ignoring the facts - like the people on HV who support BB and think he is a great fit for the Razorbacks...

Please tell us YOUR criteria for what makes a "good fit" then.

[urkillnmesmalls]

It is when people group together and think they are right while ignoring the facts - like the people on HV who support BB and think he is a great fit for the Razorbacks...

The punchline in that is the use of the word "facts."  That is as far from a fact as black is from white.