It’s probably a good thing Illinois is a ways away from Arkansas. Because it’s hard to predict the reaction of the Razorbacks’ fan base when they hear: Bret Bielema is a dynamite coach.
The former Razorbacks head man had three modest seasons at Arkansas, but bookend years of 3-9 (0-8) and 4-8 (1-7) in the SEC left him five games below .500 and 11-29 in the SEC during his five seasons. During his last season in Fayetteville in 2017, Arkansas as an athletic department underwent one of the ugliest seasons and transitions in years.
Now in his second season at Illinois, Bielema is doing something he never did with the Razorbacks. The Fighting Illini beat Minnesota, 26-14, on Saturday to move to 6-1 and become bowl-eligible. The best Arkansas ever started through seven games under Bielema was 5-2.
Arkansas, meanwhile, is on its second coach since Bielema’s exit. Sam Pittman, in his third season, is 4-3 after Saturday’s 52-37 win against BYU. Pittman, who served as offensive line coach for Bielema for a bulk of the Illini coach’s stint at Arkansas, made a point to observe his team was 4-3 last season, too, through seven games and finished with nine wins.
Illinois, meanwhile, hasn’t had more than six wins since 2011. And like Alex Collins at Arkansas, Bielema has a borderline Heisman Trophy-like running back in Chase Brown, who is the only rusher in FBS with more 1,000 yards. The Hogs have Rocket Sanders and his 870 yards, third in FBS.
The point? The similarities are everywhere. Count us in for a bowl meeting between Pittman and Bielema.
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