SEC Football: Arkansas Razorbacks Leading a Different Charge

While many of their SEC Football brethren are focused on winning and recruiting, Bret Bielema and his Razorbacks are seemingly more focused on perception.

Maybe he is just different. Maybe he is quirky. Maybe fans in Arkansas are driving him crazy. Or maybe Bret Bielema feels the need to constantly beat his chest and proclaim the greatness of the SEC because 3 of his 4 worst seasons as a head coach have all come in the SEC. The fact that he has only spent 3 years in Fayetteville can’t help that notion.

Pointing that out is no insult, either. Bielema took over a program that was in turmoil and has brought them to semi-relevance. With his latest bowl victory over Kansas State in the Liberty Bowl, the Razorbacks are trending in the right direction heading into the offseason.

Still, though, Bielema has had his worst years as a coach while coaching SEC football. His players have started echoing his sentiments as well. According to ESPN, Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen had this to say after his team’s victory against Kansas State:

“”I think there’s been talk that the SEC is kind of down, that it’s not the best conference. . . . (t)o see us playing all these other teams, it’s not even really close. That means a lot. The SEC has always been and will always be the toughest conference to play in.”