Why Bielema left a program with three straight Rose Bowls for Arkansas

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A few months ago, this whole scene seemed unlikely, at least to the public. Mike Gundy was supposed to be sitting in Bielema's chair, or maybe Sonny Dykes or Kirby Smart or Gus Malzahn. Someone talented but not fully established; someone looking to move up; someone who could say the word "y'all" without embarrassing himself, who'd spent at least a handful of Saturdays in stadiums east of Dallas and south of Cincinnati.

But there's Bielema — he of the three Rose Bowls, the Eisenhower-era offense, and the geographically neutral accent — leaning forward in his chair, hog logo on his polo, casually referencing trips to Springdale and Pine Bluff and Texarkana as if he'd spent his life preparing for this, his opportunity to tour every last stop in the Ozarks, the Ouachitas, and the Arkansas plains.

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On personnel: "That," he says, referring to senior Kiero Small, "is a goddamn fullback."

On campus tours: "We bring the kids on a tour, we fricking wow 'em with the facilities, then we show 'em all the shoes and shite — that's gonna make a big impression."

On Tuesday: "Man, fricking Tuesday was awesome." Since Bielema arrived in Fayetteville, he's had a lot of days like Tuesday.

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And now here we are, with the SEC more than halfway to a decade's worth of consecutive national titles, with a coach like Bielema willing to leave a secure and successful Big Ten program to run a team that has never won an SEC championship. And all of this raises the question: Is it better to coach a middling SEC program than to coach a perennial contender for the Rose Bowl? Bielema won't get too deep into this discussion, because he won't define Arkansas as "middling," but he does say that coaching in Fayetteville, even with the program's limitations, brings him closer to a national title than he would have been at Wisconsin. It's tough to argue either way on that point — in most years, an undefeated Wisconsin team would play for the title, as would an SEC championship-winning Arkansas team, even with a loss. And sure, Arkansas has to deal with Alabama and LSU, but now that Urban Meyer is rolling at Ohio State, Wisconsin will have a similarly formidable division rival.

But here in the SEC, a straightforward formula has developed. Win the league (or in the case of Alabama in 2011, just finish second in the division), head to the BCS championship game, and then do what you must with whichever sacrificial lamb the rest of the country offers. And while Arkansas may never be able to outrecruit and outplay Alabama or LSU over the long term, it can position itself for the rare year, like Auburn's in 2010, when talent and schedule and luck align, resulting in a shot at the championship. Then there's the upcoming playoff, which figures to include two SEC teams most seasons. "That was a big factor," says Bielema. "That gives us an even better shot."

But the final math on this is actually quite simple. Players are attracted to competition, and facilities, and the chance to stay near home. Coaches are attracted to competition, and resources, and the chance to earn lots of money. For these reasons, Bielema should have better players and coaches at Arkansas than he did at Wisconsin. And with better players and coaches, he will have a better chance at winning it all.

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Soon after Bielema turned down the Auburn job

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