And here’s why all the calls and texts and messageboard-studying and flight-tracking is really meaningless: Pat Forde of Yahoo! Sports is now reporting that Wisconsin’s Bret Bielema will be named Arkansas’ next head coach at some point today.

If true, so much for talk of Gary Patterson, Chris Peterson, Mike Gundy, et al.  Bielema has been so far off the radar on this one you’d have thought he was in the Bermuda Triangle.  Instead, the ex-Iowa player and seventh-year Badgers coach will head to Fayetteville fresh of a 70-31 win over Nebraska in the Big Ten Championship Game and three consecutive Rose Bowl trips.

If true, that’s an outside the box hire and one must wonder how far down on AD Jeff Long’s list Bielema was.  He has no strong recruiting ties to Texas or the southeast region so far as we’re aware at first blush.  Then again, Vanderbilt’s James Franklin (and his entire staff) had few ties to the south and he’s done pretty darn well.

Regarding recruiting, let’s not forget that this past offseason Bielema was pretty vocal about his dislike for Urban Meyer’s practice of dialing up Wisconsin commitments.  In fact, he said “We at the Big Ten don’t want to be like the SEC in any way, shape or form.”  (Think Bielema will be reminded of that one?)

If true — like how we keep throwing that out there? — the Razorbacks would have grabbed a “name” coach and that was clearly Long’s goal from the get-go… whether Bielema was first on his list or not.

Oh, and you can be sure Long will claim Bielema was his choice all along.  Again, if this one’s true.

UPDATE — Others are now confirming Bielema to Arkansas.  The 42-year-old Badgers’ coach was 68-24 overall in Madison.

Sources tell MrSEC.com that Jimbo Fisher, Mike Gundy, Charlie Strong and Larry Fedora are in the mix for Tennessee’s coaching job
Sources tell MrSEC.com that Gary Patterson, Jimbo Fisher, Bobby Petrino and Gus Malzahn are in the mix for Auburn’s coaching job
Alabama assistant coach Kirby Smart reportedly interviewed for Auburn job Tuesday
Sources tell MrSEC.com that Gary Patterson and Mike Gundy are in the mix for Arkansas’ coaching job
When he was asked if he could definitively say he will be at Louisville next year, coach Charlie Strong said Tuesday, “I will say that at the right time”
Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o and Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein are the finalists for the Heisman Trophy
Johnny Manziel unanimously named SEC Offensive Player of the Year
Georgia linebacker Jarvis Jones named SEC Defensive Player of the Year
Vanderbilt coach James Franklin is standing by his ballot in the final coaches’ poll in which he ranked unbeaten Notre Dame fourth behind three Southeastern Conference teams
Follow the SEC every single day at MrSEC.com and at twitter.com/mrsec

Sources tell MrSEC.com that Jimbo Fisher, Mike Gundy, Charlie Strong and Larry Fedora are in the mix for Tennessee’s coaching job
Sources tell MrSEC.com that Gary Patterson, Jimbo Fisher, Bobby Petrino and Gus Malzahn are in the mix for Auburn’s coaching job
Sources tell MrSEC.com that Gary Patterson and Mike Gundy are in the mix for Arkansas’ coaching job
An Arkansas fan website is reporting that Boise State’s Chris Petersen is expected to be named Arkansas’ coach on Tuesday
Vanderbilt is giving an extension and a $3 million salary to coach James Franklin to keep him in Nashville “long-term”
New Kentucky coach Mark Stoops will make $11 million over five years and receive bonuses for SEC wins
Alabama will face Notre Dame in the BCS Championship Game
Florida will face Louisville in the Sugar Bowl
Georgia will face Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl
Texas A&M will face Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl
South Carolina will face Michigan in the Outback Bowl
LSU will face Clemson in the Chick-fil-A Bowl
Mississippi State will face Northwestern in the Gator Bowl
Vanderbilt will face North Carolina State in the Music City Bowl
Ole Miss will face Pittsburgh in the BBVA Compass Bowl
Follow the SEC every single day at MrSEC.com and at twitter.com/mrsec

You can add another name to the list of Arkansas candidates.  We reported in late-October that our sources had indicated that Gary Patterson topped AD Jeff Long’s wish list.  Then came reports that Jon Gruden was Arkansas’ man.

But as both of those coaches have — reportedly — failed to reach an agreement with the Razorbacks, the name of Vanderbilt coach James Franklin is now making the rounds.  Yesterday, ESPN.com’s Chris Low claimed on Bo Mattingly’s syndicated Arkansas radio show that the Hogs had reached out to Franklin.  According to ArkansasNews.com, it’s “not known if the coach is listening to the Razorbacks.”

Long has suggested that he wants to have Arkansas’ search wrapped up by mid-December, but UA fans are starting to grow impatient.  The Hog’s AD chose John L. Smith to be an interim coach in 2012 in order to give himself more time to research potential full-time hires.  While things are seldom as they seem when it comes to coaching searches — note the various rumors/reports regarding Gruden at both Arkansas and Tennessee — perception still matters.

Fans want searches to go quickly and they want big-name results.  If there’s any suggestion that a school is struggling to land it’s first or second choice, panic ensues.  And we begin to get emails from angry fans of that school asking what the heck is taking so long.  Well this week we’re starting to get those types of emails from Razorback fans.

Read the rest of this entry »

Auburn coach Gene Chizik says he believes he can still turn things around at Auburn next year if he returns
Tennessee coach Derek Dooley says AD Dave Hart has told him no decision on his future has been made
TCU coach Gary Patterson on rumors tying him to the Arkansas job: “I don’t think there’s anything to that.”
Ex-Ohio State coach Jim Tressel says there’s “no substance” to reports tying him to Kentucky’s job
Florida QB Jeff Driskel is doubtful for Saturday’s game with Jacksonville State due to a sprained ankle
Tennessee LB Curt Maggitt will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL
Six SEC teams are ranked between #4 and #9 in the latest BCS standings: Alabama, Georgia, Florida, LSU, Texas A&M and then South Carolina
Follow the SEC every day at MrSEC.com and twitter.com/mrsec

Time for some stream of consciousness on the Urban Meyer front:

1.  My apologies to our radio partners, but I’ll not be able to pop on this afternoon for any radio hits.  Working the Meyer story and preparing for CSS’ “SportsNite.”

2.  You can catch my ugly mug on… CSS “SportsNite” tonight.  They’ll likely have plenty of coverage of the Urban Meyer 6pm press conference, too.  Brady Ackerman (CSS and Gainesville radio host) is involved in the presser.

3.  Whether or not the presser will actually hit at straight-up 6pm is anyone’s guess.

4.  Thanks for your patience.  We just threw another block of RAM on the fire here at MrSEC.com Headquarters.  And traffic-driven crashes should be short-lived.

5.  Also thanks for your understanding.  Josh and I have been pounding at the keys quickly  and the occasional typo is made.  No time to do double-checks.

6.  The Gainesville Sun is listing everyone under the sun — appropriately enough — as potential Meyer replacements: Dan Mullen, Jon Gruden, Bob Stoops, Jim Harbaugh, Bobby Petrino, Kevin Summerlin, and Gary Patterson.

7.  Okay, not everyone under the sun.  A number of radio outlets in Florida are saying that Charlie Strong is also a contender for the job.  I’ve spoken to one person in Gainesville this afternoon who believes Strong is more of a fallback candidate than a front-runner.  Strong has just been named the Co-Coach of the Year in the Big East for his first year’s work at Louisville.

8.  This writer for The Louisville Courier-Journal believes Strong/Mullen chatter will be loud.

9.  No, Arkansas fans, I do not believe Petrino will wind up in Gainesville.  However, he’s one of three coaches to have taken two different schools to BCS bowl games.  All coaches like money.  Don’t be surprised if his agent drops his name into the rumor mill in order to drive up his price in Fayetteville.