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| The SEC West got tougher yesterday. |
It's a good thing Hugh Freeze has Ole Miss headed in the right direction because things didn't get any easier in the SEC West yesterday with the announcements of coaches Brett Beliema (Bielema. This is the first time I've ever had to write his name. There's a reason for that.) to Arkansas and Gus Malzahn to Auburn.
Arkansas, in the surprise hire of the season, invaded the Big 10 and plucked Bielema from Wisconsin. Although the hire was surprising, it looks like a good one. Bielema has won 10 games or more in four out of his seven years as the head coach at Wisconsin and has the Badgers headed to their 3rd consecutive Rose Bowl. Bielema is unquestionably a giant step up from interim coach John L. Smith. The question is whether Bielema will have enough players on hand to fit his traditional, run heavy offensive system.
Malzahn coached Arkansas State to a 9-3 record and a Sunbelt Conference championship in his one season in Jonesboro and returns to Auburn where he was the offensive coordinator who helped lead the Tigers to that 2010 BCS Championship. Auburn was a team without an offensive identity in Malzahn's absence, but will have it back now as Malzahn has already announced a return to his up tempo spread offense next season. Quarterback Kiehl Frazier, who was yanked around like a yo-yo this season, is undoubtedly relieved.
No matter what your opinions of the hires, both schools took giant steps up from this season and both will improve in 2013. Count on it. There's no time for sleep in the SEC West.