# Big Ten coach who had an abysmal record in the SEC thinks his team would be ranked in the SEC

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/big-ten-coach-who-had-an-abysmal-record-in-the-sec-thinks-his-team-would-be-ranked-in-the-sec/
- Published: 2026-11-07T17:03:47+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-07T17:24:11+00:00
- Original publisher: Fox News (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.foxnews.com/outkick-sports/big-ten-coach-abysmal-record-sec-thinks-team-ranked-sec
- Topics: World

## Key points

- Bielema says 6-3 Illinois would be a top-15 SEC team.
- Illinois has lost to Purdue, Duke and Ohio State.
- His Arkansas teams went 11-29 against SEC opponents.

## Summary

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema said his 6-3 team would probably be ranked in the top 15 if it played in the SEC, following a win over Nebraska. His comment adds to criticism of the conference’s standing in the early College Football Playoff rankings, but the article questions whether Illinois would have the same record against an SEC schedule.

Illinois’ wins include Oregon, while its losses came against Purdue, Duke and Ohio State. Bielema went 11-29 against SEC teams during his five years at Arkansas, including an 0-8 start. The article argues that Illinois’s results do not show how it would fare in the SEC, while noting that the Big Ten is having a weaker season and that the CFP committee’s choices were limited.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.