Illinois head football coach Bret Bielema, who went 11-29 against the SEC during his five-year run at Arkansas, thinks his current program would be ranked … If it were in the SEC.
Quite the spin!
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Now, to be fair, Illinois is having a decent season. The Fighting Illini are coming off a 24-13 win over Nebraska Friday night, and sit at 6-3 as the regular season begins its final month. It’s been a good year for Illinois up to this point. Credit where it’s due, Bielema has the fellas playing well in 2026.
Head coach Bret Bielema of the Illinois Fighting Illini speaks to the media during the 2026 Big Ten Football Media Days at Hilton Chicago on July 28, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
For some reason, though, the SEC continues to be on the brains of every Big Ten coach in America right now. Earlier this week, Curt Cignetti took a shot at the conference after the initial CFP rankings was overloaded with SEC teams.
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After last night’s win, Bielema joined the chorus, saying his unranked Fighting Illini would be in the mix if they played in the SEC.
Take a look:
Context is important here
“But to be in this job, where we’re at right now, 6-3, we beat another 5-3 team. If we were in the SEC, we’d probably be a top-15 team.”
Thoughts? First impressions?
So, Bielema is correct in the fact that if Illinois was currently 6-3 and played an SEC conference schedule, it would be ranked. Not sure it would be a top-15 team, but certainly ranked. I guess it depends who the wins/losses came against.
Illinois head coach Bret Bielema yells at an official during the second half of the Music City Bowl NCAA college football game against Tennessee, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
But also, if Illinois played in the SEC … I’m not sure the Fighting Illini would be a 6-3 team right now. Their current wins have come against:
- Michigan State (in overtime)
- Maryland (by 3)
- UAB
- Southern Illinois
- Oregon (only ranked win)
- Nebraska
Head coach Bret Bielema of the Illinois Fighting Illini reacts to a play during the second quarter of the Music City Bowl against the Tennessee Volunteers at Nissan Stadium on Dec. 30, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (Getty Images)
One ranked win probably doesn’t cut it. Now, Illinois’ three losses? Purdue, Duke, and Ohio State (42-19). It doesn’t feel like an “SEC schedule,” at least not this season. The wins aren’t impressive, beyond beating an Oregon team that has no business being ranked with Dante Moore out.
As for Bielema’s actual record in the conference he can’t get off his brain …
He went 11-29 against the SEC over four years at Arkansas, including 0-8 in his first season. Not saying that was completely his fault because that roster certainly wasn’t his, but the numbers are still the numbers.
And the numbers say Bret Bielema’s current team would be nowhere close to 6-3 in the SEC right now.
It’s a down year for the Big Ten. Let’s just be honest for a second.
That conference has dominated this sport for a few years now, but it’s just a down year. It happens. Ohio State lost its starting QB. Oregon did, too. Penn State stinks. Michigan stinks.
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Indiana is currently ranked fourth, but needed overtime to beat both Michigan AND Minnesota.
Everyone wants to complain about the committee showing “SEC bias” in the initial batch of rankings earlier this week. That’s fine. That’s fair.
But the options weren’t great.