I just got back from Memphis and it seemed that every other Vol fan that called in wanted Bobby Petrino as their new Tennessee football coach. However, there is a new report that Petrino has been seen on Ark St’s campus reported by Ark Times and there is a report that Petrino has called and expressed interest in the job.

Do Bobby Petrino and Houston Nutt want Gus Malzahn’s old job at Arkansas State?

By Mark Heim | mheim@al.com al.com
on December 07, 2012 at 2:26 AM, updated December 07, 2012 at 3:16 AM

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Bobby Petrino has contact Arkansas State about its coaching vacancy, according to rivals.com report. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston, File)

Former Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino has expressed interest in the Arkansas State coaching position left vacant by Gus Malzahn who left for Auburn this week.

Rivals.com’s Luke Matheson reported on RedWolfReport.com sources indicate Petrino contacted athletic director Terry Mohajir and expressed “serious interest” in coaching at Arkansas State.

 

Matheson also cited, on Twitter, two sources within the Arkansas State administration and one close to Petrino who confirmed the interest. He did, however, say that it is unclear if the interest is mutual.

 

In the same story, it is also stated that “despite his reported interest, Houston Nutt is not a viable candidate for the job.”

 

Arkansas State and Kent State are scheduled to square off in the GoDaddy.com Bowl at 8 p.m. Jan. 6 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile. Current defensive coordinator John Thompson will coach the Red Wolves.

 

Luke Matheson @LukeMatheson

Yes I said it, and no I’m not making it up. Bobby Petrino HAS contacted #ArkSt with interest in their job.

The Arab Israeli Conflict – part 4: Egyptian Revolution 1952

I have posted before about the religious views of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin. Now it appears they have rejected their agnostic statements of the past and have decided to raise their children in the Jewish faith.

Here is a post from the Huffington Post:

After appearing on the television program, “Who Do You Think You Are,” Gwyneth Paltrow has decided to raise children Apple, 7, and Moses, 5, as Jewish.

According to The Daily Mail, the NBC ancestry show sparked the discovery that the actress descended from a notable line of Eastern European rabbis. Though she’s long practiced Kabbalah, Gwyneth had previously stayed neutral about a formal religion upbringing in her household, which includes crooner husband Chris Martin, who is of Christian background.

“I don’t believe in religion. I believe in spirituality. Religion is the cause of all the problems in the world,” the actress once told The Daily Mail.

_______________

Below is a letter I mailed to Chris and Gwyneth recently:

To Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow, c/o Go Go Pictures, 12 Cleveland Row, London, SW1A 1DH, United Kingdom, , From Everette Hatcher, 13900 Cottontail Lane, Alexander, AR 72002, USA:

I have been a huge fan of both of you and have posted many times on my blog about your religious views which have seemed to have changed over the years. I know that Chris was brought up as an evangelical Christian, but has long ago left the faith behind although he did revisit many biblical themes in his 2008 and 2011 cds.

In fact, on June 3, 2011 on my blog (www.thedailyhatch.org) I wrote:

I have shown what thought processes Solomon went through in Ecclesiastes and then compared them to the evident changes that are occurring with Coldplay. By the way, the final chapter of Ecclesiastes finishes with Solomon emphasizing that serving God is the only proper response of man. My prediction: I am hoping that Coldplay’s next album will also come to that same conclusion that Solomon came to in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14:
13 Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.

14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.

I have also written before about Gwyneth’s famous Jewish relatives which includes a famous Rabbi and I have wondered if she would decide to return to those roots. Actually that is what has happened. I salute you for rejecting your earlier statements against organized religion and for making the decision to teach your children the Bible and to have faith in God. 

I know that you will spending lots of time in the scriptures and I wanted to share with you some key scriptures that talk about the Messiah. Greg Koukl wrote the article below:

When we come upon apparently disparate parts of a thing that clearly fit together in a precise and complicated way, we naturally conclude there is a designer behind it. And as the design and function become more complicated, it would be absurd to suggest otherwise.

Let me give you an example. I turned on my Macintosh this morning, inserted a disk, the Macintosh read the information on the disk, and I did my work. Would anyone be the least bit tempted to think that the disk I just inserted had been developed in a vacuum, so to speak, and coincidentally “just happened” to do meaningful work on my computer? Would anyone suppose that the disk was developed apart from the computer itself and they just work together? No one would ever say that.

The absurdity is obvious from two different angles. First, the fit, the hardware issue. The disk fits right in, a little mechanism sucks the disk down and engages it on a spinning affair that allows the computer to read the disk. There’s an amazing fit there. In fact, the fit has to be very precise.

Second, there is all of the highly sophisticated computer interactions that are associated with the fit, in other words, the software. The computer is able to “read” the information on the disk that allows the computer to do work. This is not the kind of thing you’d expect to happen outside of the general computer design itself. Things don’t just happen to fit like that accidentally, and things don’t work together like that accidentally.

Now think a moment with the previous illustration in mind about human sexuality (or any kind of bisexual reproduction). You’ve got a hardware problem and a software problem. Both are pretty complex because of the nature of sexual response. You’ve got to have parts that have to fit in a particular way. I’m trying to think of a way to say this delicately–the software problem, in this case, is very closely connected to the hardware problem. If the software isn’t right then there is no hardware (if you catch my drift). It’s a very delicate balance. Not only does the hardware have to fit, but it has to function. Sperm have to go into the woman’s body and connect with the egg that comes down at just the right time. Those things have to work together. They can’t just be swimming around in there like protozoa that don’t go together. The sperm and the egg have to go together, and that’s all part of the hardware problem.

Even if you get the hardware problem solved, you’ve got the software problem. You’ve got the problem with men being attracted to women and visa versa. You’ve got the problem of all the issues that relate to the intricacies of sexual response, the things that make people appealing, that turn people on, the things that cause people to even desire to put the hardware together to begin with. Do you see what I’m saying? A lot of times we don’t even think about this because it’s very natural, but the software has got to be there that would cause us to think that one thing goes into another in that fashion for a particular purpose. We don’t think about that. We just do it because it comes so naturally. Where did that come from?

My point is that this is very much like the computer and the disk issue on both levels. It’s a parallel with my Macintosh illustration because both the hardware of the computer and the hardware of the disk, and also the software of the computer and the software of the disk would have to coincidentally develop with no thought of design. Not only that, it would have to develop at the same time (it can’t develop sixty years apart from each other) and in the same general location on earth.

Do you see what I’m talking about here? The same thing applies to human bodies and any kind of bisexual reproduction because for evolution to be true all of the hardware has to happen by chance. All of the software has to happen by chance. The software and hardware have to be synchronized in a very delicate fashion. And it not only all has to happen by chance, it’s got to happen at the same time and in the same place.

Only someone who is intent on ignoring what is obvious will deny that there is design involved.

The simple point is, only someone who is intent on ignoring what is obvious will deny that there is design involved. There is no way that people can apply the rules of the natural development of living things, which are highly integrated machines with hardware and software, to any other area of life because you’d be considered a fool. But of course, many people do deny that there is design involved.

By the way, this same argument applies to the whole question of whether Jesus was Messiah or not. Some of you may have listened a while back when a caller was quoting Messianic prophecy and I cautioned him about using Messianic prophecy because there is a lot of prophecy that is identified as Messianic in the New Testament, but it’s clear in the Old Testament that those writing it didn’t think it was prophecy. So if you quote it, it won’t be compelling because it looks like the New Testament authors made it up. I believe it’s prophecy because we have a divinely inspired New Testament and the writers were given the testimony of the Holy Spirit to apply it. But it won’t be compelling to a non-Christian because it wasn’t clearly prophecy at the time it was given. When you read about Rachel weeping for her children you don’t get the sense that the slaughter of babies is being anticipated by the author who wrote it originally. I believe it is a prophecy because Matthew, moved by the Holy Spirit, identifies it as such. But I was reluctant to encourage people to use passages like that from the Old Testament to prove Jesus’ Messiahship. Even the prophecy of the virgin birth is like that.

I did that for the best of reasons. I work very, very hard to be evenhanded and fair, and not to misrepresent a point or to play a point too strongly. If we overplay our hands and people see that our hand is weaker than we presented it, then it may destroy our entire argument.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, I was wrong. I was mistaken. I’ll tell you why I was wrong and why you ought to use that as a powerful example for the design behind the Bible. And I’ll tell you how that all fits in just a moment.

I’m going to explain to you how I was mistaken because if we understand the design of prophecy in the Old Testament properly, this could not only be a great defense for Jesus’ Messiahship, but go far beyond that and refute all of the higher critics who criticize the Old Testament.

Let me go back to machines for a moment to bring you up to speed on how information and function work with prophecy.

What if you had a machine shop and you liked to make things. Sometimes you made things because they accomplished a certain function, and other times you made things just because you liked the way they looked. It had an aesthetic appeal. Sometimes you just whittled with wood and machinery just because it was fun to do but you had no particular goal in mind.

Then one day you got together with a bunch of other tinkerers and everybody brought their tinker toys, so to speak, the things that they had made. As you looked at each other’s inventions and parts, one person noticed that his part fit together with your part and when you put them together it was a perfect fit. You all were amazed at how well it went together and you were stunned by the coincidence. Then a third person noticed that his part went in a space your parts created and it fit together. Lo and behold, all of you had parts that fit together. When you got it all together it had a little knob that invited twisting. And when someone twisted it the little thing you just assembled began ticking.

What would you conclude? You would conclude that something was going on here. Someone behind the scenes was involved with all of your tinkering such that even though you may have had your own purposes for your tinker toy, someone else was guiding the whole process, even guided your meeting, and had a broader design and purpose in mind. That design was the watch. You could not conclude otherwise.

Who would deny that all of these efforts, whether purposeful or apparently accidental, were not part of a grand, intelligent design that far transcended all the individual efforts?

Now, what if the inventors were from different continents, came from different walks of life, and lived at different periods of history? Some made parts that had no current function but parts that they believed (and said so) would serve a future purpose, though they weren’t entirely clear on what that purpose would be. In other words, what if someone invented a carburetor 150 years before the internal combustion engine? He didn’t know what it was, but he had to put it together and he believed that someday in the future it would have a function. Still other of the inventors made parts for their own purposes with no anticipation that they would “accidentally” fit into a larger, more complex mechanism in the future.

Ladies and gentlemen, when that mechanism was assembled, who would deny that all of these efforts, whether purposeful or apparently accidental, were not part of a grand, intelligent design that far transcended all the individual efforts that contributed to the specific parts? Who would deny that? In spite of the fact that the individual workers did not intend the parts to fit.

Then you go to Psalm 22 and you realize that in the context this was probably David’s groaning because of the anguish he felt at being pursued by his enemies, even though he was a godly man. He was being hounded and he poured out his heart in this Psalm. Then someone 1000 years later, with the Psalm hidden in their heart, is standing at the foot of the cross. They are looking at Jesus and this Psalm comes to mind and they realize that something is going on here.

Or they think of Isaiah 53 and the details seem to fit perfectly. In fact, in the movie Jesus of Nazareth , Nicodemus is watching the crucifixion and the words of Isaiah 53 come to his lips. It fell into place. This is why the apostles said often that they realized afterwards that it was a fulfillment of prophecy because they saw time after time after time again, not just the times in the Old Testament that the writers said this is about Messiah, but the dozens and dozens of details in the Old Testament that they weren’t sure about and then it fit in the life of Christ. Who would deny that there was a grand design behind it all?

There was a grand design.

By the way, even if the higher critics are right, even if Moses never wrote the Pentateuch, even if Isaiah never wrote Isaiah, even if Daniel never wrote the book of Daniel, the fact is that according to the Septuagint, which was the Greek translation of the Old Testament two centuries before Jesus, and the Dead Sea Scrolls, which preceded Jesus by a century and a half, all of these writings predate the life of Christ. They all have these prophecies in them regardless of who wrote them. And they all show the grand design of God coming to its final culmination in the person of Jesus Christ.

Now that’s something to think about this Easter.

This is a transcript of a commentary from the radio show“Stand to Reason,” with Gregory Koukl. It is made available to you at no charge through the faithful giving of those who support Stand to Reason. Reproduction permitted for non-commercial use only. ©1994 Gregory Koukl

For more information, contact Stand to Reason at 1438 East 33rd St., Signal Hill, CA 90755
(800) 2-REASON (562) 595-7333 www.str.org

The more I find out about the new Hog coach the more I like him. Here is an article from last year about him.

Perception — not facts — keeps Wisconsin’s Bret Bielema from earning respect

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Wisconsin Coach Bret Bielema waves to fans as he walks off the field following his team’s 31-30 victory over Iowa on Oct. 23, 2010, in Iowa City, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

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CHICAGO — Bret Bielema’s intensity — and a desire to succeed — has elevated the Wisconsin football program to sizzling heights in his five-plus seasons.

In 2006, the 41-year-old Bielema took over Wisconsin as one of the nation’s youngest coaches at age 36. He maintained the program’s excellence under Hall of Famer Barry Alvarez and lifted it to elite levels.

Consider that Bielema sports a 53-16 record and has the fourth-best winning percentage among active Division I football coaches. Bielema ranks third in all-time victories at Wisconsin and led the Badgers to five straight bowl games, the Big Ten’s second-longest streak. Only once have the Badgers won fewer than nine games under Bielema.

Yet, for all of his success, the genius label evades Bielema. He’s not mentioned among the Big Ten’s great coaches. His peers are impressed by his statistics, but rarely pass along the compliments.

“I have a saying that perception is more important than fact,” said BTN analyst Glen Mason, a former head coach at Kansas and Minnesota. “It shouldn’t be. But most people deal in perception than facts. The perception isn’t that he’s in that elite group, but when you look at the facts, it’s pretty impressive.”

Bielema’s players, however, don’t care about his perception. It’s about his relationship with them, and they defend him.

“I don’t think he gets the respect he deserves,” Wisconsin senior safety Aaron Henry said. “But I don’t think he really cares about that. If he continues to win, people are going to take notice. That’s a great thing about Coach B. He doesn’t care what other people think, he doesn’t care about other people’s agenda. What his sole focus is, I kid you not, is Wisconsin football.”

IOWA ROOTS

To understand Bielema, you have to look at his roots. His first encounter with Hayden Fry provides an open window into the Bielema’s soul.

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Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz (left) and assistant Bret Bielema bark instructions during Iowa’s game at Nebraska in 2000.

In 1988, Bielema left his family farm near Prophetstown, Ill., with hopes of walking on to the Iowa football team. He introduced himself to Fry, and instantly made an impression with the legendary Iowa coach.

“I looked at him and said, ‘What position do you play?’ And he said, ‘Defensive line,’” Fry recalled. “I said, ‘How much do you weigh?’ I think he said 186, something like that. I said, ‘Son, you’re too small to play Big Ten football.’ He said and gritted his teeth, ‘Just give me a chance.’ When he said that, that inspired me.”

Bielema, 41, persevered, gained weight and earned a scholarship in his second year. By the time he graduated in 1992, he became a 265-pound nose guard and the players’ choice as the defensive captain. He finished his Iowa career with 83 tackles, including 12 for loss.

He also had to endure through personal tragedy. His sister, Betsy, fell off a horse and hit her head on a rock and died on Oct. 20, 1990 — the same day Bielema and the Hawkeyes upset Michigan 24-23 on their Rose Bowl season. In 1992 he had his knee surgery and 13 days later — with blood spewing from his left knee — he played against Illinois.

“He’s tough. He’s a hard worker. He had all the intangibles, and he was a really good football player,” said Nebraska Coach Bo Pelini, an Iowa graduate assistant in 1992. “He was an important cog on the football team and program at that time.”

But Bielema was also known for rubbing people the wrong way. As a senior, Bielema met former Iowa State Coach Jim Walden after an Iowa win and called Walden a “prick” and said, “I’ve enjoyed kicking your ass the past five years.” Two days later Bielema was forced to apologize and was reprimanded by Iowa’s Board of Control.

Last year against Minnesota, Wisconsin scored a fourth-quarter touchdown to lead 41-16. Bielema chose to attempt a 2-point conversion because “that’s what the card says.” Former Minnesota Coach Tim Brewster took exception to the move and spouted off against Bielema in a postgame handshake.

“I thought it was a very poor decision by a head football coach, and he’ll have to live with that,” Brewster said afterward. “It was wrong. Everybody in here knows it, and everybody in college football knows it.”

PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS

But there’s no denying Bielema’s success as a coach or recruiter. After a short stint in professional football, Bielema became a graduate assistant for two years under Fry and moved into a full-time role in 1996. Bielema brought waves of talent to Iowa City and was praised by all for his ability to build relationships and grind through the recruiting details. He did it at Iowa until leaving in 2002. He did it at Kansas State for two years, and he’s doing it at Wisconsin today.

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Wisconsin Coach Brett Bielema leads the team onto the field to face UNLV in the season opener at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis., Thursday September 1, 2011. (Tom Lynn/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel/MCT)

Henry was an interesting pickup for Bielema in early 2007. Henry hails from Immokalee, Fla., and both Iowa and Wisconsin approached him in high school. Henry first visited Wisconsin, then went to Iowa City. Bielema admits to texting Henry — when the NCAA allowed it — on his trip to Iowa City, typing, ‘Hey, you don’t look too good down there in that black and gold.’ Henry texted Bielema back, writing that he was wearing a red shirt underneath the Hawkeye gear.

Henry came from a religious background and his family kicked out Bielema and former Wisconsin assistant Dave Doreen one night on a visit, only to welcome them back when Henry committed to Wisconsin.

Bielema then helped Henry play in a prominent high school all-star game, which caused the coach more recruiting grief. Among the people to watch Henry was then-Florida Coach Urban Meyer, who had led the Gators to the 2006 national title. Weeks before national signing day, Meyer visited Henry at his high school, which worried Bielema.

As Henry relayed the details, Bielema started talking.

“I was like, ‘Whoa,’” Bielema said. “My heart was racing, I’m like here, ‘I’m the guy who got him in this game …’

“Right now I’m grabbing straws. ‘He should have been in there two months ago. He should have offered you when we did. You’re going to help us win championships.’ I’m going a mile a minute. He’s like, ‘Coach, you know what I told him? I told him I already saw the stadium I want to play in. I want to be a Badger.’”

Henry has had differences with Bielema. Henry argued with Bielema about the extent of a 2008 knee injury, which nearly led him to transfer. Henry vehemently fought against moving from cornerback to safety, but stuck with Wisconsin because of his relationship with Bielema.

“He’s good at relating to a lot of the players,” Henry said. “A lot of these guys sell you on things they’ve never been through themselves. I think Coach B is good at keeping it real and … he just does what he does. There’s no flash to what he does, no gimmicks to what he does, just genuine, true and sincere about it. I think when guys truly understand him, they get a sense of that and that’s why he brings in the top guys.”

TOP PEDIGREE

Bielema’s coaching pedigree is top-notch. He played or coached under two Hall of Famers in Fry and Alvarez, and coached under two other likely Hall of Famers in Bill Snyder and Kirk Ferentz. Bielema left an impression with each one, and they did with him.

While Fry was a master psychologist, Bielema said, Ferentz helped rein him in at Iowa. Bielema spent five years under Fry and three with Ferentz.

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University of Iowa linebacker coach Bret Bielema watches and coaches as he runs the high school participants through defensive drills during the football camp at the University Tuesday, June 13, 2000.

“I don’t know to this day if I ever talked X’s and O’s with Coach Fry,” Bielema said. “He didn’t like the defensive side of it — just get it done. Kirk is probably, the No. 1 thing I’ve ever learned from him is he’s a great, great listener. He really taught me how to slow down and listen to people.

“When I was a young coach, especially working for Hayden, you were kind of allowed to do your own thing. Kirk sent to me a guy by the name of Dan Radakovich, Bad Rad, the first linebacker coach with Penn State and then with the Steelers for a long time. I spent three days with him and I didn’t know why going in, and then I figured it out that he wanted me to learn how to listen.”

Bielema then joined Snyder at Kansas State for two years as a co-defensive coordinator. Snyder’s legendary work ethic and attention to detail impressed Bielema, as did Snyder’s offensive game planning. They also had it out about 10:30 p.m. every Wednesday night over Bielema’s punt-return plans.

“Whatever I had, he’d disagree with 100 percent,” Bielema said. “We’d argue about it for about a half-hour and eventually he’d come back and we’d go halfway in between. I just love him because that’s one of the most enjoyable times, because it was just he and I one-on-one. To this day, of all the head coaches I’ve worked for — Coach Alvarez obviously is different — (Snyder) and talked as much as anybody.”

Bielema’s success impresses Fry, Snyder and Ferentz.

“He’s got a good command of the game, he’s a good individual with players,” Snyder said. “They have a great deal of respect for him, they respond to him extremely well. He’s got a good knowledge of the game. Having played the game was, I think, significant. He’s been every bit as successful as we could anticipate and certainly felt that he would be.”

Iowa defensive coordinator Norm Parker described Bielema as “very energetic, very smart.”

“To be a head coach you’ve got to be good,” Parker said. “You’ve got to be in the right place at the right time, have the right people backing you at the right time. Those things have worked out for Bret.”

After the Wildcats won the 2003 Big 12 title, Bielema left Kansas State to become Wisconsin’s defensive coordinator. Before Bielema’s second year, Alvarez told him he was stepping down and asked Bielema to replace him. It was a move that raised eyebrows because of Bielema’s youth.

“You have to give Barry a lot of credit because it was a surprise when he hired Bret to be the coordinator when he did, and then I think a lot of people were very, very surprised when he named Bret (as head coach),” Ferentz said. “Clearly he knew what he was doing.”

BEING BIELEMA

Bielema said he doesn’t seek interviews but repeatedly finds his way on to television shows. He spent three hours on the NFL Network’s set during the 2011 NFL draft in April and took a ribbing from TV host Paul Burmeister, a former Iowa teammate, who showed off a few unflattering college pictures.

Bielema, a life-long bachelor, is also settling down in his personal life. He announced his engagment in April, but few details afterward.

“Bret is very engaging, a lot of fun to be around,” Mason said. “During a game on the sideline he’s very stoic, you hardly ever see him smile because he’s at work. But if you’ve ever been around him, as long as I’ve known him, I think my time with Bret Bielema it’s laughing and joking around and having a good time.”

Bielema still boasts a two-inch Tiger-Hawk tattoo with the words “Achieve, Believe” atop on ‘I’ on his calf. Bielema doesn’t shy from talking about it with his recruits, which earns their respect.

“It was something that he did and it was something that he’ll be forever a part of,” Henry said. “You really can’t knock him for being that you’re at the University of Wisconsin, he’s the head coach there. In those days, times were a little different. He graduated from the university, it’s his alma mater so you’ve got to respect it. But soon enough I expect to see a Wisconsin motion ‘W’ somewhere around there.”

PAST, FUTURE SUCCESS

Wisconsin has won 11 or more games just twice in its history, and Bielema has coached both squads. The Badgers finished 12-1 in his rookie campaign and captured the Capital One Bowl. Last year, the Badgers steamrolled the Big Ten in shocking fashion. Wisconsin averaged 45.2 points in its eight Big Ten games — second-best in conference history — and were 4 yards from having three running backs gain 1,000 in a season. Wisconsin tied for the Big Ten title and played in its first Rose Bowl since 2000.

The Badgers also led the nation in fewest turnovers (nine) and penalties per game (3.15). The last two seasons Wisconsin has had 22 Academic All-Big Ten performers.

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Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz talks with Wisconsin Coach Bret Bielema talk before their Big Ten game Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. (Brian Ray/ SourceMedia Group News)

Bielema also is known for aggressive play-calling, and none was bigger than last year against Iowa. Facing fourth-and-4 from Wisconsin’s 26-yard line and trailing by six points, Bielema allowed a fake punt midway through the fourth quarter. The gamble worked, and the Badgers scored a touchdown late to win 31-30.

“It was gutsy, it was a great call,” former Wisconsin safety Jay Valai said after the game. “That’s why they pay him the big bucks.”

To find an edge and keep his team motivated, Bielema read Jim Collins’ business bible “Good to Great.” It helped provide him a blueprint for the upcoming season.

“There are a lot of good organizations, a lot of good businesses, that settle for being good,” Bielema said. “They could be great if they went just a little bit further. That’s been a message to my team that we can be satisfied with where we’re at and where we’ve been but how do you get to that level? Ohio State has won six Big Ten championships; it shows you can do it. That’s the natural enemy that a lot of people get satisfied with.”

Now at 4-0 and ranked No. 7 nationally, Wisconsin has a chance for excellence. Bielema has a chance to boost his coaching profile among the game’s elite. He bought into Snyder’s advice that he coach his way and avoid comparisons with his coaching mentors.

Bielema aggressively sought Russell Wilson to replace Scott Tolzien at quarterback. Wilson, who graduated this spring from North Carolina State, had one year of eligibility remaining and could transfer to a school with a graduate program not offered by N.C. State and play right away. Wilson earned the starting nod and many consider him a Heisman Trophy contender.

“It’s been a learning process for Bret,” Mason said. “It wasn’t too long ago that the people in Madison weren’t sure had they had the right guy for that job, and now I think he’s won everybody over.”