Ad Disclosure
Bret Bielema has been outspoken lately since Nick Saban’s declaration last week during SEC Media Days that just because the Big Ten has won the past 3 national championships doesn’t mean the Big Ten is also flat out better than the SEC.
The Illinois head coach who once was an SEC head coach at Arkansas had his own jabs back at Saban, tweeting on his social media about the Fighting Illini’s bowl game victories over South Carolina and Tennessee. It was a not-so-subtle reminder to everyone that Illinois can more than hang with those SEC teams despite not being one of those Big Ten powers who’s won a national championship the past 3 years.
On Tuesday, as Bielema took the microphone on Day 1 of Big Ten Media Days in Chicago, he was back at it. Bielema had his session with reporters on the main podium, and then he also had a side session with Big Ten Network’s Anthony Herron and Rhett Lewis, where Bielema did a little more reminding that, yes, his program is pretty good going into 2026.
“You know, we’re No. 4 the last couple years in so many things in the Big Ten, like wins, ranked wins, draft picks, top-100 draft picks,” Bret Bielema said.
He was hardly done his latest rant.
“People just can’t grasp that Illinois is good. The microcosm of that is, like, the outside world has a hard time believing that we beat South Carolina and we beat Tennessee, who those people were talking about being one of the top 10 teams in the country,” Bielema said. “I get it. So, I get pissy when people say things that contradict that. But also, you prove those things on the field.”
Bielema will try to keep Illinois in the Big Ten title discussion all throughout the fall. Meanwhile, here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about Illinois’ chances to shock everyone and win the conference championship:
