Hog Calls

Bielema: No timidity allowed vs. Auburn

Arkansas coach Bret Bielema works with his team before the start of Saturday's football scrimmage at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Not all of Arkansas' incoming freshmen and transfers will make the trip to Auburn, Ala., for the Razorbacks' Aug. 30 season-opener, but Coach Bret Bielema said he anticipates those who do to experience a variety of emotions.

Being intimidated is one feeling Bielema won't tolerate from his players.

Bielema said as much during last week's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/NWA Media Kickoff luncheon when he was asked if he fretted his rookies feeling "intimidated" taking the Jordan-Hare Stadium on Aug. 30 in Auburn, Ala. while televised on the new ESPN Network.

"If there is one in our program intimidated by Auburn he doesn't belong here," Bielema said. "We don't recruit that way."

Arkansas went 3-9 overall and 0-8 in the SEC last season, but Bielema remains undaunted. He said he left his solid job at Wisconsin (68-24 and with 3 Big Ten championships in 7 seasons), determined to win Arkansas its first overall SEC football championship.

Arkansas has played SEC football since 1992.

"I wanted to do something that hasn't been done and the great thing is I recruit players that think the same way,," Bielema said. "We added 23 freshmen and a couple of transfers that know we were 3-9 and know we play Auburn and know we play in the SEC West. That's what makes them go. I wouldn't touch anybody that didn't feel that way. I probably wouldn't recruit them."

SEC teams won seven consecutive BCS national champions (2006-20012) before Auburn ended the streak with a runner-up finish to Florida State.

Three of the recent national champions, LSU (2007), Alabama (2009-2011-2012) and Auburn (2010) play in the SEC West as does Arkansas, which has represented the West three times in the SEC Championship Game, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Texas A&M.

Arkansas was the only SEC West team that failed to qualify for a bowl game last postseason.

Arkansas plays them all those teams plus SEC East powers Georgia, a Gator Bowl team last year in Little Rock and reigning SEC East champion Missouri , which won the Cotton Bowl, in Columbia, Mo.

Ten of the 12 teams on Arkansas' 2014 schedule played in bowl games last season, including all eight SEC opponents.

Two of Arkansas' nonconference opponents -- Texas Tech (Holiday Bowl) on Sept. 13 in Lubbock and Northern Illinois (Poinsettia Bowl) on Sept. 20 in Fayetteville are coming off bowl appearances.

"We have been voted the toughest schedule in college football," Bielema said. "Last year I think we were at 4 or 5. We wanted to improve and this year we jumped to No. 1. I came here for the challenge right?"

Knowing that Arkansas opens with Auburn, last year's SEC champion, has made for an exhilarating winter, spring and summer, Bielema said.

"Everybody is going to be jacked for our first practice," Bielema said. "Practice No. 5 everybody will be excited because that will be our first scrimmage. But then those practices 10 through 20 you tend to start feeling sorry for yourself. It's hot and you have got blisters and all that jazz, but all we have got to do is say the word 'Auburn' and it will go off the charts."

Sports on 07/28/2014