If you can't beat them on the field...

[lionheartkc 6,150]

...get the rules changed.

I can't believe Arkansas is so scared of Gus that they are actually proposing a rule change to slow down his offense, under the guise of "safety", of course.

https://www.facebook.com/FootballAU

SEC meetings: Possible rule change could slow Auburn's offense

By Charles Goldberg, AuburnTigers.com

DESTIN, Fla. — Arkansas coach Bret Bielema doesn't play Gus Malzahn and Auburn's fast-paced offense until the ninth game of the season, but he knows how to slow it down.

Put in a rule that stops the clock to allow for defensive substitutions.

Bielema, who came to Arkansas from Wisconsin, has served on the NCAA rules committee, and one of the things it kicked around was slowing down offenses in the interest of safety.

Bielema, a Big Ten run-the-clock guy, concedes he doesn't run an offense that is fast paced.

"We want to run the ball. We want to maintain the clock…"

Auburn will want to go a lot faster than that in 2013. Not Bielema.

"There is a lot of truth that the way offensive philosophies are driven now there are times you can't get a defensive situation in for eight, 10, 12-play drives," he said. "That has an effect on safety of that student-athlete, especially the bigger defensive linemen."

His idea for change?

"Every first down you get a 15-second substitution which would slow down offenses that want to go fast. Most offenses that are high tempo want to play as fast as you can because it limits defensive calls."

Is a rule change being considered?

"Oh, yeah. It's out there," he said.

[IronMan70 3,315]

The Big10 Whiner becomes the SEC Whiner. I guess hard hitting safeties over 225 lbs are safety issues too so he will want to have a safety weight limit.

[buzzurd24 11]

I can think of another SEC coach (with prior Big 10 head coach experience) that would push for this, as well.

[auburn4ever 1,266]

Why doesn't Gus speak out.

[marshallcotiger 0]

Until Saban and Bielema can show some type of verifiable evidence that players are more prone to injuries when they play hurry up offenses than when they play normal offenses I'm calling BS on their whole argument. I'm not talking about players cramping either. FTR there is no rule saying they can't substitute or call time out so maybe they just need to put their big boy pants on and deal with it.

[aucanucktiger 1,818]

This makes zero sense. Slowing down players on each, individual play so collisions (in theory) occur at slower speeds (e.g. less field distance for players to get up to speed on kickoffs) may make sense, sure. Slowing down a sequence of PLAYS so an offensive SYSTEM is slowed down is brainless. Fitness is part of the game too.

[alexava 6,974]

I propose a rule that each time a coach complains about the hunh offense he loses a scholarship for the next signing class.

[gravejd 3,282]

I think it's a pretty valid arguement that if your players are tired then they are more likely to get hurt. So I don't think the proposal is that crazy. Now do I really think he is concerned about player safety? Hell no.

I don't THINK there is much of a chance for this to be passed because football is all about money and having high offensive scoring games is good for viewership and thus good for making money. So I don't expect any rules that would slow down the scoring.

What I think would be funny would be to tell this defensive minded coaches that, yes we will slow down the offenses if you also agree to not shift the defense prior to the snap. Because its much safer for a player to know where they will be getting hit from.....

[AuburnGrad97 37]

Why doesn't Gus speak out.

Because he knows this is just a whiny headcoach, afraid of a high-power offense. No need to call him out.

I bet we see 100+ plays against Arky this year, though!!

[bootskii 264]

This is basically giving the defensive side a free time out to redo their strategy defensively instead of on the fly. Games would go longer and I guarantee you tv stations arent going to like that because the more games they can show the more money they are going to make. This guy needs to learn the SEC is not the slow Big Ten. If you can't take the heat go back to your crappy conference.

[1TexasTiger 55]

Has anyone ever considered that a tired defensive player doesn't hit as hard; therefore, less chance of him injuring and offensive player. Now that's player safety

[SphyNxXx 98]

I hope that we and TAMU both hang 70 on him

[cooltigger21 0]

This fool needs to learn to shut his mouth. He's already mouthed off about Alabama and now this. He will learn quickly that don't cut it here.

[stealthyfan 124]

Harumph!

Bielema choose to coach big boy football, and not Big10 3 yards and a cloud of dust.

He has an option - they're called time outs. Everyone gets them.

Either that or prepare to play in the SEC.

Welcome Yankee.

[Weegle777 78]

Who didn't see this coming?

[Plaric 4]

I agree he needs to shutup and play.....but majority of the sec is 3 yards and a cloud of dust.......this only effects 3-4 teams out of 14 i believe....(ones that actually go fast)

[auburntiger1987 759]

It may only be 3-4 teams that use the HUNH but pretty much every team including Bama and the "power" offenses use speed to their advantage.

[AUEngineer2016 407]

Honestly, this is rediculous and will never happen. Why should Auburn, TAMU, Oregon, or any other HUNH offense be punished for Arky, Bama, etc. not having defensive players who can play for more than 1 play at a time?

The OP was right, he knows that he won't be able to slow us down (much less stop us) on the field, so he is trying to find a way to do so off the field. Anybody else think that he might as well have held up a sign that said "Please go as fast as possible against me because my players can't handle it"?

[Metalsinger418 88]

I watched some of Arky's spring game and it really does not look like their defense could handle what their own offense was doing, much less our HUNH. I know it was just a spring game, but their tackling looked worse than ours did last year.

[Dixie1860 27]

This is about par for the course in this culture now. You are better at something than I am. Not fair. You should not play your best so I don't look bad. If you don't agree then we will just have to force it on you.

It goes with the not keeping score, we all get a trophy mentality. Total BS!

[buzzurd24 11]

The problem is with NCAA president we have now, he would probably let something like this happen.

[keesler 5,934]

Bielma better get used to the speed of the SEC on both offense and defense. He will be playing 3 SEC teams in his own division that will use the HUNH this year, AU/aTm/OleMiss will all be bringing going HUNH on offense. LSU's new OC Cameron says he'll go HUNH a lot with LSU this year too, and UAT uses a high speed offense when it suits them to do so. Bielma would do better to just suck it up and get his guys conditioned and ready to take it.

[AUGradinTX 0]

There are 4 teams in the SEC, alone, that use this philosophy, and countless more around the country. There's no way the NCAA can enact a rule like this; essentially killing all these programs in their current state.

The evolution of the game will continue.

[IronMan70 3,315]

Ole BB is just the man to get those Arky players whipped in to shape so they don't get gassed and injured too. As you can see from the photo below, from an NBC story that had the link to the pic, the man is a gym rat and leads by example.

Good GRIEF BB, cut back on the beers and chips.

http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/05/28/bret-bielema-reverses-field-on-sec-comments/

[kickemintheB3 5]

According to twitter: Malzahn on Bielema's comments re: spread risking player safety: "I'd say that's probably a more in-shape issue"