FAYETTEVILLE — Bret Bielema doesn't come across as counter-culture, despite his affinity for flip-flops and desire to occasionally needle college football's established powers.
Yet, that's exactly where the Arkansas coach finds himself these days — a seeming minority in the era of the spread offense.
Bielema's belief in a balanced, pro-style offense dates to his days as a player at Iowa under coach Hayden Fry, and it led to three Big Ten championships in seven seasons at Wisconsin.
Now, after two years of rebuilding an Arkansas program left in ruins following the Bobby Petrino scandal, Bielema's time-tested method of power football appears ready to assert itself in a Southeastern Conference more and more influenced by the spread.