The national college football heel shared his unflattering nickname for Illinois' head football coach.
The Illinois Fighting Illini have become a team worthy of national respect after two straight bowl game wins, both of them over SEC opponents.
The two wins have served as a vindication of sorts for Illini head coach Bret Bielema, who went 29-34 in the SEC as head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks before moving on to coach in Champaign, Illinois.
Bielema took a jab at SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey during Big Ten Media Days this week, a move that drew national attention.
"I know he's gotta protect the SEC and they kind of want to live in 2005 forever — but I think the forward-thinking of where we are in college football is an awesome thing," Bielema said.
Following Bielema's comments, SEC supporter and national college football analyst Paul Finebaum fired back, calling out the Fighting Illini coach in comments that have gained traction nationwide.
PaulFinebaum, radio and ESPN television personality, gets ready to speak on television near activities outside the Superdome, before of the College Football Playoff National Championship game in New Orleans Monday, January 13, 2020. Pregame Fans Clemson Lsu Football Cfp National Championship New Orleans Finebaum: Bielema the Big Ten's 'Village Idiot'
Finebaum spoke on the ESPN show 'Get Up' this past Wednesday as he fired back at Bielema in front of a national audience.
"He never fails to be the village idiot at Big Ten Media Days," Finebaum said according to Outkick's Mark Harris.
"I have no earthly idea where that came from, why he said it. First of all, 2005, since that moment in time, the SEC has only won 13 national championships," he said.
The Big Ten has won three straight national titles of its own, but none belong to Bielema and the Fighting Illini.
Finebaum Stays on the Offensive
The ESPN and SEC Network host continued ripping Bielema as he drudged up his time in Fayetteville, Arkansas with the Razorbacks.
"Let's go back to Bret Bielema in the SEC at Arkansas," Finebaum said. "He didn't make it.
"His last year, he was 1-8 in the SEC. His overall record in the SEC is 11-29.
"He was a complete and total disaster.
"But he always shows up there and gives us something to laugh about, but mostly to laugh at him."
Bielema vs. National Critics
Bielema has beaten the odds and led the Fighting Illini to national levels of respect previously unseen since the days of Ron Zook and Juice Williams in Champaign, but he's not done yet.
The Fighting Illini return a strong secondary and have a chance to pull several upsets in the early going of the season with Penn State and other strong yet flawed teams on the schedule.
Bielema and the Fighting Illini have the look of a team that isn't bothered by criticism, and Bielema's leadership is a big part of the reason why.
Finebaum has a penchant for getting under coaches' skin dating back to Jim Harbaugh's early days with the Michigan Wolverines.
Harbaugh went right back at Finebaum, derisively nicknaming him "Pete," and the "SEC's unabashed water carrier," and proved him wrong in the end with three Big Ten titles and a national title.
It will be interesting to see whether Bielema responds a la the former Wolverines coach, or simply lets the play of his team do the talking on the field this season instead.
