Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema has his work cut out for him in the tough SEC West. (Tom Lynn/Getty Images)

Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema certainly did his best to fire up the fan base by commenting on Alabama coach Nick Saban’s record when he was coaching Michigan State in the Big Ten.

Bielema, who was hired by the Razorbacks from Wisconsin in December, spoke Wednesday night to the Saline County Razorback Club, who were having their annual fish fry.

He was asked about the challenges of playing in the SEC West and what Bielema said was interesting:

“I came to the SEC for a variety of reasons, but the major one in my mind was to win an SEC championship. You can take Saban’s record when he was at Michigan State and when he was a coach in the Big Ten and put it against mine, and he can’t compare,” Bielema said, according to Hootens.com.

Arkansas plays nine teams this season that made it to a bowl in 2012. Saban’s SEC team, Alabama, on the hand, has dominated college football in the past several seasons, winning two of the past three national championship

Alabama running back Eddie Lacy will not work out at this week’s NFL Scouting Combine, according to a tweet from ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Schefter reports that Lacy suffered a minor injury to his hamstring while training on his own in advance of the combine, and will not participate to avoid making it worse.

Alabama RB Eddie Lacy will not work out at combine after suffering small tear in some tissue around his hamstring while training last week.—
Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 18, 2013

Lacy was named offensive MVP of the 2013 BCS National Championship game after running for 140 yards and scoring two touchdowns – one running and one receiving. Lacy was projected in the latest SI.com mock draft as going to the St. Louis Rams with the 22nd overall pick, and was ranked as the 38th overall prospect on the SI.com NFL Draft Big Board.

Auburn reportedly interviewed Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart for its vacant head coaching position on Monday. (Michael Chang/Getty Images)

Auburn interviewed Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart for its vacant head coaching position, al.com’s Charles Goldberg reported on Monday.

The 36-year-old Smart has never held a head job, but he is viewed as one of college football’s up-and-coming potential coaching stars. He has been Alabama’s defensive coordinator since 2007 along with head coach Nick Saban. For the last two seasons, Alabama’s defense has ranked No. 1 in the nation.

Smart has been on Saban’s staff at two other stops in his career — with LSU as its defensive-backs coach in 2004, and with the NFL’s Miami Dolphins as their safeties coach in 2006.

Goldberg reported that Alabama is also interested in at least five other candidates — Arkansas State coach Gus Malzahn, TCU coach Gary Patterson, Boise State coach Chris Petersen,  former Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino  and Louisville coach Charlie Strong.

Auburn fired previous head coach Gene Chizik on Nov. 25, two years after it won a national title.

Internet sensation and University of Alabama student Jack Blankenship, best known for the huge cardboard cutout of his face which he sports at Alabama home basketball games, told Mashable that music superstars Jay-Z and Beyonce recognized him at the New Jersey Nets game Monday night.

The famous couple reportedly imitated Blankenship’s now famous comical expression.

“I waved at them for the longest time (at the game) and did the face at them too,” Blankenship told Mashable on Tuesday. “Finally, I captured their attention. Beyonce laughed and did ‘The Face!’ Soon after, Jay-Z did too!”

Blankenship’s giant cardboard cutout of himself sporting a funny face was first spotted on Feb.4 when Alabama faced Ole Miss on ESPN2.  When the cameras focused in on him displaying the giant cutout, used to distract the opposing team, the video clip garnered over million views on YouTube.

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An Alabama man has been arrested in connection with a viral video that captured a man in Crimson Tide attire sexually assaulting an unconscious Louisiana State University fan in the streets of New Orleans after Alabama won the BCS National Championship, the Associated Press reports.

Brian Downing, the alleged offender, was booked on charges of sexual battery and obscenity, the AP reports. According to a police statement, the defendant was videotaped on Jan. 9 “placing his genitals on an LSU fan’s face. The LSU fan appears to be heavily inebriated and practically unconscious.”

Downing was identified with the help of LSU and Alabama University campus police.

Alabama stars Trent Richardson and Dre Kirkpatrick have declared for the 2012 NFL Draft, according to USA Today.

“It’s a sad time and happy time.  I am going to leave here and try to represent Alabama in a Class A way going into the NFL draft.” Richardson said of his decision, according to USA Today.

“It’s a blessing for them to open their doors to me and my family,”  Kirkpatrick also said.

Richardson finished with a total of 3,130 rushing yards and 42 touchdowns in his career,  Kirkpatrick had a total of three interceptions and 86 tackles.

Richardson, winner of the Doak Walker Award and the second runner up in the Heisman Trophy voting, is projected to be a top pick.  Kirkpatrick is considered the second best corner in the upcoming draft after LSU’s Morris Claiborne, who   announced his decision to go pro today.

Recently resigned New York Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer will meet with Alabama head coach Nick Saban, a source has told AL.com.

The recent BCS National Champions now have a vacancy at their offensive coordinator position after Jim McElwain made the decision to leave Tuscaloosa to become the head coach of Colorado State. According to AL.com, Saban is looking for an experienced offensive coordinator to compliment the school’s already well-established defensive system.

Shottenheimer served as the Jets offensive coordinator from 2006-11. He was recently replaced in New York by Tony Sparano.

Alabama safety Robert Lester has made the decision to stay in school for his senior season, according to Joe Schad of ESPN.

Alabama S Robert Lester has told coaches he is STAYING in school after considering NFL Draft

—
Joe Schad (@schadjoe) January 11, 2012

The fourth-year junior played an important role in an Alabama defense that some are calling the best of all-time. In 2011 he tallied two interceptions for the Crimson Tide, in 2010 he led the squad with seven picks.

“I haven’t really started looking into that,” Lester told AL.com when asked earlier this week if he would leave for the NFL draft. “I feel like I’ve got another chance to go out and prove myself in the national championship, and depending on that game is what I’ll depend on whether I come back or not.”

Lester was expected to be one of the top safeties selected if he had entered the draft.

High school running back T.J. Yeldon has de-committed from Auburn University and will instead enroll at the University of Alabama. The news was first reported via Twitter, and Yeldon released a statement later Sunday evening.

“I want to make an announcement so I can put this behind me and get to work on the things I need to do to prepare for college both athletically and academically,” the statement reads. “I am going to enroll at the University of Alabama in January.”

Yeldon, a top prospect from Daphne, Ala., is widely-considered one of the nation’s best high school running backs. He committed to Auburn last June.

“I have a lot of respect for Auburn, the coaches, and all of the people there, but at the end of the day I feel like the University of Alabama is the best situation and fit for me and my family,” Yeldon said in the statement. “I am 100 percent confident with my final decision. I feel great about it and I’m excited to get started.”