“Let’s go see what coach Izzo has to say”: College hoops fans react to Bruce Pearl's jab at Big Ten football

Bruce Pearl is one of the more outspoken head coaches in college basketball. The Auburn Tigers head coach is just as vocal off the court as he is on the sidelines of Tigers games.

In an interview on the Gary Parrish Show, Pearl commented on the hierarchy of conferences in American football. The veteran head coach said:

“Top to bottom, Big Ten football is not as strong as the SEC.”

Pearl’s response sent the social media into overdrive. He’s what the fans had to say:

A fan added, “Yes lmao, now they run basketball”

Another said, “He knows ball 🤝🤝”

Some fans weren’t as kind:

A fan said, “The SEC has to cope so hard after last season apparently”

Another added, ‘Very odd to say when a B1G team won the national championship back to back years…”

One added, “Who’s got the last two nattys? Isn’t that all that matters at the end of the day?”

How are Bruce Pearl and the Auburn Tigers performing this season?

Auburn Tigers fans will argue that Bruce Pearl has earned every right to give hot takes off the court. Pearl has been that important to the Tigers in their quest to become 2024/25 national champions.

Bruce Pearl has done a phenomenal job with the Auburn Tigers as they’re the team to beat in a stacked basketball tournament. Pearl has built his team around Johni Broome, and they’re still the team to beat in the AP Poll.

The Tigers are 25-2, and first in the AP Top 25 Men’s College Basketball Poll. They’re almost 1,000 points higher than Duke, the next-best team in collegiate American basketball.

The Tigers’ losses this season came against the Blue Devils and Florida Gators. Both losses were against in-form sides that are ranked highly by AP. Furthermore, both losses were unique as the Blue Devils were victorious in their home terrain while the Gators came to Auburn and snatched the victory.

Next up for Bruce Pearl and the Tigers is a game against the Ole Miss Rebels in Auburn. After that are games versus the Kentucky Wildcats, Texas A&M Aggies, and Alabama Crimson Tide. The last three fixtures are against ranked opponents.