I hate arguing about recruiting. It’s virtually meaningless because in the end, I know as much about recruiting as I do about the short-term future of banks’ toxic assets or Bill Belichick’s draft day strategies. And despite what you may think, unless you’re inside a team’s Robert De Niro-esque circle of trust, you don’t either.

Still, couch coordinators throughout Badger Nation love to sit back, Miller Lite in hand, and say, “Bret Bielema is the worst recruiter I’ve ever seen.” Because of my admitted near-ignorance of the subject — despite being The Badger Herald’s football team beat writer for a year — I refuse to agree or disagree with that statement. First, it’s unquestionably easier said than done, especially from the tundra also known as Madison, and second, that’s why you coordinate the couch and not the UW offense.

So instead of unconstructively criticizing, I came up with an idea of my own. I’ll let you decide just how feasible it may be.

Last July, at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago, Bielema told a group of reporters — me included — that just having a fullback on their roster would give the Badgers an advantage, since nine of 11 Big Ten teams at that time were going to run some form of the so-called spread offense, many of whom lacked a true fullback on their entire squad.

Of course, that didn’t prove to be true in 2008, after Wisconsin’s less than inspiring 7-6 campaign. But Bielema could be on to something. Let me explain.

Last spring, after graduating from his high school in Tennessee a semester early, quarterback Curt Phillips — a nationally highly-touted, dual-threat, signal-calling recruit — told me part of his decision to come to Madison was because of the Badgers’ pro-style offense. Essentially, he didn’t want to be a spread offense quarterback because it wouldn’t prepare him well enough for the NFL. Similar things were said when the Badgers landed standout wide receiver Kraig Appleton from Illinois, virtually stealing them from the Illini and Ron Zook, who’s seen by many as the football version of John Calipari. Appleton knows Wisconsin’s pro-style rushing attack will create plenty of one-on-one opportunities during his cardinal-and-white career.

Interesting, considering Bielema’s background comes from the other side of the ball, the side that just graduated five of its front seven and has more question marks for 2009 than a President Obama press conference. Perhaps Bielema’s background is getting in the way of some defensive (keeping with the Obama theme) change? Again, allow me to explain.

Every good businessperson knows one must innovate in order to succeed — keep up with the Joneses, if you will. The Napster file-sharing era could have decimated the music industry. Instead, look what Steve Jobs did at Apple. Do you use iTunes to load your iPod? Newspapers are frantically hiring techies to run their Web sites for fear that print media may not exist in 2015. They’re smart.

And the newest trendy look in the NFL these days, you ask? The 3-4 defense, of course.

According to several national columnists, about 13-14 NFL teams’ base defenses will be structured out of the 3-4 in 2009, including those guys in green and gold up the street. The same columnists are calling last weekend’s festivities “The 3-4 Draft,” saying many of the top former college defensive ends will be transitioning to play the 3-4 outside linebacker position next year. Former Nittany Lion Aaron Maybin (Buffalo Bills, Round 1) and former Florida State Seminole Everette Brown (Carolina Panthers, Round 2, although they don’t run the 3-4 yet) — two 2008 Badger opponents — come to mind. Panthers All-Pro defensive end Julius Peppers recently said he’d like to make that same DE-to-OLB switch, which immediately spurred trade talks of him to New England following the Matt Cassel-to-the-Chiefs deal. Catch my drift?

Now, this transformation presents some obvious problems for UW, the first being that Bielema and defensive coordinator Dave Doeren come from the 4-3 family. As far as I know, they may know more about North Korean foreign policy than they do about running the 3-4. But imagine…

Bielema brings in a 3-4 wizard to run his defensive show. Now the Badgers have a pro-style offense and an ahead-of-the-curve, pro-style defense. Name me a school that can currently say that.

Maybe I’m dreaming, but if done correctly, Wisconsin could become an NFL factory. It would attract wannabe pro nose tackles, linebackers and quarterbacks from Manhattan, to Manhattan Beach. No D-end-to-linebacker conversion needed; they would already have experience in an NFL-emulated system. It would be a tough transition, but a presumably beneficial, perhaps program-changing one. Right?

Back on Earth, the likelihood of this happening is probably less than Sarah Palin beating Obama in 2012; there’s a reason so few college teams run the 3-4. But also face this: Wisconsin simply isn’t going to out-recruit Michigan or Ohio State anytime soon. Probably not Illinois or Penn State, either. The tradition isn’t there and the wacky Wisconsin weather doesn’t make things any easier. Bielema’s seat is still at equator-like temperatures. Maybe this could help turn things around.

Derek is a junior majoring in economics and former Badger Herald sports content editor. Is he crazy or cutting-edge? He’s currently studying in Prague, Czech Republic, but believe it or not, they do have Internet there, so let him know at [email protected] (they deleted his Herald e-mail).