Finally, we're ranked.
This week's AP poll has the Badgers at #25. We are not on the coaches poll.
The poll looks like this:
1. Ohio State (63) 6-0 1,623
2. Florida 6-0 1,516
3. USC 5-0 1,451
4. Michigan 6-0 1,429
5. West Virginia (2) 5-0 1,416
6. Texas 5-1 1,294
7. Louisville 5-0 1,247
8. Tennessee 5-1 1,159
9. Notre Dame 5-1 1,068
10. California 5-1 1,017
11. Auburn 5-1 943
12. Clemson 5-1 876
13. Georgia Tech 5-1 739
14. LSU 4-2 693
15. Iowa 5-1 661
16. Georgia 5-1 615
17. Arkansas 4-1 482
18. Oregon 4-1 474
19. Missouri 6-0 469
20. Boise State 6-0 449
21. Nebraska 5-1 431
22. Virginia Tech 4-1 360
23. Oklahoma 3-2 271
24. Rutgers 5-0 194
25. Wisconsin 5-1 86
Monday, October 09, 2006
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Another Badger win
I didn't see a ton of the Badger game on replay last night, mostly because who doesn't have anything better to do at 10pm on a Saturday night? They won, as they should have. They looked mighty ugly for most of the game. The score is more indicative of a lack of opponent than it is of our strength.
This season has been all about playing up or down to our opponents. Someone complained about the number of turnovers yesterday and said if we'd done that against Michigan, we'd have been done for.
But it wouldn't have happened against Michigan. We played our best football that Saturday. But against opponents as pathetic as San Diego State, we've put on a poor showing. Apparently we can't get up for games against small opponents.
It's a precarious place for the Badgers and we can only hope they can hold on to it. I mean, what happens when you play a middlin' opponent? What happens when we play Iowa? Iowa's a very, very good team this year, but you don't get excited for a game with them like you do for a team like Michigan or Ohio State. The history and recognition isn't there.
We can only hope that having the history with Bielema and Iowa will mean the team is riled up.
As for the game, P.J. Hill continues to emerge as one hell of a back. His power is unreal and his yards after contact have to be some of the best numbers in the nation.
Paul Hubbard continues the one step forward, two steps back routine. There is no excuse for the fumbles yesterday. Neither were good hits or good defense. The second ball he knocked out of his own hands trying to get a better grip. I know we're a young team, but I feel we've got enough other options. Bench the kid til he figures out how to hold on to the ball.
This season has been all about playing up or down to our opponents. Someone complained about the number of turnovers yesterday and said if we'd done that against Michigan, we'd have been done for.
But it wouldn't have happened against Michigan. We played our best football that Saturday. But against opponents as pathetic as San Diego State, we've put on a poor showing. Apparently we can't get up for games against small opponents.
It's a precarious place for the Badgers and we can only hope they can hold on to it. I mean, what happens when you play a middlin' opponent? What happens when we play Iowa? Iowa's a very, very good team this year, but you don't get excited for a game with them like you do for a team like Michigan or Ohio State. The history and recognition isn't there.
We can only hope that having the history with Bielema and Iowa will mean the team is riled up.
As for the game, P.J. Hill continues to emerge as one hell of a back. His power is unreal and his yards after contact have to be some of the best numbers in the nation.
Paul Hubbard continues the one step forward, two steps back routine. There is no excuse for the fumbles yesterday. Neither were good hits or good defense. The second ball he knocked out of his own hands trying to get a better grip. I know we're a young team, but I feel we've got enough other options. Bench the kid til he figures out how to hold on to the ball.
Saturday, October 07, 2006
There's no excuse for this.
Once again, the Badger game is not on TV. This was understandable when we were playing beginning of the season schedule fillers, but this is a home Conference matchup. Why is it not televised? Especially when the local affiliate that would normally carry the game in this instance is showing Penn State vs. Minnesota.
How does this make any sense? You're going to show us "extra" coverage and it's not even our game?
But don't worry, you can watch the replay tonight at 1:30 am!
This is not ok!
How does this make any sense? You're going to show us "extra" coverage and it's not even our game?
But don't worry, you can watch the replay tonight at 1:30 am!
This is not ok!
Friday, October 06, 2006
Today's the beginning of the hockey season.
The Journal-Sentinel has a couple of articles:
Profile of Brian Elliot
Things to Watch
Madison.com has an article about the seniors that's also a preview
and an article about the upcoming season
UW Student paper The Badger Herald's article takes a look at how this game could compare to the last time we played in Green Bay - the 3OT winner against Cornell in the NCAAs to send us to the Final Four.
The Journal-Sentinel has a couple of articles:
Profile of Brian Elliot
Things to Watch
Madison.com has an article about the seniors that's also a preview
and an article about the upcoming season
UW Student paper The Badger Herald's article takes a look at how this game could compare to the last time we played in Green Bay - the 3OT winner against Cornell in the NCAAs to send us to the Final Four.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Badger Hockey 101
Ok, so I'm going to be working on the premise that you all know next to nothing about hockey, especialy the college hockey scene. My apologies if things are too "dumbed down." Conversely, I'm really, really excited it's hockey season already and I'm always eager to convert more fans, so my apologies if I get rambling or too detailed.
Finally, there isn't a lot I know about the Women's Hockey team except for the fact that they are great. They're returning a better team than the Men are and they're a preseason consensus #1. They're returning 17 girls from last years team, including Patty Kazmeier Award (national best player) winner Sara Bauer. Goalkeeper Jessie Vetter was named the MVP of last year's National Championship.
Last year's title was the first for the women's team.
The thing outsiders will find most interesting about this team is that they are coached by Mark Johnson, former University of Wisconsin player and member of the 1980 Miracle On Ice U.S. Men's Hockey Team. (He scored two goals in the game against Russia.)
Both Johnson and Men's coach Mike Eaves were players on the Badgers 1977 team that won the National Championship.
Johnson was recently named head coach of the U.S. Women's National Hockey team.
___
Ok, on to the men.
Congratulations, you're about to become a fan of the number one team in the nation and defending National Champions.
First, some basics.
Last year's title was the 6th for the Badger men's hockey team. We've won the National Championship in 1973, 1977, 1981, 1983, 1990 and 2006.
Hockey conferences are not set up like the other sports. The Badgers are a part of the highly competitive Western Collegiate Hockey Association(WCHA) Conference. The other schools in this conference are Colorado College, Minnesota, University of Denver, University of Alaska-Anchorage, Michigan Tech University, University of Minnesota-Duluth, Minnesota State-Mankato, St. Cloud State University, and the University of North Dakota.
A member of the WCHA has won the National Championship the last five years running.
Six of this season's pre-season Top 20 are from the WCHA.
The women's championship has been contested since 2001 - a WCHA school has won every title.
The number one Badger that you need to know if goalkeeper Brian Elliot.
Brian is a senior and last year he was on of three finalists for the Hobey Baker award (pronouced Hoe-Bee) - given to the nation's top player. This nomination came despite the fact that he missed a portion of the season with an injured knee.
Brian is arguably the number one goalie in the country. His stats are a bit skewed from last season due to the injury, but in the final 9 games of last season, including the Frozen Four run, he was 8-1, with a 97% save percentage and a goals against average of less than 1.
This is made all the more spectacular by the fact that before last season, no one had heard of Brian Elliot. He was an 11th round draft pick. He was the backup for two years behind an All-American.
Also, he's from Alaska.
This season, the key is going to be finding guys to put the puck in the net. We lost quite a few goal scorers to early exit and graduation. Guys who accounted for 60% of last year's goals are no longer on the team.
There are two guys left who had double digit points last season. They're both sophomores. A lot of the pressure rests securely on the shoulders of Jack Skille and Ross Carlson.
Skille particularly is used to scoring in big pressure situations, as it was his goal in Triple Overtime against Cornell that sent the Badgers to the Frozen Four.
There is a lot of worry that the team's lack of goal scorers will be a considerable problem, but I wouldn't expect it to be a big issue. With the defense that we have - six returning starters plus Elliot - we won't need many goals to win games. Last season it took just one goal to win the game to send us to the Frozen Four and just two goals to win the National Championship game. You don't need offensive fireworks if you're not letting pucks past you on the other end.
__
Cocktail party conversation tidbits:
The national finals are called the Frozen Four. Last year they were in Milwaukee. This year they're in St. Louis.
Wisconsin beat Maine to win their semi-final in the Frozen Four. They beat Boston College in the Final to win the National Championship.
The biggest upset of last season was in the playoffs. Tiny Holy Cross college, a bottom seed, upset Minnesota, the WCHA conference winner and a number one seed in the playoffs. WE LOVE HOLY CROSS!
Wisconsin's most hated opponent, as always, is Minnesota. We will not let them forget Holy Cross. They had a player, who left early last year to go to the NHL named Phil Kessl. He was from Madison and he chose to play at Minnesota. That's hockey treason. WE HATE PHIL KESSL! At last year's Frozen Four semifinal, the entire crowd began chanting "Where is Kessl? *clap, clap, clapclapclap* because his team didn't make it. We really don't like him
If you thought football games were loud or that the student section was loyal or brutal, I'd like to introduce you to hockey fans. They're louder, more raucous and much, much more rude. Plus, the Kohl Center (where they play) is much smaller, so getting the student section organized is a lot easier.
The hockey team's number one fan is an adorable older man named Phil. Phil is at every game. Phil has groupies. Every time we score, Phil holds up the number that corresponds with how many goals we've accumulated and the whole stadium counts with him. 1,2,3 WE WANT MORE! His groupies (assumably his wife and children) will also wear sweatshirts with the numbers on them.
Finally, go here to watch a highlight film of last year's season. Well worth it.
Here is my post recounting being at the Frozen Four semi-final
This is my post from the day they won it all.
This is an ESPN article about the Championship, complete with video. This is another ESPN article.
This is the official site of the WCHA and is a good place to find news.
This is the U.S. College Hockey Online site, also a must read if you want to keep up with what's going on. And this is their forum, where you can find fans of literally every team.
I'll let you all go, but if you want more hockey info, I'll be posting more over on my site in the coming days.
We now return you to our regularly scheduled football programming.
Finally, there isn't a lot I know about the Women's Hockey team except for the fact that they are great. They're returning a better team than the Men are and they're a preseason consensus #1. They're returning 17 girls from last years team, including Patty Kazmeier Award (national best player) winner Sara Bauer. Goalkeeper Jessie Vetter was named the MVP of last year's National Championship.
Last year's title was the first for the women's team.
The thing outsiders will find most interesting about this team is that they are coached by Mark Johnson, former University of Wisconsin player and member of the 1980 Miracle On Ice U.S. Men's Hockey Team. (He scored two goals in the game against Russia.)
Both Johnson and Men's coach Mike Eaves were players on the Badgers 1977 team that won the National Championship.
Johnson was recently named head coach of the U.S. Women's National Hockey team.
___
Ok, on to the men.
Congratulations, you're about to become a fan of the number one team in the nation and defending National Champions.
First, some basics.
Last year's title was the 6th for the Badger men's hockey team. We've won the National Championship in 1973, 1977, 1981, 1983, 1990 and 2006.
Hockey conferences are not set up like the other sports. The Badgers are a part of the highly competitive Western Collegiate Hockey Association(WCHA) Conference. The other schools in this conference are Colorado College, Minnesota, University of Denver, University of Alaska-Anchorage, Michigan Tech University, University of Minnesota-Duluth, Minnesota State-Mankato, St. Cloud State University, and the University of North Dakota.
A member of the WCHA has won the National Championship the last five years running.
Six of this season's pre-season Top 20 are from the WCHA.
The women's championship has been contested since 2001 - a WCHA school has won every title.
The number one Badger that you need to know if goalkeeper Brian Elliot.
Brian is a senior and last year he was on of three finalists for the Hobey Baker award (pronouced Hoe-Bee) - given to the nation's top player. This nomination came despite the fact that he missed a portion of the season with an injured knee.
Brian is arguably the number one goalie in the country. His stats are a bit skewed from last season due to the injury, but in the final 9 games of last season, including the Frozen Four run, he was 8-1, with a 97% save percentage and a goals against average of less than 1.
This is made all the more spectacular by the fact that before last season, no one had heard of Brian Elliot. He was an 11th round draft pick. He was the backup for two years behind an All-American.
Also, he's from Alaska.
This season, the key is going to be finding guys to put the puck in the net. We lost quite a few goal scorers to early exit and graduation. Guys who accounted for 60% of last year's goals are no longer on the team.
There are two guys left who had double digit points last season. They're both sophomores. A lot of the pressure rests securely on the shoulders of Jack Skille and Ross Carlson.
Skille particularly is used to scoring in big pressure situations, as it was his goal in Triple Overtime against Cornell that sent the Badgers to the Frozen Four.
There is a lot of worry that the team's lack of goal scorers will be a considerable problem, but I wouldn't expect it to be a big issue. With the defense that we have - six returning starters plus Elliot - we won't need many goals to win games. Last season it took just one goal to win the game to send us to the Frozen Four and just two goals to win the National Championship game. You don't need offensive fireworks if you're not letting pucks past you on the other end.
__
Cocktail party conversation tidbits:
The national finals are called the Frozen Four. Last year they were in Milwaukee. This year they're in St. Louis.
Wisconsin beat Maine to win their semi-final in the Frozen Four. They beat Boston College in the Final to win the National Championship.
The biggest upset of last season was in the playoffs. Tiny Holy Cross college, a bottom seed, upset Minnesota, the WCHA conference winner and a number one seed in the playoffs. WE LOVE HOLY CROSS!
Wisconsin's most hated opponent, as always, is Minnesota. We will not let them forget Holy Cross. They had a player, who left early last year to go to the NHL named Phil Kessl. He was from Madison and he chose to play at Minnesota. That's hockey treason. WE HATE PHIL KESSL! At last year's Frozen Four semifinal, the entire crowd began chanting "Where is Kessl? *clap, clap, clapclapclap* because his team didn't make it. We really don't like him
If you thought football games were loud or that the student section was loyal or brutal, I'd like to introduce you to hockey fans. They're louder, more raucous and much, much more rude. Plus, the Kohl Center (where they play) is much smaller, so getting the student section organized is a lot easier.
The hockey team's number one fan is an adorable older man named Phil. Phil is at every game. Phil has groupies. Every time we score, Phil holds up the number that corresponds with how many goals we've accumulated and the whole stadium counts with him. 1,2,3 WE WANT MORE! His groupies (assumably his wife and children) will also wear sweatshirts with the numbers on them.
Finally, go here to watch a highlight film of last year's season. Well worth it.
Here is my post recounting being at the Frozen Four semi-final
This is my post from the day they won it all.
This is an ESPN article about the Championship, complete with video. This is another ESPN article.
This is the official site of the WCHA and is a good place to find news.
This is the U.S. College Hockey Online site, also a must read if you want to keep up with what's going on. And this is their forum, where you can find fans of literally every team.
I'll let you all go, but if you want more hockey info, I'll be posting more over on my site in the coming days.
We now return you to our regularly scheduled football programming.
BlogPoll Week 6
| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State | -- |
| 2 | Auburn |  1 |
| 3 | Michigan | 1 |
| 4 | Southern Cal |  2 |
| 5 | Florida | -- |
| 6 | Louisiana State | 3 |
| 7 | Louisville | -- |
| 8 | Texas | 4 |
| 9 | West Virginia | 3 |
| 10 | Oregon | 6 |
| 11 | Tennessee | 3 |
| 12 | Clemson | 3 |
| 13 | Georgia | 3 |
| 14 | Cal | 1 |
| 15 | Notre Dame | 3 |
| 16 | Oklahoma | 1 |
| 17 | Iowa | 6 |
| 18 | Georgia Tech | 2 |
| 19 | Rutgers | -- |
| 20 | Wisconsin | 1 |
| 21 | Missouri | 5 |
| 22 | Boise State | 4 |
| 23 | Washington | 3 |
| 24 | Nebraska | -- |
| 25 | Virginia Tech | 17 |
Dropped Out: Arizona State (#22), Boston College (#23), South Carolina (#25).
Any suggestions, changes, or criticism? Let me know before tomorrow morning, so I can submit changes.
Monday, October 02, 2006
The nation's premiere programs
I saw this article over on fanblogs.com and thought I'd solicit some opinons over here.
The article discusses which football programs are the elite/premiere programs in the country. We're not talking the best team in the nation. What the author is looking at are "the core ingredients of recent success, legend, and football lore" and "we're talking about THE big time football schools of our era. "
Basically, he says, if your son were set to play college football, what schools letters of interest would you be proudest for him to receive?
His Top 20:
Ohio State
Michigan
Penn State
Wisconsin
Notre Dame
USC
Texas
Oklahoma
Nebraska
Texas A&M
Auburn
Alabama
Florida
Tennessee
Georgia
LSU
Florida State
Miami
Virginia Tech
West Virgina
Admittably, I was extremely proud (and surprised) to see Wisconsin on his list. It's often hard to judge how the wind blows for your team when you're on the inside looking out.
There's a ton of comments and discussion about which teams do and do not deserve this "honor" so click the link and read all about it, if you're interested.
But what do you think? Are we a Top 20 program? Did he leave anyone out? Did he include programs that shouldn't be included?
What about the conference breakdowns. Four Big Ten teams. Six SEC schools. Four ACC schools. Can we infer things about the conferences this way? Are the top 4 ACC schools comperable to the top 4 Big Ten schools?
Discuss.
The article discusses which football programs are the elite/premiere programs in the country. We're not talking the best team in the nation. What the author is looking at are "the core ingredients of recent success, legend, and football lore" and "we're talking about THE big time football schools of our era. "
Basically, he says, if your son were set to play college football, what schools letters of interest would you be proudest for him to receive?
His Top 20:
Ohio State
Michigan
Penn State
Wisconsin
Notre Dame
USC
Texas
Oklahoma
Nebraska
Texas A&M
Auburn
Alabama
Florida
Tennessee
Georgia
LSU
Florida State
Miami
Virginia Tech
West Virgina
Admittably, I was extremely proud (and surprised) to see Wisconsin on his list. It's often hard to judge how the wind blows for your team when you're on the inside looking out.
There's a ton of comments and discussion about which teams do and do not deserve this "honor" so click the link and read all about it, if you're interested.
But what do you think? Are we a Top 20 program? Did he leave anyone out? Did he include programs that shouldn't be included?
What about the conference breakdowns. Four Big Ten teams. Six SEC schools. Four ACC schools. Can we infer things about the conferences this way? Are the top 4 ACC schools comperable to the top 4 Big Ten schools?
Discuss.
Where do we stand?
We're five games into the season and we stand at a respectable 4-1 - which is where everyone except maybe the players themselves thought we'd be. The Michigan loss was expected.
Now we move into the end of the schedule, playing 5 of the last 7 games at Camp Randall, where we've lost just one game since 2004. The rest of the schedule is by no means a cakewalk, but this team is looking a heck of a lot better than many thought they would.
The passing game has made progress, with Stocco having collected a nice cadre of 8 or so receivers. Considering the entire core of receivers had a combined total of 3 catches, this is a significant acheivement. Paul Hubbard is proving he can be reliable.
P.J. Hill has been the one to step into the "token" UW RB role. You knew we'd have one. We always seem to come upon one, despite the dire circumstances coming into the season. Dywon Rowan is a capable #2 back and true freshman Lance Smith has had baptism by fire and seems to be surviving rather than floundering.
The Special Teams has it's ups and downs, with Zach Hampton proving a bright spot.
The Defense took a few games to get into rhythm, but they finally seem to be living up to their hype. When you're the largest line in D1, you've got to walk to the walk. It took some weeks, but it appears that Joe Thomas and the boys have gotten their act together. They proved they can handle run defense against Michigan. Despite some stumbles, they've shown they aren't going to give up and tremendous overall effort.
Few teams are going to provide the opportunity for offensive fireworks like Indiana did, but teams like Northwestern and Purdue should not provide too big of a stumbling block for this team.
Young team and young staff taken into consideration, this season isn't shaping up so bad. Ideally, this could be a one loss season - It'll depend on whether or not we can stay with Iowa. (And Penn State's not a game we can look past either)
I'm not sure why exactly, but I've been looking at this season as a bit of a throw-away. Whatever happens, happens - don't expect too much. But clearly this could turn out to be another season for the books. With our cupcake schedule, I'm not looking for any kind of BCS or poll cred, but any season that's 1,2 or 3 losses is nothing to sneeze at.
Now we move into the end of the schedule, playing 5 of the last 7 games at Camp Randall, where we've lost just one game since 2004. The rest of the schedule is by no means a cakewalk, but this team is looking a heck of a lot better than many thought they would.
The passing game has made progress, with Stocco having collected a nice cadre of 8 or so receivers. Considering the entire core of receivers had a combined total of 3 catches, this is a significant acheivement. Paul Hubbard is proving he can be reliable.
P.J. Hill has been the one to step into the "token" UW RB role. You knew we'd have one. We always seem to come upon one, despite the dire circumstances coming into the season. Dywon Rowan is a capable #2 back and true freshman Lance Smith has had baptism by fire and seems to be surviving rather than floundering.
The Special Teams has it's ups and downs, with Zach Hampton proving a bright spot.
The Defense took a few games to get into rhythm, but they finally seem to be living up to their hype. When you're the largest line in D1, you've got to walk to the walk. It took some weeks, but it appears that Joe Thomas and the boys have gotten their act together. They proved they can handle run defense against Michigan. Despite some stumbles, they've shown they aren't going to give up and tremendous overall effort.
Few teams are going to provide the opportunity for offensive fireworks like Indiana did, but teams like Northwestern and Purdue should not provide too big of a stumbling block for this team.
Young team and young staff taken into consideration, this season isn't shaping up so bad. Ideally, this could be a one loss season - It'll depend on whether or not we can stay with Iowa. (And Penn State's not a game we can look past either)
I'm not sure why exactly, but I've been looking at this season as a bit of a throw-away. Whatever happens, happens - don't expect too much. But clearly this could turn out to be another season for the books. With our cupcake schedule, I'm not looking for any kind of BCS or poll cred, but any season that's 1,2 or 3 losses is nothing to sneeze at.
Vindication is mine!!
John Stocco was named Big Ten offensive player of the week, thus proving yesterday's whining about him not getting respect after Saturday's game.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Postponement...
I know I said I'd write about hockey this weekend, but I've barely slept so it's an early night for me. I promise to get around to a hockey preview.
In the meantime, the Badgers whooped up on Indiana, 52-17. Most times when you say the score wasn't indicative of the game, you mean that the game was closer than the score would lead you to believe. In this case, the opposite is true. It took until the Badgers had their second team in for Illinois to really be able to get any offense going.
During the course of yesterday's games, a player of the day award is given out. Yesterday's went to a Penn State WR who racked up 200-some yards.
An argument could have been made for John Stocco, who was incomplete on only 2 passes yesterday. His 15 for 17, 304 yard, 3 TD performance was impressive and commanding, and didn't lose any thunder based on the opponent. Plus, those numbers were put up in a little over 2 quarters. And they gave him a perfect QB rating.
P.J. Hill showed his versatility, upping his catch count to 12, (and his yards/catch average to 11.8)
Mark Zalewski had 6 solo tackles yesterday, and the offensive line allowed just one hit on Stocco - and that hit came well after Stocco released the ball on a TD pass.
Yesterday's predictions proved to be pretty spot on. The defense and punt coverage units were especially spectacular in keeping James Hardy and Marcus Thigpen out of the game.
The biggest question mark for me yesterday came on special teams. While Zach Hampton has proved himself adept at avoiding tacklers, too often we are coming out of the enzone instead of taken touchbacks and not calling for faircatches when the opponents are right in our face - both of which have worsened our starting field position on mutliple occasions. As far as I'm concerned, there's just no excuse or reason for this. If you're halfway into the endzone, you don't try to return the punt. Take a knee and be happy with the 20 yard line. If the gunners have outrun your coverage and their right in your face, you're probably not going to be able to beat them and you're forcing your coverage into blocks in the back and holding.
In the meantime, the Badgers whooped up on Indiana, 52-17. Most times when you say the score wasn't indicative of the game, you mean that the game was closer than the score would lead you to believe. In this case, the opposite is true. It took until the Badgers had their second team in for Illinois to really be able to get any offense going.
During the course of yesterday's games, a player of the day award is given out. Yesterday's went to a Penn State WR who racked up 200-some yards.
An argument could have been made for John Stocco, who was incomplete on only 2 passes yesterday. His 15 for 17, 304 yard, 3 TD performance was impressive and commanding, and didn't lose any thunder based on the opponent. Plus, those numbers were put up in a little over 2 quarters. And they gave him a perfect QB rating.
P.J. Hill showed his versatility, upping his catch count to 12, (and his yards/catch average to 11.8)
Mark Zalewski had 6 solo tackles yesterday, and the offensive line allowed just one hit on Stocco - and that hit came well after Stocco released the ball on a TD pass.
Yesterday's predictions proved to be pretty spot on. The defense and punt coverage units were especially spectacular in keeping James Hardy and Marcus Thigpen out of the game.
The biggest question mark for me yesterday came on special teams. While Zach Hampton has proved himself adept at avoiding tacklers, too often we are coming out of the enzone instead of taken touchbacks and not calling for faircatches when the opponents are right in our face - both of which have worsened our starting field position on mutliple occasions. As far as I'm concerned, there's just no excuse or reason for this. If you're halfway into the endzone, you don't try to return the punt. Take a knee and be happy with the 20 yard line. If the gunners have outrun your coverage and their right in your face, you're probably not going to be able to beat them and you're forcing your coverage into blocks in the back and holding.
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Indiana vs. Wisconsin
T-minus 5 minutes to kick-off
Today's things to look for:
*History
You'd assume that we'd kicked some Hoosier butt over the year's, as you don't really think of
them as a football school. But we only lead the series 13-10. We demolished them last year at
Camp Randall, but allowed them to come back from almost 20 points down 2 years ago to lose
in Bloomington.
*How well the Badgers handle a team that's likely not to back down at any point.
On paper, this game doesn't look like much of a matchup, but with the return of their coach to
the sidelines, there's no way Indiana is going to lay down easily.
*Special teams
A bright spot the first few games, they stumbled and sputtered against Michigan. Special
Teams is a bright spot for Indiana, with one punt already returned. The Hoosier's boast the
nation's leader in kickoff returns, Marcus Thigpen, who's averaged 52.6 yards per return and
runs a 4.29 40.
*P.J Hill
Indiana has given up major yardage on the ground in their first four games and today
shouldn't be any different. Our offensive line far outweighs their defensive one and Hill's
proclivity to run over anything in his way should make for an explosive running performance.
*Passing game
The Hoosiers have allowed an average of 169 yards in the air thus far, but their opponents
haven't been of a Big Ten calibur. Look for Stocco to be able to air out the ball downfield.
*Indiana's secondary
Hoosiers cornerback Terry Porter already has 3 interceptions, though as mentioned above,
the competition hasn't been top tier. Their aggressive secondary should an interesting foil for
Stocco. We'll see who wins. If the running game is all over the place, there may be no need to
put anything in the air.
*First down yardage
Wisconsin has set a goal of at least 4 yards on first down
Today's things to look for:
*History
You'd assume that we'd kicked some Hoosier butt over the year's, as you don't really think of
them as a football school. But we only lead the series 13-10. We demolished them last year at
Camp Randall, but allowed them to come back from almost 20 points down 2 years ago to lose
in Bloomington.
*How well the Badgers handle a team that's likely not to back down at any point.
On paper, this game doesn't look like much of a matchup, but with the return of their coach to
the sidelines, there's no way Indiana is going to lay down easily.
*Special teams
A bright spot the first few games, they stumbled and sputtered against Michigan. Special
Teams is a bright spot for Indiana, with one punt already returned. The Hoosier's boast the
nation's leader in kickoff returns, Marcus Thigpen, who's averaged 52.6 yards per return and
runs a 4.29 40.
*P.J Hill
Indiana has given up major yardage on the ground in their first four games and today
shouldn't be any different. Our offensive line far outweighs their defensive one and Hill's
proclivity to run over anything in his way should make for an explosive running performance.
*Passing game
The Hoosiers have allowed an average of 169 yards in the air thus far, but their opponents
haven't been of a Big Ten calibur. Look for Stocco to be able to air out the ball downfield.
*Indiana's secondary
Hoosiers cornerback Terry Porter already has 3 interceptions, though as mentioned above,
the competition hasn't been top tier. Their aggressive secondary should an interesting foil for
Stocco. We'll see who wins. If the running game is all over the place, there may be no need to
put anything in the air.
*First down yardage
Wisconsin has set a goal of at least 4 yards on first down
Friday, September 29, 2006
Badger Hockey!
I know BT says he's not a hockey fan, so this weekend I'll be taking advantage of my guest blogging abilities to temporarily hijack this site and educate you all a bit in the glory of Wisconsin Badger Hockey. (For those who don't know, last season our Men's and Women's teams both won the National Championships - the first time one school has held both titles at the same time)
In the meantime, you can go to my blog for a bit on the latest hockey news and make sure to watch tonight's news (if they bother to show it) or tomorrow's box scores because the Women's Hockey Team opens their National Title defense tonight and tomorrow against Quinnipiac.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Because other things happen besides football games...
There's a rather significant backstory to this weekend's game that's received little coverage as far as I can tell.
Indiana coach Terry Hoeppner has undergone two brain surgeries in the past year, one just two weeks ago, and he will be roaming the sidelines at Saturday's game.
The most recent surgery was to remove what turned out to be just scar tissue, but what could hve been a recurrent growth of the brain tumor he had removed last December.
Hoeppner is apparently taking it all in stride as he attended a game, sitting in a suite, just 3 days after the surgery.
__
Emotion is a huge motivator. Normally I'd say Indiana is a team we could handle without a second thought, but (and rightfully so) this team must be flying absolutely high to have their coach back.
Indiana coach Terry Hoeppner has undergone two brain surgeries in the past year, one just two weeks ago, and he will be roaming the sidelines at Saturday's game.
The most recent surgery was to remove what turned out to be just scar tissue, but what could hve been a recurrent growth of the brain tumor he had removed last December.
Hoeppner is apparently taking it all in stride as he attended a game, sitting in a suite, just 3 days after the surgery.
__
Emotion is a huge motivator. Normally I'd say Indiana is a team we could handle without a second thought, but (and rightfully so) this team must be flying absolutely high to have their coach back.
Just some quick links to get us started...
*An interesting piece in today's Journal-Sentinel about Wisconsin's offensive line coach Bob Palcic, and his son Joe, who is a co-defensive coordinator with Indiana.
*A Journal Sentinel story about the disparity on the football team between the defense and the offense, and how they're dealing with it as players.
*Offsenive coordinator Paul Chryst tells the Wisconsin State Journal that he's not allowing his offense to use youth as an excuse anymore
*Punted Ken DeBauche was named Big Ten co-Special Teams player of the week after a record setting performance against Michigan.
Technorati tags: wisconsin badgers, college football, university of wisconsin, UW-Madison
*A Journal Sentinel story about the disparity on the football team between the defense and the offense, and how they're dealing with it as players.
*Offsenive coordinator Paul Chryst tells the Wisconsin State Journal that he's not allowing his offense to use youth as an excuse anymore
*Punted Ken DeBauche was named Big Ten co-Special Teams player of the week after a record setting performance against Michigan.
Technorati tags: wisconsin badgers, college football, university of wisconsin, UW-Madison
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Hoep springs eternal
First, my Indiana preview: Wisconsin's going to win. Indiana will be all fired up because Terry Hoeppner will be back on the sidelines, and it's fantastic that he's recovered from a successful brain surgery, but the talent's ridiculously skewed in Wisconsin's favor in every facet of the game. Add to that a quarterback controversy(last item) and I'm thinking Wisconsin 24, Indiana 10.
Good fan stuff in the campus papers about roadtripping to Ann Arbor; the Daily Cardinal runs a feature, as does the Mendota Beacon:
I'm not a big hockey guy but isn't it odd that the Badgers are ranked number one in the preseason? Didn't they lose their top nine scorers? Must be a down year for a lot of teams.
OK, I'm out of here! Don't email me unless you can wait two weeks for a response. Enjoy Nicole's contributions, and GO BADGERS!
Technorati tags: wisconsin badgers, college football, university of wisconsin, UW-Madison
Good fan stuff in the campus papers about roadtripping to Ann Arbor; the Daily Cardinal runs a feature, as does the Mendota Beacon:
Despite our location in the middle of enemy territory, the majority of the Michigan fans we encountered were very welcoming. As expected however, there was some heckling. The most notable comment came from a man telling us that W stood for weak.
I'm not a big hockey guy but isn't it odd that the Badgers are ranked number one in the preseason? Didn't they lose their top nine scorers? Must be a down year for a lot of teams.
OK, I'm out of here! Don't email me unless you can wait two weeks for a response. Enjoy Nicole's contributions, and GO BADGERS!
Technorati tags: wisconsin badgers, college football, university of wisconsin, UW-Madison
Tying up the loose ends from the Michigan game
First, if you're interested in downloading video of the entire UW-UM game (for some reason), one can be found here.
Guest blogger Nicole made a gut-wrenching post back in better times. Yes, the Badger defense played very well. But that post will remain long after 10-10. And fear not: the Badgers, from what I've seen, are getting respect ... from the Blogpoll voters, anyway.
UW-UM photos can be seen here. Perusing the photo archive this blogger has put together is worthwhile. The coolest shot? Giant Tigers at Comerica Park.
Mgoblog and Wisconsin Sports Rant have their say about the game.
In recruiting news, four-star safety prospect CJ Peake has made an official visit to Madison, calling UW a top-three school for him. The other two contenders are Michigan State and West Virginia. This will most assuredly be a two-horse race after Peake takes his official visit to East Lansing, as the Spartans are playing Ohio State that day.
Speaking of Ohio State, a stunningly stupid post emerges over at Buckeye Commentary. The gist: OSU's opponents, through four games, are the least penalized of any set of opponents in the Big Ten. OSU opponents also were the least flagged last year. The only reasonable conclusion? The conference hates and is out to get Ohio State. This makes complete sense, as the Buckeyes are the number one team in the nation right now, and the Big Ten is practically obligated to remove them from contention. After all, why would the conference want to produce a national championship? It makes no sense.
Lost, as always, in the Buckeye realm is a little bit of logic. So, here are a few reasons why the Buckeyes' opponents might be the least penalized of those in the Big Ten:
1. Ohio State has played, in four games, Texas and Penn State. These are higher-quality teams and, as such, don't do the stupid things that cause penalty flags to fly.
2. Ohio State is a damn good football team. Teams know that they can't afford to spot the Buckeyes unearned yards, so they play their game more cleanly.
3. The referrees are good and just and huddle up before the game, declaring that they will let borderline calls go for every team that doesn't pay its players and/or double as a work-release program.
And now, some final thoughts about the Michigan game:
* Hart is in the groove: Watching the game, I wasn't too impressed by Hart. This is a common trap that should be avoided, and the stat line backs it up: Hart rushed 23 times for 91 yards, an average of slightly under 4 yards per carry. What that doesn't tell you is that when Hart ran with the ball, he gained fewer than 3 yards only 6 times. Comparing PJ Hill's day isn't fair to begin with (20 carries, 54 yards), but it becomes worse when you consider that Hill had one carry that gained 16 yards, meaning his other 19 went for 38 yards: 2 ypc. Hart didn't have a run that went for 16 yards all day. He's not breaking big runs. He's just gaining tough yards, and he did that against a pretty respectable run defense. That's how Michigan keeps winning: when your feature back is moving toward the correct end zone 90% of the time and going at least three yards in said direction over 75% of the time, you're going to get where you need to go.
* How do you solve a problem like Mario? Manningham was the ostensible difference in this game. The kid was a highlight reel even in UM's disappointing 2005 season. He's just a nightmare for opposing teams this year. After hauling in two touchdown passes on Saturday, he's now tied for the nationwide lead in TD receptions. Given that UM isn't a one-dimensional fun-'n'-gun team, that's a statement. It sucks to lose, but it's easier to take when the guy who beats you is #1.
* Chryst have mercy: Let's talk for a second about the playcalling for the Badgers' offense on Saturday. Simply put, it was more boring than the Scarlet Letter (take that, Nathaniel Hawthorne!). That red "W" on the Badgers' helmets might well have stood for "watered-down" on Saturday. I'm not the type of guy who thinks that running the ball is boring. I'm just saying that the conventional offense simply wasn't working on Saturday. Change things up a bit! We've got track star/wide receiever Paul Hubbard on the team. Why not see what he can do on an end-around if you don't trust him to make catches in the open field? I'm not calling for halfback passes or flea flickers or anything of that nature. Just something that might -- might -- catch a defense off guard.
* Discipline: I respect Coach Bielema for wanting to take care of football-related discipline in-house, but one thing is true: you only get one chance to make a first impression. The impression that most people have, and this includes fans of the program and casual observers nationwide, is that we're on track for "just win, baby." We don't want that. We want a team that wins and does so in a graceful, gracious manner.
* And about that last minute: I like Bielema for calling the timeout down 14 and with a minute left on the clock, and I like Lloyd Carr for calling for Henne to air it out. Play sixty minutes. Why the hell not? In taking the timeout, Bielema effectively said, "This game isn't over." And Carr responded, "Huh, I guess it isn't. Better try to score again, then." Of course, the Badger defense had ten guys in the box, and Chad Henne still managed to throw an interception. Go figure.
Technorati tags: wisconsin badgers, college football, university of wisconsin, UW-Madison
Guest blogger Nicole made a gut-wrenching post back in better times. Yes, the Badger defense played very well. But that post will remain long after 10-10. And fear not: the Badgers, from what I've seen, are getting respect ... from the Blogpoll voters, anyway.
UW-UM photos can be seen here. Perusing the photo archive this blogger has put together is worthwhile. The coolest shot? Giant Tigers at Comerica Park.
Mgoblog and Wisconsin Sports Rant have their say about the game.
In recruiting news, four-star safety prospect CJ Peake has made an official visit to Madison, calling UW a top-three school for him. The other two contenders are Michigan State and West Virginia. This will most assuredly be a two-horse race after Peake takes his official visit to East Lansing, as the Spartans are playing Ohio State that day.
Speaking of Ohio State, a stunningly stupid post emerges over at Buckeye Commentary. The gist: OSU's opponents, through four games, are the least penalized of any set of opponents in the Big Ten. OSU opponents also were the least flagged last year. The only reasonable conclusion? The conference hates and is out to get Ohio State. This makes complete sense, as the Buckeyes are the number one team in the nation right now, and the Big Ten is practically obligated to remove them from contention. After all, why would the conference want to produce a national championship? It makes no sense.
Lost, as always, in the Buckeye realm is a little bit of logic. So, here are a few reasons why the Buckeyes' opponents might be the least penalized of those in the Big Ten:
1. Ohio State has played, in four games, Texas and Penn State. These are higher-quality teams and, as such, don't do the stupid things that cause penalty flags to fly.
2. Ohio State is a damn good football team. Teams know that they can't afford to spot the Buckeyes unearned yards, so they play their game more cleanly.
3. The referrees are good and just and huddle up before the game, declaring that they will let borderline calls go for every team that doesn't pay its players and/or double as a work-release program.
And now, some final thoughts about the Michigan game:
* Hart is in the groove: Watching the game, I wasn't too impressed by Hart. This is a common trap that should be avoided, and the stat line backs it up: Hart rushed 23 times for 91 yards, an average of slightly under 4 yards per carry. What that doesn't tell you is that when Hart ran with the ball, he gained fewer than 3 yards only 6 times. Comparing PJ Hill's day isn't fair to begin with (20 carries, 54 yards), but it becomes worse when you consider that Hill had one carry that gained 16 yards, meaning his other 19 went for 38 yards: 2 ypc. Hart didn't have a run that went for 16 yards all day. He's not breaking big runs. He's just gaining tough yards, and he did that against a pretty respectable run defense. That's how Michigan keeps winning: when your feature back is moving toward the correct end zone 90% of the time and going at least three yards in said direction over 75% of the time, you're going to get where you need to go.
* How do you solve a problem like Mario? Manningham was the ostensible difference in this game. The kid was a highlight reel even in UM's disappointing 2005 season. He's just a nightmare for opposing teams this year. After hauling in two touchdown passes on Saturday, he's now tied for the nationwide lead in TD receptions. Given that UM isn't a one-dimensional fun-'n'-gun team, that's a statement. It sucks to lose, but it's easier to take when the guy who beats you is #1.
* Chryst have mercy: Let's talk for a second about the playcalling for the Badgers' offense on Saturday. Simply put, it was more boring than the Scarlet Letter (take that, Nathaniel Hawthorne!). That red "W" on the Badgers' helmets might well have stood for "watered-down" on Saturday. I'm not the type of guy who thinks that running the ball is boring. I'm just saying that the conventional offense simply wasn't working on Saturday. Change things up a bit! We've got track star/wide receiever Paul Hubbard on the team. Why not see what he can do on an end-around if you don't trust him to make catches in the open field? I'm not calling for halfback passes or flea flickers or anything of that nature. Just something that might -- might -- catch a defense off guard.
* Discipline: I respect Coach Bielema for wanting to take care of football-related discipline in-house, but one thing is true: you only get one chance to make a first impression. The impression that most people have, and this includes fans of the program and casual observers nationwide, is that we're on track for "just win, baby." We don't want that. We want a team that wins and does so in a graceful, gracious manner.
* And about that last minute: I like Bielema for calling the timeout down 14 and with a minute left on the clock, and I like Lloyd Carr for calling for Henne to air it out. Play sixty minutes. Why the hell not? In taking the timeout, Bielema effectively said, "This game isn't over." And Carr responded, "Huh, I guess it isn't. Better try to score again, then." Of course, the Badger defense had ten guys in the box, and Chad Henne still managed to throw an interception. Go figure.
Technorati tags: wisconsin badgers, college football, university of wisconsin, UW-Madison
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Testing
Making sure this guest posting business will work...
Technorati tags: wisconsin badgers, college football, university of wisconsin, UW-Madison
Technorati tags: wisconsin badgers, college football, university of wisconsin, UW-Madison
Furlough
I'm in the final stages of preparation for a little well-deserved vacation. It only makes sense that as soon as the site started getting a few readers, I'd abandon it for two weeks.
However, Nicole from the estimable blog Cute Sports has graciously agreed to keep the site afloat while I'm gone. I'll still post, but it's going to be limited.
Since I won't be able to watch any college football live, I won't be qualified to vote in the BlogPoll. So, after tomorrow's submission, Nicole will be submitting ballots on October 4 and 11. It will be glorious.
Technorati tags: wisconsin badgers, college football, university of wisconsin, UW-Madison
However, Nicole from the estimable blog Cute Sports has graciously agreed to keep the site afloat while I'm gone. I'll still post, but it's going to be limited.
Since I won't be able to watch any college football live, I won't be qualified to vote in the BlogPoll. So, after tomorrow's submission, Nicole will be submitting ballots on October 4 and 11. It will be glorious.
Technorati tags: wisconsin badgers, college football, university of wisconsin, UW-Madison
Monday, September 25, 2006
Bielema's first loss - Michigan 27, Wisconsin 13
Well, let's sum up: nobody expected the Badgers to win, and they didn't. True story.
Here are my observations from the game:
* Apparently Ron Lee's opinion is that the Badgers' defensive backs have not yet developed. No explicit order of "don't throw at Ikegwuonu" was given, and Henne was able to pick the best matchup all afternoon. Ikegwuonu, Rogers, Langford ... all of them were picked on during the first corner alone.
* The checkdown pass to Hill that went for a touchdown was just brilliant. All the linebackers flow to Travis Beckum on that play, leaving absolutely nobody there to cover Hill when he sneaks out into the flat. That play was mostly Stocco's smarts, but also made possible by Michigan's otherwise stifling defense chasing down the wrong man.
* Speaking of Stocco, I was impressed with him all day long. He made smart throws and only really got into trouble when his line let him down. Hats off to John for coming off a lackluster performance and growing stronger.
* The one play that was pretty dumb by Stocco was the intentional grounding in the first quarter. On that play, though, for some reason Joe Thomas decided he needed to help Andy Kemp double-team Rondell Biggs, leaving Prescott Burgess literally untouched and sprinting directly at Stocco's head. Not the best play of the day.
* Speaking of Kemp, I'm declaring him and his compatriot Eric Vandenheuvel the liabilities of the offensive line. Every big play that Michigan had in the UW backfield is accompanied by one of those two, arms flailing, chasing a guy in a blue jersey. In my notes, Kemp appears alongside the intentional grounding play, a TFL by Branch on Hill, and a fourth-quarter sack of Stocco by Branch. Vandenheuvel's sins include allowing Woodley to fly by him and smoke Stocco and being almost wholly responsible for the near-interception that Stocco threw at Burgess when he was hurried. These guys appear to block well for about a second or two and then immediately get run around, knocked down, to run through.
* For all the flak that Breaston has taken for not being a big enough star, he's still a damn good player. I'm not speaking here of the punt returns. What stands out for me is the first quarter play when UM runs a reverse, UW reads it perfectly, and Breaston STILL ends up gaining four yards. That's something special.
* It was good to see UW stuff the Wolverines on 4th and 1 at the 19. What, did they expect to score 47 again this week? Why wouldn't you kick the field goal at that point?
* The officiating did not change the outcome of the game, but it was horrendous. The refs picked up three flags: one when they thought there might have been twelve men on the field (there weren't), one on a punt return by Breaston (where Crable committed an obvious block in the back), and one after the failed onside kick attempt (seriously, refs: learn the rules). The one I really don't understand is the second one. How do you see a block in the back, throw a flag, and then convince yourself that you might not have seen that and pick it up? Trust your judgment!
* Does Chad Henne stop thinking on third down? UM's conversion rate was horrendous, and a lot of it had to do with Chad either holding on to balls way too long and getting taken down, or throwing them far away even when his receivers had all day to get open.
* Bret Bielema should hire someone as a special teams coach. Seriously, you're going to rush ten guys and not have anyone back there to receive the punt? Who does that?
* Zach Hampton dropped that punt because he had to. He was in the jurisdiction of Zoltan, the Space Emperor, who issued an intergalactic edict that Hampton needed to obey. Otherwise he would've been ejected from some sort of orbiting capsule to die in the silent vacuum of space.
* A memo, too, to Zach Hampton: don't retaliate. Just don't. Yeah, he was being very obviously held and didn't get a call during a third-quarter punt play, but Steve Breaston just called for a fair catch. Don't retaliate and give the Wolverines 15 yards when you hold Breaston without a return!
* Two questions: why can Breaston only catch the ball when it comes off an opposing player's foot? And why does Chris Spielman think that Michigan's quarterback is named "Chad Henry?"
* I hate, hate, hate invoking "Jekyll and Hyde" imagery, so let's go with ninjas instead. In that way, Allen Langford is the ultimate paradox. On the one hand, he's always intercepting passes thrown by Chad Henne, but on the other hand, he's always getting burned by Mario Manningham on long touchdown passes. Allen Langford is a mammal.
* What the heck was up with the clock management in the third quarter? Why do you ever need to take a timeout on 4th and 11 at your own 12 yard line? Isn't that the ultimate punting situation?
* Michigan's #2 defense is their #2 defense for a very good reason.
* And finally, James Kamoku needs to be suspended. What he did to Steve Breaston -- tweaking his leg to try to injure his knee after the play was over -- was ugly, and stupid, and caught on national TV. Intent to injure is just as bad as actually creating the injury, and Wisconsin has plenty of firsthand experience with being on the receiving end of that garbage.
But, and here's the kicker: we don't know what's going to happen with Kamoku. Here's what Bret Bielema said today:
Wrong, coach. You're the new guy on the block so you make an example out of someone who makes an obviously dirty play. End of story. Kamoku needs to be out against Indiana. Even if he is, though, the opportunity to show the conference the type of disciplinarian you are has gone out the window.
I didn't like the reinstatement of Cooper right before the season started. I didn't like the fact that I saw Hodge in the game on Saturday. I don't like the fact anything less than singling out and making an example of Kamoku was the course of action taken in this instance. But what I really, really don't like is the pattern that's emerging. That pattern, so far, indicates that Bret Bielema wants to win football games -- and he's not particularly interested in how that happens or the character of his athletes. Any positive vibe I had from the dismissal of Booker Stanley has dissipated.
Technorati tags: wisconsin badgers, college football, university of wisconsin, UW-Madison
Here are my observations from the game:
* Apparently Ron Lee's opinion is that the Badgers' defensive backs have not yet developed. No explicit order of "don't throw at Ikegwuonu" was given, and Henne was able to pick the best matchup all afternoon. Ikegwuonu, Rogers, Langford ... all of them were picked on during the first corner alone.
* The checkdown pass to Hill that went for a touchdown was just brilliant. All the linebackers flow to Travis Beckum on that play, leaving absolutely nobody there to cover Hill when he sneaks out into the flat. That play was mostly Stocco's smarts, but also made possible by Michigan's otherwise stifling defense chasing down the wrong man.
* Speaking of Stocco, I was impressed with him all day long. He made smart throws and only really got into trouble when his line let him down. Hats off to John for coming off a lackluster performance and growing stronger.
* The one play that was pretty dumb by Stocco was the intentional grounding in the first quarter. On that play, though, for some reason Joe Thomas decided he needed to help Andy Kemp double-team Rondell Biggs, leaving Prescott Burgess literally untouched and sprinting directly at Stocco's head. Not the best play of the day.
* Speaking of Kemp, I'm declaring him and his compatriot Eric Vandenheuvel the liabilities of the offensive line. Every big play that Michigan had in the UW backfield is accompanied by one of those two, arms flailing, chasing a guy in a blue jersey. In my notes, Kemp appears alongside the intentional grounding play, a TFL by Branch on Hill, and a fourth-quarter sack of Stocco by Branch. Vandenheuvel's sins include allowing Woodley to fly by him and smoke Stocco and being almost wholly responsible for the near-interception that Stocco threw at Burgess when he was hurried. These guys appear to block well for about a second or two and then immediately get run around, knocked down, to run through.
* For all the flak that Breaston has taken for not being a big enough star, he's still a damn good player. I'm not speaking here of the punt returns. What stands out for me is the first quarter play when UM runs a reverse, UW reads it perfectly, and Breaston STILL ends up gaining four yards. That's something special.
* It was good to see UW stuff the Wolverines on 4th and 1 at the 19. What, did they expect to score 47 again this week? Why wouldn't you kick the field goal at that point?
* The officiating did not change the outcome of the game, but it was horrendous. The refs picked up three flags: one when they thought there might have been twelve men on the field (there weren't), one on a punt return by Breaston (where Crable committed an obvious block in the back), and one after the failed onside kick attempt (seriously, refs: learn the rules). The one I really don't understand is the second one. How do you see a block in the back, throw a flag, and then convince yourself that you might not have seen that and pick it up? Trust your judgment!
* Does Chad Henne stop thinking on third down? UM's conversion rate was horrendous, and a lot of it had to do with Chad either holding on to balls way too long and getting taken down, or throwing them far away even when his receivers had all day to get open.
* Bret Bielema should hire someone as a special teams coach. Seriously, you're going to rush ten guys and not have anyone back there to receive the punt? Who does that?
* Zach Hampton dropped that punt because he had to. He was in the jurisdiction of Zoltan, the Space Emperor, who issued an intergalactic edict that Hampton needed to obey. Otherwise he would've been ejected from some sort of orbiting capsule to die in the silent vacuum of space.
* A memo, too, to Zach Hampton: don't retaliate. Just don't. Yeah, he was being very obviously held and didn't get a call during a third-quarter punt play, but Steve Breaston just called for a fair catch. Don't retaliate and give the Wolverines 15 yards when you hold Breaston without a return!
* Two questions: why can Breaston only catch the ball when it comes off an opposing player's foot? And why does Chris Spielman think that Michigan's quarterback is named "Chad Henry?"
* I hate, hate, hate invoking "Jekyll and Hyde" imagery, so let's go with ninjas instead. In that way, Allen Langford is the ultimate paradox. On the one hand, he's always intercepting passes thrown by Chad Henne, but on the other hand, he's always getting burned by Mario Manningham on long touchdown passes. Allen Langford is a mammal.
* What the heck was up with the clock management in the third quarter? Why do you ever need to take a timeout on 4th and 11 at your own 12 yard line? Isn't that the ultimate punting situation?
* Michigan's #2 defense is their #2 defense for a very good reason.
* And finally, James Kamoku needs to be suspended. What he did to Steve Breaston -- tweaking his leg to try to injure his knee after the play was over -- was ugly, and stupid, and caught on national TV. Intent to injure is just as bad as actually creating the injury, and Wisconsin has plenty of firsthand experience with being on the receiving end of that garbage.
But, and here's the kicker: we don't know what's going to happen with Kamoku. Here's what Bret Bielema said today:
"I don't think there was any particular thing directed at Breaston," Bielema said Tuesday during the Big Ten Conference coaches' teleconference. "He had had a very successful day and our coverage unit had had some struggles. Everything boiled up at that minute.
"I've seen what everybody has seen on film. I addressed it with James and I'm going to handle those things internally."
When asked if Kamoku would play Saturday at Indiana, Bielema reiterated: "I'm handling those things internally."
Wrong, coach. You're the new guy on the block so you make an example out of someone who makes an obviously dirty play. End of story. Kamoku needs to be out against Indiana. Even if he is, though, the opportunity to show the conference the type of disciplinarian you are has gone out the window.
I didn't like the reinstatement of Cooper right before the season started. I didn't like the fact that I saw Hodge in the game on Saturday. I don't like the fact anything less than singling out and making an example of Kamoku was the course of action taken in this instance. But what I really, really don't like is the pattern that's emerging. That pattern, so far, indicates that Bret Bielema wants to win football games -- and he's not particularly interested in how that happens or the character of his athletes. Any positive vibe I had from the dismissal of Booker Stanley has dissipated.
Technorati tags: wisconsin badgers, college football, university of wisconsin, UW-Madison
BlogPoll Week 5 draft
Please let me know what I need to adjust. I'm certain I erred a LOT.
Technorati tags: wisconsin badgers, college football, university of wisconsin, UW-Madison
| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State | -- |
| 2 | Southern Cal | -- |
| 3 | Auburn | 4 |
| 4 | Michigan | 2 |
| 5 | Florida | 3 |
| 6 | West Virginia | 3 |
| 7 | Louisville | 2 |
| 8 | Virginia Tech | 2 |
| 9 | Louisiana State | -- |
| 10 | Georgia | 6 |
| 11 | Iowa | 2 |
| 12 | Texas | -- |
| 13 | Cal | 2 |
| 14 | Tennessee | 12 |
| 15 | Clemson | 3 |
| 16 | Oregon | 6 |
| 17 | Oklahoma | 3 |
| 18 | Notre Dame | 7 |
| 19 | Rutgers | 4 |
| 20 | Georgia Tech | 1 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | 7 |
| 22 | Arizona State | 6 |
| 23 | Boston College | 6 |
| 24 | Nebraska | 2 |
| 25 | South Carolina | 1 |
Dropped Out: Michigan State (#19), Miami (Florida) (#24), Navy (#25).
Technorati tags: wisconsin badgers, college football, university of wisconsin, UW-Madison
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