A Long Awaited Wisconsin Article

Many of you have been asking me about my thoughts on the Badgers this year, and more specifically about the coaching staff. Ross Gellar has sent a few emails, Sober sent a text or two, even my dad has been bugging me to put my thoughts down about the Badgers. Surprisingly, Fuzz has been noticeably absent in his phone calls and emails on Saturday mornings, but then again I haven't actually heard from him since he disappeared on Saturday night of Homecoming weekend in Madison. So, what do I think of Bret Bielema and the 2008 Wisconsin football team so far?

Keep your pants on folks, this season ain't over yet.

I think it's always a little ridiculous to start judging a team/coach in the middle of the year, because a million things can happen throughout the course of a college football season. With that said, for those of you calling for Bielema's head....shut up. This is not the SEC. We do not murder people over a football game. We do not fire coordinators 6 weeks into a season. We do not run coaches out of town when they are/or should be legends (technically, Lloyd Carr retired and was o.k. doing that). So for those of you calling for Bielema's head after the losses this year...shut up. The guy is a good football coach. He's learning how to be a great one. I'm willing to let him learn.

Now, has it been frustrating as ever to watch some of these games? Absolutely. I couldn't talk for a few hours after both the Michigan and Michigan State games. Both were just inexcusable losses. And yes, they can be blamed on the coaches. But neither loss was a fireable offense, especially when you're only 38 years old and have an absurd career winning percentage. Right now, Bielema is not the best coach in the Big Ten. In fact, he may be the second worst in the Big Ten this season, ahead of only an overmatched Bill Lynch at Indiana. But good things are happening around the program, and Bielema should get credit for those things too. It's all part of the humbling learning process that head coaches go through. Bielema just happens to be going through his on a much bigger stage than most.

So for now, keep your pants on Badger fans. This season is not over yet, and a 7-5 Alamo Bowl appearance is not the end of the world. So what is going well right now for the Badgers?

1) The receiving core is developing and turning into a force. Behind MY BOY! #85 David Gilreath, and my future BOY! #1 Nick Toon...the Badger receiving core is beginning to make some plays. Not too much was expected at the beginning of the year out of this group, but they sure have come on strong in recent weeks. Nick Toon finally got a chance and his play has earned him the opportunities that he continues to capitalize on every week. Gilreath showed tons of potential last year, and looked legit in the spring, but was slow out of the gates this year. But after his amazing touchdown catch at the end of the Michigan game, he has been nothing short of great for the Badgers. One thing to remember, is that this is an extremely young group, and while their development may have seemed slow this year, they are developing...and they will soon be an asset to the Badger O.

2) Injuries haven't crippled either side of the ball when they have occurred. Injuries are inevitable in college football, and in past seasons they have decimated the Badgers offense or defense (i.e. Anthony Davis back in the day, PJ last year, WR/CB/DL last year). This year, that hasn't been the case...and you can credit that to coaching and recruiting. Think about all the players that have missed time this year due to injuries. Jonathon Casillas, Mario Goins, Aaron Henry, Kirk DeCremer, Gabe Carimi, Kraig Urbik, Eric Vanden Huevel, PJ Hill, Chris Pressley, Lance Kendricks, Travis Beckum. That's quite the list. And while you can argue that the UW season has been disappointing and that with all those players healthy they would be better...that's just not realistic. In previous years, losing all those players (especially leaders like Casillas and Beckum) for any amount of time would have crippled the Badgers. That is not the case this year. UW is by no means a great team, but it is not because there has been a huge dropoff when backups have had to come in the game. The depth is much improved, and it is mostly young players providing that depth.

3) Wisconsin has a legit rivalry that is getting better and better by the minute this week. In case you didn't know, the most played rivalry in college football resumes this week...and finally, it has the feel of a rivalry again. Minnesota football is back, and Brewster is not downplaying the importance of this game. He tried to build it up last year, and while it didn't work out then, he set the foundation for the incredibly awesome back-and-forth that is going on this week. For the uneducated, last year Timmay! said that he'd be the first one to sprint across the field and grab Paul Bunyan's Axe when Minnesota won. After UW prevailed, Bret Bielema was the one sprinting across the field to shake Brewster's hand for about .2 seconds. Brewsters son talked trash after the game, even though he didn't play and his team lost. Bielema then came out and gave probably his best line to date as a head coach, "You want a rivalry? You got one!" Damn right Bret. That only set up this year, when Gabe Carimi said that he hates Minny, simply because he is from Wisconsin. Rumors are spreading that the Badgers may put the Axe behind Minny's bench (not the norm for the losing team to have it on their bench) just so the Badger players can sprint into the MN sideline and grab it again. Add in a few recruiting battles over the past two years, two competitive teams...and you've got yourself a rivalry.

Enjoy it Badger fans. And keep your pants on too.

Ruminations on Week 7

The hangover was something fierce on Saturday, but at least I wasn't alone. The entire Wisconsin team looked like the last two emotional losses had caught up to them as the Nittany Lions embarrassed them on national television. I took solace in the fact that my buddy Fuzz was having a worse day than me...he attended the Arkansas at Auburn game where his first team lost; he watched the Badgers get embarrassed by Penn State for the second year in a row, and Mizzou got upset by a team coached by a man who is 40. Rough day for sure...drink it off Fuzz, and remember that next week is only 7 days away.

Here are my other ruminations on week 7 in the Big Ten:

1) The Spread HD is an elite offense this year. According to Lil' Bro #1, it's even better in person. The one question mark heading into the season was the quarterback position, and Daryll Clark has provided answer after answer. He looks like the most dynamic player in the offense and is the reason the Spread HD runs so clearly. Sure, the Big 12 has some great offenses and the SEC has some great athletes...but Penn State's offense can run with the best of them this year.

2) Minnesota didn't get the message. They were supposed to be terrible this year, but apparently no one told the Gophers. Yours truly even picked them to go winless in the Big Ten. Yet here they stand, 2-1 in conference games and bowl eligible 7 weeks into the season. Props to Timmay! and his Gophers. You did to Illinois what the Illini did to the Big Ten last year, and you've earned the respect of the conference, and this blogger, in doing so.

3) Sparty isn't sliding this October. Not yet at least. In the most important game of the Big Ten last week, Michigan State again rode the money-makers of Javon Ringer over an undefeated Northwestern on the road. Ringer wasn't alone this week though, as Brian Hoyer showed some veteran savvy and poise that gave Michigan State's offense a much needed second dimension. Ohio State looms on the horizon as MSU has one of the biggest October home games in recent history next week.

4) How did we lose to them? Really Michigan? Really? You're going to let a bad Toledo team do that to you in your house? How did this team beat Wisconsin? Things have certainly hit rock bottom in Ann Arbor as Michigan can't seem to put things together yet. Worse yet, they have yet to show any significant improvement from the start of the season. Other than a great 2nd half against Wisconsin (which will haunt Brett Bielema for a long time), Michigan really has yet to play consistent football.

This One Time on the Band Bus...

Is it me, or does the Wisconsin Marching Band make you think that all those band camp stories from the American Pie movies are pretty much dead on? The letter sent out by the school this week verified what we all knew was probably true...people got drunk and stupid on a bus like college kids do, and someone shockingly got offended. This isn't a post to make fun of the offended party...we're not that mean. No, F&BT merely wants to highlight the stupidity of the band members. As fun as the trip may have been, any time you have to start a story with, "This one time, on the band bus...", you should probably just quit talking right there. Unless you're as hot as Alyson Hannigan....then you may continue of course.

Alas, the 5th Quarter will be happening this Saturday night, as the band has been reinstated. And if you think about it, Brett Bielema has got to be the happiest person on earth. Of the two major home games which would be recruiting target weekends, to not have a band at either game, which adds an incredible amount of electricity to the stadium and makes the students exponentially more engaged in the game, would have been disastrous. Props to Mike Leckrone and Lori Berquam for getting the band back on the field.

Finally, A Northwestern Post!!!

Please, contain yourselves. I know everyone's been on the edge of their seats, craving some purple love....well, the wait is over. Let's talk Wildcat football:

Off to their best start since 1962, the Northwestern Wildcats still aren't getting a lot of respect. And despite my loyalty to the Cats, I think this is justified. I won't say I expected them to be undefeated at this point (I thought they'd lose in Iowa City), but I'm also not at all surprised with this start. Let's face it, Northwestern hasn't played anyone (Duke is improved, but still Duke, and a W at Iowa doesn't mean what it used to). Having said that, this week should be big. Because a lot of media-types love the idea of fellating Michigan State, this will be the perfect game to spring the Wildcats onto the national stage.

Thanks to an improved defense, the Wildcats are no longer completely dependant on a high-scoring offense. Mike Hankwitz has done wonders in his first year as DC (sidenote: thanks for firing him Bielema). At this point, the Purple Nation is just waiting for the offense to catch-up. With a bye-week behind them, the Cats had time to heal and sharpen their claws. I look forward to them pouncing on Sparty. Mark my words, the offense will have that clicking moment sometime in the next couple games, at which point Northwestern will shock the conference (nay, the nation) on their way to the Outback Bowl. [I also predicted my Cubs would play in the World Series, so take this one with a grain of salt]

The Absolute Worst Way to Lose....Ever

A forewarning that this post is not going to be family friendly or acceptible at most work places. I thought about saving it for tomorrow when I may be more rational or have some perspective. Nope.

Fuck.

I mean....Fuck. It can't possibly be worse than this. There's no worse way to lose...we've set a new record. Michigan's upset of my Wisconsin Badgers is absolutely to worst way to lose in the history of sports.

Blowout...I'll take it. It's a slow, painful death. Late touchdown to seal it...fine. We didn't deserve to win. Going for the endzone down 7 and failing...it's ok. We probably should have won, but we didn't. I can live with all of those....but I don't know if I can live with this. This was brutal.

As a preface, I woke up this morning and watched the NU @ Iowa game. Iowa was driving with just over a minute to go in the 4th quarter and failed to get a touchdown from 1st and goal from the 8. The 4th down pass was batted down at the line of scrimmage, and Iowa lost. Knowing WildHawk was at the game, and that he hadn't decided who to cheer for, I texted him looking for his first reaction to the 4th down stop..."Happy or Disappointed?"

"Disappointed"

Well, that sucks. I felt bad for him, as it was homecoming and all. But it was a great game to watch, and I knew that Iowa fans probably felt horrible as they were so close having 1st and Goal. Little did I know that they would get off easy. Little did I know that I was about to watch the worst Wisconsin loss of my life.

The first half couldn't have gone better. Sure, we missed an easy field goal early, but Michigan was fumbling everytime that I looked up. Short fields, crazy momentum, a silent 109,000 fans. Life was good. The offense wasn't converting too many touchdowns, but 19 points is 19 points. And the way our defense was playing...19 should have been enough. 3 should have been enough.

The second half was a different story. Michigan dominated the TOP, as the Wisconsin defense wasn't able to get off the field. Offensively, Wisconsin got complacent. Conservative playcalling and the offensive line disappearing led to only 1 drive in the entire 3rd quarter. You think the defense may have gotten tired? They were on the field the entire 2nd half. Most of that is their fault for not stopping 3rd downs (paging Matt Schaunessy...please don't rough the passer on 3rd down...thanks). Part of it though was the offense. This is when Wisconsin is supposed to be at it's best. With a lead in the 3rd and 4th quarter, the big ugly's up front and our pounding running backs should dominate the game. Turns out Gabe Carimi decided to have arguably his worst game as a Badger. Nice timing.

But none of this should have mattered. The reason this was the absolute worst way to lose was the last Wisconsin drive. After Allan Evridge's fourth (FOURTH!!) turnover, Wisconsin drove down the field. My Boy! #85 David Gilreath made a fantastic catch to get the TD, and UW was going for the 2-point conversion. Easy pass to an open Travis Beckum in the endzone...hello overtime. Ace's Bar in San Francisco was going nuts...beer being sprayed, the entire place jumping up and down...flag on the field. Beckum lined up in the wrong spot and covered the TE when he should've been off the line of scrimmage. Fuck.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Can I be mad at Beckum? A guy who has won so many games for us? A player that has done nothing but give his all? A player who put himself into the game when the coaches were holding him out because, like Superman, he knew his team needed him? I can't. I can't do it. I can't be mad at Travis Beckum.

But he is the reason that this was the absolute worst way to lose ever. Think about it...your favorite team in your life has given up the biggest comeback in your opponent's storied history; they drove down the field to score a TD with a chance to tie; they tie the game on a 2-point conversion. Only, it doesn't count. The play is called back by a penalty and you lose the game. The reason this is the absolute worst way to lose it that we thought we had it tied...it was basically overtime already...only we were about to lose. The exhilaration of winning turns to the deep depression of losing with one stupid penalty. Fuck.

Bill Simmons on EPSN.com has already developed some levels of losing...and this is at a minimum "The Stomach Punch Game"...if not it's own new category. We had overtime...stomach punch...we lose. Fuck.

I knew Wisconsin wasn't a BCS championship caliber team this year, but this is unexcusable. For the love of Lloyd Carr even Notre Dame was able to beat Michigan. They gave us 5 turnovers in the first half...THE FIRST HALF!! And we couldn't capitalize. While there is plenty of blame to go around...Evridge's 4 turnovers, Evridge's ability to repeatedly throw behind receivers, dropped passes, defense couldn't get off the field, our O-line disappeared, stupid penalties, failure to capitalize on turnovers...it really comes down to one thing. Coaching.

Brett Bielema needs to find a way to keep his team into the game for 60 minutes. Two games in a row now, the Badgers have come out fired up and dominated the first half, only to struggle in the second half of football games. The offense gets stale. The defense can't get off the field. The sideline gets quiet and loses energy. That's coaching....plain and simple. Now, I like Bielema. He's kind of an asshole (dancing across the field at Fresno when we won), but being a Badger fan I love that about him. But he has some coaching deficiencies that he needs to recognize, accept, and improve...similar to the way he expects his players to improve on their deficiencies. Keep the players fired up all game. Make the necessary halftime adjustments even if you're winning. Manage the team to not get too high and not get too low.

But for now...fuck. That was awful. My mom even called me to see if I would talk to my Dad because he was having a hard time getting words out. I was too. I couldn't even begin to describe the feelings of thinking that you had overtime...and then having a loss. Terrible. Absolutely terrible.

At least we get Beanie Wells and Terrelle Pryor next week.

Fuck.