Two days have passed since the Wisconsin football team's incredible 17-10 upset of defending National Champion Ohio State Buckeyes. Due to the victory, the Badgers (6-1, 3-0 Big Ten) moved up to 12th and 14th in the ESPN/USA Today and Associated Press polls respectively. The win also set the stage for another epic showdown next weekend at Camp Randall against Purdue. ESPN announced that analysts Chris Fowler, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit will be in town next weekend to broadcast \College GameDay"" live from outside Camp Randall Stadium.
The choking aftermath
The only negative to come from last Saturday's night of euphoria was Ohio State linebacker Robert Reynolds' attempted choking of UW senior quarterback Jim Sorgi. Sorgi was forced to leave the game in the third quarter after the incident. Luckily for the Badgers, back-up junior quarterback Matt Schabert filled in well and was able to seal the victory. Sorgi said he holds no hard feelings against Reynolds and attributed the act to the extremely intense atmosphere of the game.?? Reynolds not only apologized publicly, but called Sorgi Sunday night, seeking the quarterback's forgiveness.
""I did receive a call from Reynolds last night and he did apologize to me over the phone, Sorgi said at Monday's press conference. ""I know how things get during the game and you know, he made a mistake, but it's a sign of a man when you can make a mistake like that and call and apologize for it.""
The Big Ten has suspended Reynolds for their upcoming game this weekend versus Iowa.
Both Sorgi and UW Head Coach Barry Alvarez were tight-lipped on the subject. Alvarez briefly discussed the reporting of an infraction that was missed by the officials during game play but was evident on replay, as was the case Saturday night. Though he did say the situation warranted filing a complaint, Alvarez would not chance a guess as to what Reynolds' punishment would be, if any. The coach also made the point of clearing Ohio State coach Jim Tressel of any wrongdoing.
""There's no doubt in my mind that Jim Tressel and his staff do not coach that type of football,"" Alvarez said. ""They do not coach that. They're a class operation. They have integrity. They won a championship last year by doing things the right way.""
The week ahead
As far as Sorgi's condition, Alvarez said that he expected the junior to play Saturday against Purdue and jokingly requested that the press not ask him too many questions. The coaching staff may have a different player calling out plays in practice to rest Sorgi's voice this week, but No. 19 should be under-center when the Boilermakers come to town this weekend.
Though Wisconsin hasn't played Purdue since the 2000 season, the game could have serious implications for the post-season. The last three times the two teams have met, the winner has gone on to represent the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl. Purdue is currently ranked 13th in the AP poll and 15th in the ESPN/USA Today poll. With two highly ranked teams pitted against each other, both of whom are undefeated in conference play, it is no surprise that ""GameDay"" will be making its second-ever stop in Madison. Having a ranked opponent and ""GameDay"" should help the Badgers avoid a let-down after last week's emotional battle.
""It was a great win this weekend,"" Sorgi said. ""It was huge for the program ... We were all excited and it was a great atmosphere, And we've got another big game coming up this week. As you go down the line in the Big Ten, the games get bigger and bigger.?? With 'GameDay' coming here, I'm sure the atmosphere will be just like it was this past weekend at the Camp.\
