If you want to put a positive spin on it, you might say the Wisconsin football team is ""flying under the radar"" as the 2009 season starts.
After ranking as high as No. 8 in the AP top 25 poll at one point last year, the Badgers did not receive a single vote in the AP's preseason poll, and while fans in 2008 had dreams of a Big Ten Championship and a return to the Rose Bowl, conference previews are much cooler on the team this year.
So while you could say Wisconsin is ""flying under the radar,"" it's more accurate to say that expectations going into the 2009 season are lower than they have been for a long time.
Given the tremendous letdown the 2008 season proved to be, it's easy to see why the outlook is so gloomy. But if some crucial elements fall into place for the Badgers this year, namely a reliable quarterback and a return to disciplined play, Wisconsin could be in for a surprisingly good season.
When Allan Evridge and Dustin Sherer struggled in 2008, the team did the same. The Badger offense had a strong trio of running backs in P.J. Hill, John Clay and Zach Brown, but if an opposing defense found a way to stop the run, Wisconsin was often dead in the water.
Co-starters Curt Phillips and Scott Tolzien will have to step up and lead the team in a way Evridge and Sherer never did. When I saw him play in the 2008 spring game, I thought Phillips showed a great deal of talent and potential, but I did not think he was ready for the starting role. Head coach Bret Bielema said after the game that Phillips didn't ""have the whole package"" of skills necessary to be starting quarterback, though he had made great strides since coming to Wisconsin.
Bielema obviously must have seen even greater improvement in Phillips over the summer, but by naming him and Tolzien as co-starters, he has put his quarterbacks and the team at a disadvantage.
Naming two starters shows a lack of confidence in both players. Although coaches may try to say Tolzien and Phillips are equally good, it ultimately means that neither player showed they were better than the other during practices.
Last season, the Badgers struggled with a lack of leadership. Neither Evridge nor Sherer were consistent enough to rally the team, and few other players filled that gap. If Wisconsin goes through the 2009 season constantly switching between Phillips and Tolzien, we will see a repeat of 2008.
There is only room for one starting quarterback on a football team, and the sooner Bielema picks between Tolzien and Phillips, the sooner one of them can begin leading their team to a successful season.
Discipline will be another crucial factor for the team in 2009. Foolish penalties arguably cost the Badgers wins last season, as the team shot itself in the foot on multiple occasions.
Bielema will have to lead by example in this department – a penalty against him was crucial in the team's loss against Michigan State last year. His mantra of playing ""Wisconsin football"" must include smart, disciplined play for the team to have success in 2009.
At the start of this new college football season, it is clear that Wisconsin probably won't be fighting for a national championship or BCS appearance. But if the Badgers can find a consistent leader at quarterback and play smart football this year, the team could ""fly under the radar"" and surprise a few teams in 2009.
