The expectations for this year's Wisconsin Badger football team have been set high, and rightfully so, after the team rolled to an impressive 10-3 record last season, which culminated in a victory over the Miami Hurricanes in the Champs Sports Bowl.
In the past, the Badgers have not played well under high expectations. In 2007, the Badgers started the season ranked fifth, only to go 9-4, losing to Tennessee in the Outback Bowl. By no means a bad year, but not what fans expected from a team who started the season ranked in the top five.
The following year the Badgers came into the season ranked similar to this year, beginning the season at No.13 in the polls. That season did not go well for them as they lost to Florida State in the Champs Sports Bowl to finish the season at 7-6.
This year many believe the Badgers can buck the trend of disappointment. Many pundits are calling the Badgers a dark horse in the race for the Big Ten title, and project a BCS bowl bid this January.
The strength of this year's team is on offense, where the Badgers return 10 starters from a unit that ranked at the top of the Big Ten in scoring last season.
Not too shabby, and certainly warranting of heightened expectations.
Through the first two games the Badgers' offense has certainly looked like the potent, high-scoring machine that we saw a year ago. In the two wins over UNLV and San Jose State the Badgers offense has averaged 34 points and 414 yards per game, including averages of 194 yards through the air and 245 yards on the ground.
Though these are all reasons to be even more optimistic about the future of this season, there has been one glaring problem that has shown up so far for the Badgers: wasted opportunities due to turnovers and sloppy play.
Against UNLV, Scott Tolzien threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown.
Later in that game, Nick Toon coughed up a fumble on the two yard line that was returned 82 yards and set up a Rebel touchdown that brought them within a field goal.
In the San Jose State game, the Badgers were up 7-0 and knocking on the door again.
James White got the carry in the red zone from San Jose State nine-yard line. As he approached the end zone, he reached for the pylon with the ball, but fumbled it through the back of the end zone for a touchback giving the Spartans the ball back.
Scott Tolzien fumbled the ball off the snap three times, including on a fourth and goal play that turned the ball over on downs in that game as well.
These miscues can kill the chances of victory when they happen repeatedly over the course of a game. This season, it has kept points off the board for the Badgers. These mistakes need to be eliminated if the Badgers hope to achieve their lofty goals for this season.
This weekend's matchup with the Arizona State Sun Devils will be a good test for the Badgers. While last season was not a good one for the Sun Devils, finishing with a 4-8 overall record, their defense played superbly.
Arizona State's defense was ranked at the top of the Pac-10 and 13th in the country last year. The Sun Devils held opponents to conference lows of 21.1 points and 297.6 yards of total offense per game in a conference known for its high-flying offenses.
The Sun Devil's defense returns seven players with starting experience and is led by reigning Pac-10 defensive freshman of the year linebacker Vontaze Burfict.
In this game the Badgers would be ill advised to leave points on the board against a team that doesn't give up scoring opportunities often.
The Badgers will also use the game as a gauge of where they are for the opening of Big Ten conference play in two weeks. Cutting down on sloppy turnovers will be a necessity if the Badgers hope to contend for the conference title this season.
In their two biggest games last year, it was sloppy play and turnovers that cost the Badgers. Against Ohio State in Columbus, the Buckeyes returned two Scott Tolzien interceptions for touchdowns as well as taking a kickoff back for a score.
Against Iowa at Camp Randall the Hawkeyes picked the ball of three times to close out that game.
Wisconsin's chances of capturing the Big Ten title this year will depend on the outcomes of their showdowns with Ohio State and Iowa.
To do that, not repeating last year's mistakes will be critical.
That sloppy play has shown up in this season's first two games, and if the Badgers hope to achieve what they are capable of this year, those types of miscues need to be eliminated.
