With Clement out, RB Deal free to set tone
With Wisconsin’s running game providing slightly above average numbers the first three games of the season, many were wondering if the run-first, power offense of the Badgers had gone by the wayside.
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With Wisconsin’s running game providing slightly above average numbers the first three games of the season, many were wondering if the run-first, power offense of the Badgers had gone by the wayside.
This week’s temperature dip corresponded perfectly with the football schedule, with Big Ten Conference play starting this weekend. Nothing quite says fall like a crisp afternoon watching a power-running offense smash into a run-stopping defense, and high temperatures certainly wouldn’t do the matchup between Wisconsin (3-1) and Iowa (4-0) Saturday justice.
Unlike professional sports, college football’s schedule is generally decided by the conferences a couple weeks before the game is played. The teams are locked, but kickoff times fluctuate depending on the quality of teams playing and other matchups taking place.
Wisconsin has long been known as a power-running, old- school offense with five behemoths punishing their opponents and making crater-sized holes for the stable of talented runners behind them. UW acts like a lineman factory, with the nation’s top high schoolers coming in and the NFL’s next stars coming out. When you sift through the ranks of Badger alumni in the NFL, that history is proven by the number of high-caliber professional offensive linemen Wisconsin has produced.
Last week, head coach Paul Chryst stressed that even though the team lost its opener to Alabama, it would be more prepared for game two, saying that the biggest improvement comes from Week 1 to Week 2. After the Badgers smoked Miami (OH), Chryst sang a different tune this week.
1. Dealing with injuries
Throughout the offseason, the Badger faithful looked forward to the first game, a showdown with national powerhouse Alabama. Often overlooked was Wisconsin’s second game, and first home game, against Miami (OH) Saturday.
In the 2014 season, Alabama was one of the four best teams in the country. They made the inaugural College Football Playoff, and lost to the team that would go on to be the National Champion. Even so, last year’s Alabama team was one of the least successful Crimson Tide squads of the last decade.
As the college football season gets closer, there are still unanswered questions on every roster around the country. While coaches are often careful with how much information they release, watching practice can clarify the potential depth charts for the season. Here’s how Wisconsin’s defense is shaping up.
At the beginning of each season, college football rosters are always in a state of flux. With players graduating, transferring or leaving early to the NFL, there is a level of turnover unlike anything in professional sports. It’s tough to gauge how the Badgers will look this year based on a handful of practices, but several trends on the offensive side of the ball have emerged.
Wisconsin is not a college basketball blue-blood. As hard as it may be for Badger fans to hear, UW just doesn’t have the 50 or more years of success that teams like Kansas and UNC have enjoyed. However, the lack of elite status is one of the many things that made Wisconsin’s victory over Kentucky last season that much better.
When it comes to archetypes, sports are chock-full of them. There’s the tall but slow center in basketball, the loud, team-leading middle linebacker in football and the low average, power-hitting catcher in softball and baseball.
When it comes to American politics, the Kennedy name runs deep. In pop music, it’s hard to beat the Jacksons. In Wisconsin wrestling, the biggest name is Jordan.
DETROIT—Wisconsin’s season ended Thursday night much the way it went all year: being outplayed and outscored. The Badgers (2-15-3 Big Ten, 4-26-5 overall) lost 5-1 to Michigan (13-8-0, 21-14-0) in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.
Despite not having a season worth remembering, Wisconsin’s seniors will take the ice looking to come away with a win in their final home games.
The Badgers (2-14-2 Big Ten, 4-24-4 overall) have had many instances of offensive futility this year, but this weekend’s series was their low point, shut out by Michigan State (9-6-2, 15-4-2) in both games in East Lansing.
The Badgers (2-12-2 Big Ten, 4-22-4 overall) failed to get a win in their trip to Ann Arbor as the No. 17 Wolverines (11-5-0, 19-11-0) dominated the Badgers 3-0 and 5-2.
The Badgers’ weekend covered a range of emotion, winning the first game in the series Friday against Michigan State (7-5-2 Big Ten, 13-13-2 overall) only to drop the second game the next night.
As the college hockey season approached its end, the Badgers were still looking for their first Big Ten conference win. Saturday, the Badgers (1-9-2 Big Ten, 3-19-4 overall) finally got it, grabbing a 3-2 win in the second game of their road series against Ohio State (3-9-0, 8-16-2).
After enjoying a stretch of two months with only two road games, the Badgers (0-6-2 Big Ten, 2-16-4 overall) will start a small road trip of two series this weekend against Penn State (5-2-1, 13-7-4) in State College.