It appeared to be like any other game on the Cleveland Browns’ offensive line. Former Wisconsin lineman Joe Thomas was positioned as Cleveland’s blindside protector as he had been for 11 seasons.
It’s that time of year when NFL prospects come back to their universities from various training facilities scattered throughout the United States, to showcase their talents to prospective NFL coaches and scouts.
Last April, former Wisconsin Badgers running back Corey Clement waited anxiously to hear his name called during the NFL Draft.
The No. 10 Miami Hurricanes (7-1 ACC, 10-3 overall) had the rare opportunity to host their own bowl game, but after four quarters of the Capital One Orange Bowl, the No 6. Badgers (9-1 Big Ten, 13-1 overall) owned the field at Hard Rock Stadium.
When the Badgers (9-1 Big Ten, 12-1 overall) face off against the Miami Hurricanes (7-2 ACC, 10-2 overall) on January 30 in the Orange Bowl, it will be the 16th straight season that Wisconsin has played in a postseason game. Various players along the way have made their way to the pros, and the coaching carousel of college football has hit Wisconsin just like other major programs. But even with the program’s familiarity to bowl games, it’d be remiss to ignore the uniqueness of this season to the Badgers. In 2017, Wisconsin recorded its first-ever undefeated regular season, a major milestone for a program that has long been known as a stable one rather than a national powerhouse. That spotless record, which would later be tarnished by a 27-21 loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship, was produced on the backs of a truly exceptional defense. Led by the stellar inside play of senior Leon Jacobs, junior T.J.
Why care about sports? It’s a question I get asked a lot, as somebody who habitually cares far too much.
INDIANAPOLIS — Wisconsin entered its matchup with Ohio State Saturday night hoping to emerge victorious and in the process punch its ticket to the College Football Playoff. Instead, after falling 27-21 to the Buckeyes in the Big Ten Championship, the Badgers are set to face off against XX in XX Bowl on XX Date in XX place. UW (9-1 Big Ten, 12-1 overall) will be tasked with recovering quickly from a gut-wrenching defeat to OSU.
INDIANAPOLIS — As the confetti floated down from the rafters of Lucas Oil Stadium, the Wisconsin Badgers were left reliving the nightmare they faced 12 months earlier. Their second-straight Big Ten Championship Game was a chance for redemption in an undefeated season, but when Ohio State quarterback J.T.
Indianapolis — Wisconsin freshman running back Jonathan Taylor’s longest run in the Big Ten Championship was a measly seven yards.
INDIANAPOLIS — One year after falling to Penn State in the Big Ten Championship, Wisconsin (9-1 Big Ten, 12-1 overall) arrived in Indianapolis looking to not only win the Big Ten, but also punch a ticket to the College Football Playoff. For 12 weeks, the Badgers leaned on its defense to wreak havoc on opposing teams and extend their undefeated season.
While the Badgers (9-0 Big Ten, 12-0 overall) moved into the No. 4 spot of the College Football Playoff rankings Tuesday night, there are still differing feelings regarding the team at both the local and national levels. There’s the committee who begrudgingly moved the undefeated team up at last, and the analysts who are certain of the Badgers’ place in the playoff with a victory versus Ohio State (8-1, 10-2) in the Big Ten Championship Game. The collective feeling possessed by UW’s, however, is none too concerned with the various playoff permutations being touted or the efforts to nitpick Wisconsin’s favorable schedule. The Badgers are just excited to be back in Indianapolis.
The recent history of Wisconsin sports can be easily summed up in a few numbers. Simply uttering the phrases “408” or “38-1” is enough to elicit visceral responses from Badgers fans anywhere.
Minneapolis — The No. 5 Wisconsin Badgers (9-0 Big Ten, 12-0 overall) don’t have a secret recipe for an undefeated season.
Freshman Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor took the first carry of the game up the middle, untouched for the first nine yards of a 13-yard run.
My middle school soccer team was good. Like, really good. The Blue Hawks (yes, our mascot was a fictional variation on a real animal, a fact I didn’t fully grasp until I had graduated) ran the D.C.
With 4:41 remaining in the third quarter, and the Badgers (8-0 Big Ten, 11-0 overall) staring at yet another three-and-out, sophomore wideout A.J. made perhaps the biggest play of his young Wisconsin career, wriggling loose of his man for a 51-yard catch.
In a back-and-forth, sometimes brutal Big Ten battle against the No. 24 Michigan Wolverines (5-3 Big Ten, 8-3 overall), the No. 5 Wisconsin Badgers (8-0, 11-0) needed their quarterback to step up and be the difference-maker. Alex Hornibrook delivered, with one of the biggest games of his young career in UW's 24-10 victory. Doubt lingered through the the first half of the game.
Now in the fourth year of his Wisconsin career, senior safety Natrell Jamerson has acclimated to his Midwest surroundings after entering the program from the balmy climate of Florida. The Ocala, Fla., native has elevated to a starting role this fall after dabbling as a wide receiver, cornerback and kick returner in his first three seasons. But while Jamerson has settled into Wisconsin life and created a strong bond with his fellow Florida-bred defensive backs, Madison still lags behind the Sunshine State in one department. “It’s got me a little sick,” Jamerson said of the cold weather starting to hit town.
The vast majority of the Wisconsin-Michigan rivalry has been all Wolverines (they hold a 50-14-1 all-time edge). Legendary Michigan coach Bo Schembechler used to wallop the Badgers year-in and year-out, going 18-1 against UW in his career. The tables have turned of late though, as over the last seven matchups, the Badgers hold a 4-3 lead and have outscored UM 198-161.
The last three meetings between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Iowa Hawkeyes have been absolute wars.
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