Like him or not, Wisconsin was an excellent football program when Bret Bielema was at the helm. And it was like that for far longer than those who just want to give credit to Barry Alvarez’s program-building skills would like.
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.
In recent years the coaching carousel has been more of a staple in Wisconsin than cheese curds. With head coach Paul Chryst now leading the charge, the Badgers are on their third head coach in as many years. Contrast that with Iowa, a program that has had two coaches since 1979, and Wisconsin, not Iowa, seems like the program in a rut.
Lynchpin Linebackers
On perhaps the most controversial play of Wisconsin’s game against Troy, junior Leon Jacobs looped, untouched, around the left side of the Trojans’ offensive line on a first-down blitz and obliterated quarterback Brandon Silvers.
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.
Women’s Hockey No. 3 Wisconsin flies to San Jose, Calif.
If you would’ve asked me a year ago where I would place myself on a scale of 1-to-10 regarding my viewpoint of sports, I probably would’ve placed myself very low (low meaning that even though I enjoy attending sporting events, I don’t really have a passion for them).
Despite a solid all-around Badger effort in No. 24 Wisconsin’s 28-3 win against Troy, redshirt senior quarterback Joel Stave proved to be the game’s most valuable player, as he finished the game 13-of-17 passing for 202 yards and a touchdown, while also adding a 4-yard touchdown on the ground.
Dare Ogunbowale may have the most interesting name on the Badgers’ team, an absolute nightmare for public address announcers everywhere.
1. Single deep against the spread
Preseason AP and FPI rankings have not been as kind to the SEC in recent years as they have been in the past, but that may end soon. SEC teams currently hold the top four spots in FPI—No. 3 Ole Miss, No. 8 LSU, No. 7 Georgia and No. 12 Alabama round out the top.
For the second consecutive week, Corey Clement’s game day uniform consisted of a snapback, headset and T-shirt. Hampered by a groin injury that is looking more and more like a serious issue, rather than a nagging minor impairment, Clement’s absence again made offensive coordinator Joe Rudolph get creative with the game plan.
Week 3 of the college football season saw the Big Ten’s first conference game of the year, a matchup between Penn State and Rutgers that resulted in a 28-3 victory for the Nittany Lions.
Hawaii head coach Norm Chow is now three games into his fourth season since arriving from his alma mater, Utah. In his first three seasons, Chow and the Warriors have struggled finding success, finishing with a combined 8-29 record.
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.
The Badgers may see some rainbows and a wave or two, but it won’t be a vacation for Wisconsin (2-1) as they take on Hawaii Saturday night.
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