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.
Coming off of a disappointing performance against in-state rivals Green Bay, the Wisconsin women’s basketball team (1-1) will look to bounce back Monday night as they host Southern University (1-1). Southern University has had a start to their season that mimics that of Wisconsin as they blew out Mobile University in its season opener before falling to Indiana.
Going into the weekend, the No. 13 Wisconsin Badgers (10-8 Big Ten, 19-8 overall) were hoping to play more consistently than they have since Big Ten competition started.
They were losing, then winning, then losing again and then they ultimately tied. Saturday night’s matchup with Michigan (2-2-1-1 Big Ten, 6-4-2 overall) followed an unusual, yet familiar story for Wisconsin’s men’s hockey team (3-2-1-0, 8-5-2), as they mounted a comeback to erase an early deficit but couldn’t seal the deal in an eventful 4-4 tie. The stage was set dramatically in the first seven minutes as the Badgers dug themselves a quick two-goal hole on goals from Michigan’s Cooper Marody and Tony Calderone.
Difficulty putting together a full weekend Wisconsin has struggled to put together a full weekend all season.
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.
Coming into this season, the Badgers felt like they had a legitimate shot to win a national championship.
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.
1. Baker Mayfield, RS Senior QB- Oklahoma At this point, Mayfield has a firm grasp of the steering wheel in this Heisman year.
Wisconsin Wisconsin’s defense will need to keep the same mentality they had against the Iowa Hawkeyes.
In what has been a largely up and down 2017 campaign, No. 13 Wisconsin hit perhaps its lowest point of the season this past weekend. On the road in West Lafayette, the No. 13 Badgers (8-8 Big Ten, 17-8 overall) fell to the Purdue Boilermakers in straight sets last Saturday, suffering their first sweep since 2016.
Coming into this season, many thought the Big Ten was going to primarily be a five-team race between Minnesota, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Ohio State and Penn State. Now, after a 2-1-1 conference start and a 6-3-1 overall start, including a win and a tie against No. 7 Minnesota, Michigan has reestablished themselves as a competitive, quality hockey team with legitimate Big Ten Championship aspirations.
The No. 5 Wisconsin Badgers (7-0 Big Ten, 10-0 Overall) still have a bad taste in their mouth from the last time they faced No. 19 Michigan (5-2, 8-2). When the undefeated Badgers travelled to Ann Arbor to take on the Wolverines in 2016, they struggled through a brutal 14-7 loss that put the season in perspective and forced Wisconsin to get back on track. “They were a pretty sound, physical defense, and they kind of kicked our butt that day,” redshirt sophomore right tackle David Edwards said.
It’s a little bit redundant to say at this point, but I still have to say it: what a weekend of college football.
SCENE: We see Michigan Head Football Coach Jim Harbaugh bellied up at a bar. It’s late on a weeknight, and the bar is nearly empty, save for a regular huddled in one of the booths in the back and a pool shark practicing his game.
At the start of this college football season, many expected the Wisconsin vs. Michigan meeting to be a top-10 contest.
In a chaotic week full of upsets for the top-10 teams in the College Football Playoff rankings, the Big Ten conference hardly had any surprising results.
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