Lack of flexibility hurts BCS
By Ben Breiner | Dec. 10, 2009One has to wonder if Florida coach Urban Meyer feels for Boise State and TCU right now.
One has to wonder if Florida coach Urban Meyer feels for Boise State and TCU right now.
In a league as talented as the WCHA, seemingly every weekend produces compelling matchups. For the Wisconsin men's hockey team, this weekend's trip to Grand Forks, N.D., is one that has been circled on the calendar for a long time. The No. 11 Badgers (7-4-1 WCHA, 10-5-1 overall) close out the 2009 portion of their schedule with a two game showdown at Ralph Engelstad Arena against rival North Dakota (9-5-2, 6-5-1).
When Wisconsin men's hockey head coach Mike Eaves and his coaching staff set out to pair up their defenders before the season, it was clear the group had a chance to be special. With a combination of blue-line scoring potential and gritty, physical defense, the coaches had the luxury of matching players to maximize strengths and minimize weaknesses. Of the six Badger defensemen, five have already been drafted by NHL teams, including three in the first round, despite the fact that there is not a senior among them.
On a day when snow shut down Madison's campus, the Wisconsin men's basketball team was shut down by the 3-point shot of UW-Green Bay in an 88-84 overtime loss.
Rarely do the Badgers' travels take the team north, but that is where they they head tonight as the men's basketball team gets ready to face UW-Green Bay.
This time of year, everyone argues about how great it would be for NCAA football to use a playoff system, like the NFL does. But nobody asks themelves ""what if the NFL borrowed the postseason system from the college game?"" Maybe it's the NFL that has to reconsider its postseason structure, not college football. I figure if the NFL adopted the bowl system, we'd have a pretty exciting postseason. Here's how it would shape up this year.
Head coach Bo Ryan and the men's basketball team are reaping all the rewards they deserve after last week's success. The Badgers are coming off arguably one of the biggest wins in the program's recent history, a 73-69 victory over No. 5 Duke Dec 2. Wisconsin followed that with a 33-point victory over Grambling State Saturday.
Last night, Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin returned to action after serving a two-game suspension for an illegal hit he laid on the Carolina Hurricanes' Tim Gleason. While it is good to see a superstar like Ovechkin finally serve some time for bending and breaking the rules, his suspension sheds light on the NHL's spotty discipline policy.
The Badgers (6-1) breezed through a cool-down game at the Kohl Center Saturday, beating Grambling State 79-46 behind 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting from senior guard Trevon Hughes.
Powerful running from sophomore running back John Clay and a physical four-quarter defensive effort propelled Wisconsin to a 51-10 blowout victory in its regular season finale Saturday against Hawaii.
The Badgers' 51-10 mauling of Hawaii can be seen in several different lights.
The Wisconsin men's hockey team felt it had something to prove after dropping a 3-2 decision to the Michigan Wolverines last Saturday. The message came through loud and clear this weekend at the expense of the Michigan Tech Huskies.
After a week out of league play, the No. 16 Wisconsin men's hockey team jumps back into WCHA action this weekend with a home series against the Michigan Tech Huskies. After splitting series the last two weekends, the Badgers (5-4-1 WCHA, 8-5-1 overall) look to gain ground in the conference standings, with four points up for grabs. The Huskies come to Madison with a record of 3-9-0 (2-8-0 WCHA) and find themselves in the basement of the league.
Last year Brandon Jennings became the first basketball player to go international rather than participate at the college level. His experience abroad has paid off so far, as the Milwaukee Bucks guard is averaging 22 points per game this year, including his 55-point effort a few weeks ago. With the NBA's collective bargaining agreement expiring in 2011, there are rumblings that Commissioner David Stern may try to raise the league's 19-year old age minimum. Based on Jennings' positive results from his abroad experience, raising the age limit could send even more potential NBA stars and NCAA standouts to international leagues.
As the mercury drops, most Wisconsinites dream of escaping to a warm tropical locale and forgetting their responsibilities for a bit.
Any excitement from the win over Duke or the Big Ten's first Big Ten-ACC challenge victory was short-lived for Wisconsin.
In front of an electric crowd at the Kohl Center, the Wisconsin men's basketball team put on an unforgettable performance, upsetting the No. 6 Duke Blue Devils 73-69 Wednesday night.
The science (or is it an art?) of deciding whether things are over- or underrated is as much a part of sports as ESPN cross-promotion and complaining about officiating. This rigorous and time-tested methodology must now be turned on some of the traditions of Badger sports.
Perhaps the most fascinating element of the Big Ten-ACC Challenge is the contrast between the two conferences. ACC fans laud the conference for its high-scoring and up-tempo offensive contests, while the Big Ten prides itself on its defensive toughness and its fundamental emphasis.
Die-hard Badger fans have had tonight's game circled on their calendars since last April, when the matchups for the 11th Big Ten-ACC Challenge were announced. And now the day has come: Tonight Wisconsin welcomes perennial powerhouse Duke into the Kohl Center.