Slaying a giant is never easy, especially when that giant is cheered on by 103,000 rabid fans screaming for the demise of their intimidated opponent. That is the challenge Wisconsin faces Saturday as it travels to the vociferous Ohio Stadium with hopes of taking down the No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes.
Earlier this week a fellow columnist wrote about the dangers of ESPN's dominance over the sports media industry. I completely agree with his point in that context. But from a different angle, ESPN's presence in a huge media conglomerate can also create benefits across different platforms. In this case, it's access to entertainment.
We're a quarter through the Big Ten season and nearly halfway through the entire season, so now is as good a time as any to post the first Big Ten power rankings.
For senior forward Ben Street, Wisconsin's upcoming matchup with Colorado College means more than a normal opening night at the Kohl Center would.
There's a lot that can come from a big quarterback sack: the lost down, the lost yardage and usually a little less confidence and sharpness from the now bludgeoned signal caller.
Bret Bielema has instilled a contagious attitude in his team this year: work hard, be proud and play with class. Against its biggest rival, and playing for the coveted axe, Wisconsin displayed all three of those attitudes.
When I first found out about ESPNBoston.com, essentially a spinoff of ESPN.com devoted entirely to Boston teams, I thought it was a good idea.
The Wisconsin men's soccer team failed to score for the third straight match, dropping a 3-0 decision to the University of Michigan on Sunday afternoon in Ann Arbor, Mich.
MINNEAPOLIS—As the Wisconsin Badgers paraded around TCF Bank Stadium's field with Paul Bunyan's axe, allowing as many red clad fans to touch it as they could, the celebration almost felt like an emotional release of all the tension that led up to it.
On a weekend that began with a message from head coach Mark Johnson, a highlight video from their national championship run in the 2008-'09 season and the unveiling of a banner celebrating that achievement, the Wisconsin women's hockey team quickly learned that their opponents would not bow down and let the Badgers cakewalk to another title.
It wasn't too long ago when the Badgers played by the maxim that they would run the ball down their opponent's throat because they knew they couldn't be stopped, and opposing defenses knew their chances of stopping Wisconsin were slim.
The Wisconsin volleyball team (0-2 Big Ten, 5-6 overall) will finish up a three-match road trip this weekend with games at Ohio State (1-1 Big Ten, 13-2 overall) and Penn State (2-0 Big Ten, 14-0 overall). After traveling to the raucous Sports Pavilion last Friday, where it was swept by the Golden Gophers, Wisconsin looks to rebound in hopes of its first Big Ten win.
Wisconsin (5-5-2) took on Minnesota (8-2-0) in the classic border battle match-up on a cold and rainy night at the McClimon Sports Complex. At the end of the long and much-delayed evening, the Gophers came out on top, 2-1, in an overtime victory over the Badgers.
It says something about the rivalry when Paul Bunyan's Axe came out in the locker room after Wisconsin held off Michigan State. Make no mistake about it, this game is special.
The score may indicate otherwise, but those present at the UW football team's 38-30 win over Michigan State last weekend realize what a big-time statement it was. The Badgers always seem to let things get a little too exciting, as shown by a careless 91-yard touchdown reception they surrendered in the final minute. Wisconsin was in control for most of the game, answering critics who said their performance in non-conference games wouldn't cut it against the rest of the Big Ten.
In a matchup of two struggling offenses, the University of Illinois-Chicago used two penalty kicks to defeat the Wisconsin men's soccer team, 3-0, in Chicago, Ill., on Wednesday night.
For years we heard the excuse.
I hate to jump the gun and turn into one of those overexcited fans, but if you're looking at what Wisconsin has done so far, and looking ahead at its schedule, there's a strong possibility the Badgers could be headed for a major postseason date in January.
Junior wide receiver Isaac Anderson didn't have to wait long for his time to shine in 2009.
When a team spent its last year dominating all of its competition, losing just two games all year on the way to a third national championship in four years, it's reasonable to expect an equally dominant season from them the next year.
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