Wisconsin "Axed" For It Against Minnesota

Back in August, in this spot, I cautioned people to not get too over-hyped on Bucky. The team was, in my opinion, way too young on defense to be consistent. That proved to be prophetic in this 7-5 season.

On Saturday against Minnesota, I think Paul Chryst was out-coached -- that, and playing quarterback Alex Hornibrook didn't help. He didn't practice until Wednesday, when he was cleared from two weeks of concussion protocol. I think it was a HUGE mistake to stick with him and not play sophomore Jack Coan, who rallied the team to the win at Purdue. Yes, playing Coan would burn his red-shirt opportunity. But not playing him cost the team a shot at a win as Hornibrook tossed three interceptions AND lost a fumble.

It's unlike Chryst to not think things like this through.

I would also think the law of averages caught up to Wisconsin. Minnesota hadn't won in Madison since 1994, and hadn't won Paul Bunyan's Axe since 2003. Too many stars aligned. Gotta feel sorry for this class of seniors, and there are 16 of them, tho not all starting. They will forever be known as The Class That Saw The Streak End. This group of seniors never won less than double-digits in a season -- until now.

(As an aside to this, Minnesota played a freshman offensive lineman from Melbourne, Australia. Daniel Faalele was had to miss, since he stands 6-9 and weighs in at 400 pounds. Yes, the kid is 400 bills. OMG.)

But I digress. Let's look back at this 7-5 Badger team and find the positives as we await their bowl game destination.

The starting offense will lose 4 senior starters (fullback Alex Ingold, left guard Michael Deiter and right guard Beau Benzschawel), Also graduating are running backs Taiwan Deal and Chris James along with right guard Micah Kapoi, as well as kicker Rafael Gaglianone, who leaves with the most field goals in program history.

If you look at the present roster, that means that eight offensive starters, and nine reserves, are coming back.

Defensively, linebackers Andrew Van Ginkel, T.J. Edwards and Ryan Connelly will be missed, as will strong safety D'Cota Dixon. But on the 22-player depth chart, 18 players return. That includes seven of the top eight defensive backs, many of whom saw duty as freshman out of necessity for Defensive Coordinator Jimmy Leonard.

So, getting a bowl game (ANY bowl game) helps get these young players yet more experience. And the future is not as bleak as one might think. Although, to be honest, it depends on Jonathan Taylor returns or not. He's rushed for 1,989 yards so far this season -- after rushing for 1,977 a year ago. That's 3,966 yards -- more than ANY other college back in his first two seasons. If he decides to turn pro, and with the graduation of backups Deal and James, things could get dicey in the backfield..

Tweaking The College Football Playoff

Tired of seeing SEC teams dominate the current college football playoff format with two squads? Of seeing teams like Alabama, even with a loss, getting a bid over an unbeaten team?

After all, 'Bama will probably face Georgia in the SEC title game. If Georgia wins, and assuming  'Bama knocks off Auburn in their annual Iron Bowl tilt -- Auburn having a down year, by the way -- that leaves 'Bama with one loss. And if things play out the way they should, with no upsets, so would Michigan, Washington State and West Virginia.

Unbeaten squads  Notre Dame and Clemson would be in the playoffs for sure. Georgia, the SEC winner, deserves to be there. That leaves FIVE one-loss teams vying for a single spot.

But...But...But...Alabama is such a GREAT team and program, etc., you gotta include them in the playoff! Maybe, maybe not. After all, they didn't even win their conference, so what makes them more deserving than, say, Michigan -- who finally takes care of business against THE Ohio State and wins the Big Ten title? Shouldn't it be WHEN you lose that matters?

I'm throwing out a lot of "what ifs" here. But relax. Relief is a couple of years away. That's when the current contract ends. At that point, expect the playoff field to expand to six, perhaps eight teams.

I have a little suggestion for an eight-team format. You either take all five major conference champions PLUS some wild cards....or, if the powers that be are still so hot-to-trot on the vaunted Southeast Conference, then set up two four-team brackets -- and one of those brackets is just left to the SEC.

How Can Craig Counsell NOT be the NL Manager Of The Year!!!???

The answer to the question pose above -- East Coast Bias.

That sums up the way I look at the announcement that came out yesterday. (That, and thinking "we wuz robbed!") Counsell finished second to Atlanta's Brian Snitker (116 to 99 in voting totals ).

When the season began, the Milwaukee Brewers were picked to finish third in the NL Central, behind Chicago (tabbed to reach the NLCS) and St. Louis. But it was the Brewers who won the NL Central, running down Chicago in the final month, and taking the LA Dodgers to a seventh game in the NLCS.

Granted, Atlanta was picked to finish fourth in the NL East -- behind Washington, the New York Mets, and Philadelphia -- all of which woefully under-performed.

Maybe that's just my "Homer" coming out, but I still don't think Milwaukee is getting the respect it should in light of a 96-67 season. Let's just hope that Christian Yelich is rewarded with a very-much deserved NL MVP trophy!

Wisconsin Fans Are Spoiled, Aren't We?

Back in mid-August, when the Wisconsin Badgers were ranked as high as third in the nation, I called for caution.

Yes, the offense was loaded, returning most of it's starters, but the defense was, all in all, woefully young and inexperienced.

I was a voice crying in the wilderness then, but the struggles of a 5-3 Badger team proved I was a prophet.

Injuries and inexperience have caught up to Wisconsin. The shocking loss to the Cougars of BYU was a punch in the nose to Paul Chryst and his staff. A loss at Michigan was not unexpected, but last weekend's loss to Northwestern was just downright embarrassing.

Granted, with Alex Hornibrook in concussion protocol, Chryst & Co. had to turn to freshman Jack Coan to run the show. But no matter how well Coan played, Wisconsin couldn't overcome three lost fumbles. The short field Northwestern profited from doomed Bucky.

Where's that dominating offensive line, the one with several pre-season All-Americans? Perhaps the horrible Curse Of The Sports Illustrated Cover caught up to them. And of course, it doesn't help that talented running back Jonathan Taylor has put the ball on the ground too many times to count.

That 5-3 record could finish 9-3, but I think 8-4 is more likely -- but only if the team can get a little healthy. Having Rutgers (the alma mater of cartoon character Mr, Magoo) coming to town Saturday helps. Rutgers is 1-5 in the Big Ten (averaging just under 10 points a game while giving up 28) and is a less-than-stellar 1-7 for the year.

But after Rutgers, the Badgers have games at Penn State (6-1) and a dangerous Purdue team (4-4) before finishing with a home game against a struggling Minnesota team.

Let's face it, at one time a 8-4 record and ANY bowl game was cause for massive celebration in Wisconsin. But over the last 25 years or so, we've been spoiled.

Take a deep breath, guys. Chryst and Co. will succeed in the long run.

Bye Bye, Ty -- Closing Thought

Trading Ty Montgomery was a better option for the Packers than merely releasing him -- you can bet Bill Belicheat and the Patriots would have claimed him, gotten intel prior to this week's tilt against Green Bay, then tossed him away.