2017 Wisconsin Football Thread

[Fear The Chorizo]

Takes two to tango with scheduling, and middle of the road to bottom tier sec teams simply won't schedule games against better programs so they can prop their win loss records up to get bowl eligible and improve the perception of the conference as a whole.

 

Not sure how feasible it is, but if I'm the big ten I try to schedule even more conference games instead of trying to go OOC for quality wins. To hell with the rest of the conferences. They have enough teams, schedule 10 conference games and 2 cupcakes. If wisconsin got 1 more conference game against the east, they would have added osu, msu, or psu on their schedule instead of Utah state.

[tmwiese55]

True, those teams are worried about bowl eligibility. So it comes down to money talking on it, have to make it worth it for them. Spitballing a bit, you could probably work out some things similar to the B1G/ACC challenge in basketball, so it's kind of a fixed schedule or plan of when to play teams. Or like in the NFL when you play the other divisions. Obviously would have to be planned far in advance so way too complicated as so many games are already planned.

[owbc]

Yeah, Wisconsin needs to cancel (or threaten to cancel) that Lambeau Field game vs. Notre Dame immediately and cite the CFP committee as the reason for doing it. Otherwise there will never be any positive change. It's a complete joke that Alabama is rewarded for playing Mercer.

[Samurai Bucky]

Yeah, Wisconsin needs to cancel (or threaten to cancel) that Lambeau Field game vs. Notre Dame immediately and cite the CFP committee as the reason for doing it. Otherwise there will never be any positive change. It's a complete joke that Alabama is rewarded for playing Mercer.

... and only playing 8 conference games as opposed to 9...

[pacopete4]

Yeah, Wisconsin needs to cancel (or threaten to cancel) that Lambeau Field game vs. Notre Dame immediately and cite the CFP committee as the reason for doing it. Otherwise there will never be any positive change. It's a complete joke that Alabama is rewarded for playing Mercer.

... and only playing 8 conference games as opposed to 9...

 

 

Sadly I agree. Why even toy with the possibility of a loss? Just sweep the west and try to finally win a big ten championship game and they’ll get in most likely.

[paul253]

The NCAA needs to step in and regulate scheduling. I mentioned earlier but there should be a few simple rules: All conferences play the same number of conference games. No non conference games after a certain date unless it’s a team that’s not affiliated with a conference. And no FCS teams.

[Fear The Chorizo]

Food for thought - had the current playoff system been of the 6-team variety (top two teams get a bye), Wisconsin would've made it as the #6 seed and played Georgia, while OSU would've faced off against Alabama. For all the debate about whether OSU or Alabama is more deserving, they could've settled it on the field.

 

I'm sure if the committee knew they were picking 6 spots they could've easily given USC or Penn State the #6 spot to knock out the Badgers.

 

Notre Dame has to be wondering why they get so crazy with their scheduling - they already have USC and Stanford games penciled in every year, then essentially add on a bunch of ACC games to a slate that still includes decent to solid Big Ten programs, with the occasional top 5 SEC school sprinkled in. Their travel schedule is more extreme than anyone else in the country, too.

 

At minimum, there needs to be a scheduling tweak across the Power 5 conferences that requires 9 conference games to be played by everyone. That removes what is essentially a 2nd bye week for SEC and ACC schools from their schedule compared to Big 10/Pac 12/Big 12 schedules. I feel like the current conference schedules for the Big Ten / Pac 12 / Big 12 are artifacts of the SEC dominance during the BCS era - to try and bolster their schedule strengths and avoid a repeat of that LSU/Alabama national title game. What it's ended up doing is making it more difficult for these other conferences to have a guaranteed playoff spot, regardless of how their best teams play down the stretch. This whole fall, there was never a debate about whether the SEC or ACC deserved to have 1 team in the playoff, it was typically about how they could field 2 teams based on how the other conferences' best were losing games in late October/early November.

 

Obviously, only way to change the perception is to win big games against other conferences - but right now the SEC and ACC have so many things tilted in their favor (scheduling, travel advantage, poll bias chief among them) that it makes it difficult to even get invited to the party to compete against them.

 

By no means am I a Baker Mayfield fan, but I'd love Oklahoma to light it up for two games and walk away with a national title about 1 month from now.

[tmwiese55]

Yea I think if it was a 6 team they'd almost always have all 5 conference champs in barring them having 3 losses, like if Stanford had won vs USC. So it would be USC instead of us in as the 6th.

 

The problem cited about making the Power 5s play each other more and eliminating FCS games is that it would kill the revenue that funds those smaller schools. While I agree that is unfortunate, I actually think big picture that is going to be the result anyway as football is played less and less by youth and just the overall health concerns that are going to hurt football long term. That stuff will go away and the P5 schools will converge as a separate entity with their own rules and regulations so in a way scheduling like this can just speed that all up.

[Jimbo]

The most important football game since maybe the 1993 game against Michigan State. Too bad they couldn't pull this one off. Just had the gut feeling the Ohio State was going to take it..because they're Ohio State. The only silver lining is the Buckeyes still couldn't make the playoff.

 

Disappointed in missing out on a Jan 1 bowl game, but a Saturday evening game in prime time is the next best thing.

[homer]

Hearing rumblings that Nick Nelson is going pro. Wonder if he'll play in the bowl game?

[PeaveyFury]

I didn't think Nelson played well enough to be anything other than a third-day pick. All-Big Ten, sure. But what's his draft ceiling? Hoping for 3rd/4th round?

 

Going pro now is puzzling to say the least.

[danzig6767]

I didn't think Nelson played well enough to be anything other than a third-day pick. All-Big Ten, sure. But what's his draft ceiling? Hoping for 3rd/4th round?

 

Going pro now is puzzling to say the least.

 

I don't find it puzzling at all. If say Nelson were to get drafted somewhere in the 3rd round, he'd get a signing bonus in the 700-800 thousand range and a weekly paycheck around 27 grand. Or he could stay at Wisconsin, play again for free, and risk a knee injury.

 

Besides that, if Nelson were to become a productive NFL player, by coming out this year vs next year, he earns an extra year of service time, one season sooner towards a second contract where non-high picks can really get big money.

[PeaveyFury]

All fair points, danzig. I think, though, the debate/argument is always whether a player would be better off passing on a shot to be a fringe 3/4th rounder for another year of development and a chance to be a 1/2, making that initial bonus so much more, which is important if that 2nd contract doesn't materialize, as is the case for many/most 3/4th rounders.

[Fear The Chorizo]

each player's situation with the NFL draft is very different - I don't recall Nelson being one of those 5-star prospects who scouts are just waiting on to develop football skills to go along with freakish athleticism. Nelson's draft stock may never get higher than it is right now, and the injury risk for a guy projected in the mid-rounds is often too great to risk having a down/injured 2018 collegiate season and miss being drafted altogether.

 

sidebar to this discussion, I fully expect a TON of early draft declarations following the 2019 collegiate season - all signs point to an NFL strike/lockout that could easily wipe out the 2021 season/draft entirely once their current CBA expires end of 2020. Players have been talking about it ever since their last labor agreement was signed. I think if the NFL strikes and either loses a season or partial season, irreparable damage will be done to their game. It's already been showing signs of decline with fans over the past few years, due to alot of issues (CTE/longterm health topping that list). The next CBA negotiation will be very interesting, because it will have the players' side demanding much more of a shrinking Pie of NFL revenue that the owners will be struggling to deal with. In fact, if I'm an owner of an NFL team I may seriously consider selling now.

[homer]

I didn't think Nelson played well enough to be anything other than a third-day pick. All-Big Ten, sure. But what's his draft ceiling? Hoping for 3rd/4th round?

 

Going pro now is puzzling to say the least.

 

 

Probably depends on his pro day. The dbacks weren't really tested all that much because of UW's pass rush and the fact that they only played a few decent QB's all year.

[danzig6767]

All fair points, danzig. I think, though, the debate/argument is always whether a player would be better off passing on a shot to be a fringe 3/4th rounder for another year of development and a chance to be a 1/2, making that initial bonus so much more, which is important if that 2nd contract doesn't materialize, as is the case for many/most 3/4th rounders.

 

If i was told that i'd likely go in the first three rounds, then i'd for sure declare if i was Nelson. If though i was told instead that i might go 4th round or later, then the decision gets tougher.

 

Staying in college to maybe improve my draft spot by only a round or two at best gets dicey when the injury risk is factored in and losing a year of paychecks, along with a year of service time.

 

It's a tough decision for guys like Nelson who aren't a sure fire first round talent, but are good enough to get drafted for sure because the draft can be unpredictable for guys like him where maybe a team or teams sees him as a 3rd round pick, but because of how the draft plays out, he slips till say the 5th round.

 

Every draft, some guys get picked sooner than most projected, while others slip multiple rounds than projected.

[LouisEly]

Nelson said he has not made a decision and to "not write my story for me".

 

Nelson was a consensus first-team all Big Ten (Josh Jackson the other first team CB, which means he was selected over Ohio State's CBs), and SBNation had him as an honorable mention All-American. He has the size, he ran down Ohio State's RB in the Big Ten Championship game - he's faster than people think - and he led the nation in pass breakups. I have him as a mid-2nd to late 3rd round pick.

[Jenkins5]

Michigan trying to steal our prized 2019 QB Graham Mertz.... just offered him today.... hope he doesn’t bail. Good news, they landed 2nd 4star OL for that class!

[NeedMoreFans]

I'm hearing rumors that Jim Leonhard has been approached by other schools. Can we just pay our coordinators a bit more, please?

[PeaveyFury]

I'm hearing rumors that Jim Leonhard has been approached by other schools. Can we just pay our coordinators a bit more, please?

 

I believe Leonard was in the top half of defensive coordinators in the Big Ten pay-wise, and only slightly behind an established d-coordinator in Schiano despite being in his first year as a coordinator. I think the assistant pay stuff was a crappy excuse given by Bielema as his reason for leaving more than a serious issue, IMO.

[LouisEly]

Of course they're approaching him. But Leonhard played in the NFL for 10 years and by my estimates made over $10M in his career - he's already financially set for life. He's not a former struggling grad assistant who made next to nothing for years; I highly doubt he would jump to another school for a couple hundred thousand a year. Plus, he's in as low pressure of a situation as he will ever have at UW; if he goes to another school, he's just another coach who is expected to deliver results immediately or be fired in four years. I don't think he wants to put his family through that when he doesn't need the money.

 

I highly doubt he would make a lateral move. His next move will either be for a HC position, or more likely, a NFL DC position.

[Baldkin]

I'm hearing rumors that Jim Leonhard has been approached by other schools. Can we just pay our coordinators a bit more, please?

 

I believe Leonard was in the top half of defensive coordinators in the Big Ten pay-wise, and only slightly behind an established d-coordinator in Schiano despite being in his first year as a coordinator. I think the assistant pay stuff was a crappy excuse given by Bielema as his reason for leaving more than a serious issue, IMO.

 

It's really not.

 

Leonard is making 600k. Aranda is making 1.8 Million at LSU.

[OnaBadger58]

I'm hearing rumors that Jim Leonhard has been approached by other schools. Can we just pay our coordinators a bit more, please?

 

I believe Leonard was in the top half of defensive coordinators in the Big Ten pay-wise, and only slightly behind an established d-coordinator in Schiano despite being in his first year as a coordinator. I think the assistant pay stuff was a crappy excuse given by Bielema as his reason for leaving more than a serious issue, IMO.

 

It's really not.

 

Leonard is making 600k. Aranda is making 1.8 Million at LSU.

This is also the first time Leonhard has been a D-Coordinator. With the limited coaching experience, 600K isn't too bad. It's more than what Wilcox and Aranda received at Wisconsin. It will be interesting to see if Wisconsin would open up its pocketbook for someone that has done so much for the University.

[PeaveyFury]

Great start to the bowl season for the BIG... hoping PSU and Wisconsin can keep it rolling to build respect for the league as we hit more of the 'big' games.

[LouisEly]

It still boggles my mind that Clemson lost to a 4-8 team and is the "#1 seed", but UW lost to the #5 team in the country and is not in the playoff. Soft non-conference schedule? Florida Atlantic ran the table in their conference and won their bowl game 50-3.

 

I can't root for Penn State under any circumstances, but was very pleased with Ohio State's performance yesterday.