2017 Wisconsin Football Thread

[OnTheBlack]

Once again they completely abandon the jet sweep, allowing the opponents to put 8 in the box and come crashing in on corner/safety run blitzes off the corner.

 

Even if they just fake it, it keeps the OLBs/corners/safeties at home and opens up the middle.

 

Coan looks like he has a lot stronger arm than Hornibrook, who threw several balls behind receivers and had a bad INT. Coan was an early enrollee and practiced in the spring; he's familiar with the playbook. It probably won't happen, but if he becomes the starter in mid-October I won't be surprised.

 

 

Started the game today with AJ Taylor faking the Jet Sweep and Jonathan Taylor then gashing BYU for some big gains.

 

It definitely seemed like it had the desired affect. They were making sure they had outside contain and it make it easier for Taylor to find some room between the tackles.

 

At some point they're gonna need to at least run the Jet Sweep to give it more credibility and if they get AJ Taylor on the edge with some room, that could be big.

[pacopete4]

Although their nonconference schedule was pretty terrible, the West division in the B10 might be just as bad. There is no reason this team shouldn't be headed back to Indy. The question will be is will they be undefeated going into with a shot at being one of the top 4 playoff teams?

[OnTheBlack]

Although their nonconference schedule was pretty terrible, the West division in the B10 might be just as bad. There is no reason this team shouldn't be headed back to Indy. The question will be is will they be undefeated going into with a shot at being one of the top 4 playoff teams?

 

 

Definitely. But I'm kinda glad they didn't start out with a "Bama or LSU this year(though I think we win the later). Let them get their feet under them...BYU might be a better team than they appear at 1st glance as they've played some good teams close.

 

I think they're a 1 loss team(Michigan) going into the B1G Title game. It's gonna be at a point where Michigan's young guys are really hitting their stride after coming off 3 easy games. Of course they'll also be getting ready for OSU at home and they'll be IN Camp Randall.

 

I really kinda doubt there is any team in a power 5 with an easier route to a spot in the playoff than the Badgers. They should be favored in every game until the Title game.

 

Still..it always seems to be a team you don't expect to jump up and bite you. Iowa, Northwestern in a down year...etc...

[tmwiese55]

I still scratch my head at hiring Anderson. I was abhorring the thought of transitioning to a spread offense...

 

So glad we went back to traditional with Chryst.

 

 

I went to a HS football game with a guy who has had 3 kids play for the Badgers and who has a relative who works very closely with Alvarez. We talked the entire game about the program and for about a half about Andersen. I was of the impression that Barry was caught off guard when he left but apparently there was a lot of friction between Andersen and the administration and he was real close to being forced to move on. He didn't like the direction the franchise was going, he was recruiting a lot of guys who had literally no chance to get into Wisconsin(got a few examples) and he did not like the way he wanted to come in and change Wisconsin's style of football.

 

I could go into more detail, but it sounds like he was real close to actually being fired and him leaving was a godsend for them as they didn't have to pay him to coach elsewhere.

 

At the time they said it would take 3 years for them to get things "back on track."

 

The guy kept saying, "I'll stop rambling," but it was one of the most interesting conversations I've ever had. Hearing about behind the scenes stuff that was going on then, about the Ron Dayne days and making sure he got to class, to his recruiting pitches to out of state guys.

 

But yeah, moral of the story with Andersen, he was frustrated they weren't letting guys in he thought they should make exceptions for, Alvarez was not happy with the direction he was taking the offense, he wasn't happy with way he recruited certain players and thought the program was heading in the wrong direction.

 

Jives with everything I hear around Madison and people who know people, etc...

[homer]

People rip on Andersen as a coach but I think that has more to do with how he left and that abysmal loss to OSU (and to a lesser degree some of the weird stuff with Stave and Gordon). But at the end of the day, he was 19 - 7 in two years with a trip to the B1G Championship. Probably for the best he moved on and from I've heard he had already started packing up his office prior to the Ohio State game but he was an ok coach.

[PlayerHader]

A couple of thoughts after today's game:

 

Hornibrook's arm looks MUCH better

This is one of the better receiving corps they've had in a long time

Taylor is the real deal. That kid is quick.

I don't think the LBs get as much pressure as we are used to.

Overall this team looks really solid in all phases. Definitely could run the table with a little luck

 

 

Well, you can't really blame them! They lost TJ Watt and Vince Biegel(who everyone loved telling you was more productive than Watt...which he was).

 

I actually think I said every single one of those things sans the OLB'ers outloud watching the game at my Dad's house today. Of course I started out the game saying if Hornibrook looks bad for another week or 2 Coan might get a shot(so maybe tomorrow I'll talk about how Hawkins might get a shot if our starting corners struggle!).

 

The OL needs to get squared away a little bit...they just need to be healthy and they need continuity in there. Get guys healthy and keep them together for a stretch.

 

WR'ers/TE-Loaded, they have young guys they don't even need. And you can put the TE's in there. Penniston is super talented and would be a great #1 TE most years, but we have the best in CFB this year. Cephus and Peavy are stepping up big. AJ Taylor is a really talented young guy. Davis is a big play threat.

 

RB-Taylor looks as good as anyone not named Gordon has looked since Dayne as a young guy. He IS a really quick guy with great speed, but he'll run you over also. Shaw and James are solid, nothing special for a UW back, but Taylor is really the game changer.

 

All their DL is back and they have more depth...their MLB'ers are among the best in the country there as well.

 

The only questions I have is just how good the secondary is...only because we haven't matched up against a good QB and WR'er corp like we'll see vs Michigan and hopefully vs OSU in Indy or in a playoff.

 

 

Just hope Hornibrook can get his confidence, keep going to the WR'ers more to open it up for Fumigalli and Penninton underneath and Taylor can keep hitting those lanes...this could be a year to remember for the Big Red!

 

Lots of good stuff in here. But you actually believe that Biegel was more productive than Watt? Biegel never had a single season that approached what TJ did when he settled in for his ONE season as a starting OLB. And I was/am a huge VB fan.

[ZBTMP]

People rip on Andersen as a coach but I think that has more to do with how he left and that abysmal loss to OSU (and to a lesser degree some of the weird stuff with Stave and Gordon). But at the end of the day, he was 19 - 7 in two years with a trip to the B1G Championship. Probably for the best he moved on and from I've heard he had already started packing up his office prior to the Ohio State game but he was an ok coach.

 

Anderson certainly brought in the right people to run the defense if nothing else, which sustained the current level of overall success. His biggest win was…. Melvin Gordon beating an overrated Nebraska team? But offensively its pretty clear Wisconsin was headed for a disaster. I don’t blame him exclusively for the Oline issues (lean years instate, unfortunately injuries Keeler, Gault), but that position group was not headed in the right direction. However, the fact that 2 years later, the only players in the 2 deep at a skill position that committed to Anderson are Kyle Penniston and Austin Ramesh is a bit revealing.

[tmwiese55]

I actually thought Oregon ST was a good fit for GA. Spread offenses all over the PAC 10, no academic standards and very used to bringing in transfer and JC kids, his west coast recruiting ties. But the results have been horrible. They showed signs of life in winning their last two games last year including beating Oregon. But they look like a real chance to not win a game vs an FBS program this year. Yet somehow he got an extension last offseason (2 years into a 6 year deal) likely giving him at least a couple more years of job security. How bad are the negotiators at these schools?

 

As much as people pick on him here, if not for him we would not have had Aranda to bring in the D that has made UW good the last few years while the offense regressed.

[CheezWizHed]

He did fine as a coach. I just didn't like the spread offense concept here. And his recruiting hurt the offense in switching back. Looks like we finally have some decent WRs again.

[lcbj68c]

Hornibrook doesn't seem capable of leading receivers down the field with the deep ball. Everything beyond 15yds seems like a pop-fly. Does he lack arm strength?

[CheezWizHed]

His arm is better this year than last. Good touch but little zip. It will be interesting to watch him mature and see how much his arm strengthens by the time he is a senior.

[pacopete4]

Today I thought I was watching that hiccup game the Badgers usually have. Was very happy to see them snap out of it and take control.

[pitchleague]

Kind of disheartening to see the passing game go buh-bye for the most part tonight. I thought Hornibrook had maybe turned the corner but it's fairly obvious (to me, at least) that he's not quite there yet. He's only a sophomore, though, I need to keep reminding myself.

 

Still, they got the win. Wasn't pretty by any means, no matter what the scoreboard said at the end.

[OnTheBlack]

A couple of thoughts after today's game:

 

Hornibrook's arm looks MUCH better

This is one of the better receiving corps they've had in a long time

Taylor is the real deal. That kid is quick.

I don't think the LBs get as much pressure as we are used to.

Overall this team looks really solid in all phases. Definitely could run the table with a little luck

 

 

Well, you can't really blame them! They lost TJ Watt and Vince Biegel(who everyone loved telling you was more productive than Watt...which he was).

 

I actually think I said every single one of those things sans the OLB'ers outloud watching the game at my Dad's house today. Of course I started out the game saying if Hornibrook looks bad for another week or 2 Coan might get a shot(so maybe tomorrow I'll talk about how Hawkins might get a shot if our starting corners struggle!).

 

The OL needs to get squared away a little bit...they just need to be healthy and they need continuity in there. Get guys healthy and keep them together for a stretch.

 

WR'ers/TE-Loaded, they have young guys they don't even need. And you can put the TE's in there. Penniston is super talented and would be a great #1 TE most years, but we have the best in CFB this year. Cephus and Peavy are stepping up big. AJ Taylor is a really talented young guy. Davis is a big play threat.

 

RB-Taylor looks as good as anyone not named Gordon has looked since Dayne as a young guy. He IS a really quick guy with great speed, but he'll run you over also. Shaw and James are solid, nothing special for a UW back, but Taylor is really the game changer.

 

All their DL is back and they have more depth...their MLB'ers are among the best in the country there as well.

 

The only questions I have is just how good the secondary is...only because we haven't matched up against a good QB and WR'er corp like we'll see vs Michigan and hopefully vs OSU in Indy or in a playoff.

 

 

Just hope Hornibrook can get his confidence, keep going to the WR'ers more to open it up for Fumigalli and Penninton underneath and Taylor can keep hitting those lanes...this could be a year to remember for the Big Red!

 

Lots of good stuff in here. But you actually believe that Biegel was more productive than Watt? Biegel never had a single season that approached what TJ did when he settled in for his ONE season as a starting OLB. And I was/am a huge VB fan.

 

I think Watt a lot more talented but Biegel was more accomplished. No doubt Watt was better last year than Biegel was at any point...but Biegel was all B1G while Watt was a backup. I was more just cutting off the argument I've heard over and over in order to compare Biegel favorably to Watt by saying that Biegel was more productive.

[OnTheBlack]

Kind of disheartening to see the passing game go buh-bye for the most part tonight. I thought Hornibrook had maybe turned the corner but it's fairly obvious (to me, at least) that he's not quite there yet. He's only a sophomore, though, I need to keep reminding myself.

 

Still, they got the win. Wasn't pretty by any means, no matter what the scoreboard said at the end.

 

 

I wonder if Chryst ever considered going with Croan. It would have been a tough situation on the road in Lincoln and it would have been especially tough if he'd done it after the pick 6, I just don't see Hornibrook progressing. Even when he puts up good numbers he's missing. There were a couple of big passing plays vs Northwestern where he underthrew the ball for what would be easy TD's.

 

Some of it may be an at times leaky offensive line, but he made some many obviously bad throws and was lucky to not have been picked off a couple more times.

 

It is pretty amazing they could come out and run the ball all but two times the last...20-25 plays of the game and come away with 3 TD's and then taking a knee. Taylor just looks better and better each week.

[pacopete4]

Hornibrook always seems to fade away from throws. Even on bootleg passes, he's fading towards the sidelines rather than driving in a pass. He's not blessed with a great arm to begin with and passes are getting there even later because of some pretty crappy mechanics.

[lcbj68c]

Ooops. Bye Felicia Andersen

 

http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/20970001/oregon-state-parts-ways-head-coach-gary-andersen

[OnaBadger58]

Ooops. Bye Felicia Andersen

 

http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/20970001/oregon-state-parts-ways-head-coach-gary-andersen

Really interesting that Andersen agreed to part ways and not receive any of his remaining 12 million. Maybe he's just a good dude who realized he wasn't getting anything accomplished, or perhaps there's more to the story.

 

Knowing where the Badgers are now, Andersen was a blessing for them. He brought in Aranda and the 3-4 and gave Chryst some time to understand what it takes to become a head coach.

[pacopete4]

Andersen was is a turd and could have brought Barry's legacy to pretty much the same status.

[trwi7]

Let's just say that I don't think Andersen is going to be getting any Christmas cards from his assistants.

 

http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/john_canzano/index.ssf/2017/10/canzano_gary_andersens_exit_ro.html#incart_2box_sports_oregonian_john_canzano

[LouisEly]

Instead of firing his assistants, he bit the bullet. I'd think he'd be pretty high on their Christmas card list.

 

One of his staffers said, "Most unique man in college football." Another said, "Couldn't be prouder to be his guy but heartbroken that we failed him. Walking away from the money because he is in the business for the kids."

[nate82]

How long before Leonhard is either coaching in the NFL as a d-coordinator or is a head coach somewhere else?

[homer]

Taylor is a stud.

[OnTheBlack]

How long before Leonhard is either coaching in the NFL as a d-coordinator or is a head coach somewhere else?

 

 

I would think we would be able to hold onto him for...3-4 years at least. Then maybe he makes a Dave Doren like move to an NC State type school. The Badgers can't compete with the SEC schools when it comes to assistant coaches salaries, but coaching at his alma mater in his home state should buy us some time.

 

 

Taylor is a stud.

 

And he wasn't even the best freshmen named Taylor on this team(just based on recruiting rankings).

 

Amazing how the Badgers are constantly able to get the most out of all their talent...or more importantly able to identify talent that fits their scheme and players with the academic ability to make it at Wisconsin.

[nate82]

This has been bugging me but the Edwards targeting call was just a horrible call. What was he supposed to do there jump over the receiver and risk injuring himself?

 

It was a perfect form tackle and he gets called for targeting because the receiver ducks his head down as he is about to get hit. If Edwards moves his body in any other direction that hit becomes even more violent.