2017 Wisconsin Football Thread

[Fear The Chorizo]

What I can't stand in this whole CFP discussion is how the Big Ten is always looked from the perspective of resumes for the East division teams, and WI gets dismissed due to strength of schedule concerns - I feel like in November, power 5 conference teams need don't need to start being compared based on "quality wins" (nobody really knows what a quality win is until the season's over anyway) until they lose a game. If a power 5 conference team goes undefeated AND wins its conference championship, they should be in the playoff no questions asked. The only scenario where WI should be left out of the playoff as an undefeated Big Ten champion is if you have 3 other undefeated power 5 conference champs and an undefeated independent like ND. Since that's nowhere close to a possibility, WI is in if they win out.

 

If WI loses a game, then its strength of schedule should get questioned when compared to other 1 and potentially 2 loss teams the committee may need to fill out the 4-team playoff. Until they lose a game, why can't the analysts simply state that?

 

I also think there are still so many matchups down the stretch against teams in front of WI in the initial CFP rankings, that it won't matter who an undefeated WI would play in the Big Ten title game - no matter how many losses they'd have. Wins against Iowa and Michigan will put the Badgers at or on the cusp of the #4 CFP ranking heading into championship week - and if they aren't in the top 4 before their conference title game, there will be at least 1 other conference title game with two teams ranked ahead of them playing each other in what should be a CFP elimination game.

[PeaveyFury]

(nobody really knows what a quality win is until the season's over anyway)

 

And I'd take this a step further to say that early season 'quality wins' often become problematic due to the massive problem that is flawed preseason rankings. FSU #3? Michigan a top 10 team? Hilarious. But at the time, Alabama lodged a win against a top 5 team.

[LouisEly]

Still a lot left to sort things out. Oklahoma plays TCU and WVU at home - not easy wins - and then the Big 12 Championship, plenty of opportunities to get a 2nd loss.

 

Weird observation - if Ohio State loses more games, that makes Oklahoma's win less impressive. Need to root for whoever plays Ohio State. Ohio State plays Michigan State at home, then at Michigan. Michigan State #13 now; if they beat OSU they should vault into the top 10.

 

Also need to root for whoever plays Syracuse, as Clemson's loss looks worse the more that Syracuse loses. Syracuse losing to FSU yesterday helps.

 

Miami has Notre Dame, then likely Clemson in the ACC Championship. If Miami beats ND then ND has two losses, if Clemson beats Miami then you have a 1-loss Clemson team with a bad loss to Syracuse.

[AKCheesehead]

On a different note, I was so hoping Arkansas would lose to the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers yesterday, I was bummed when they pulled it out and won. I figured if they lose to the worst team from the Sun Belt conference, Bielema would probably be unemployed on Monday.

[Fear The Chorizo]

I agree regarding preseason rankings carrying way too much weight...ap poll shouldn't come out until november, cfp shouldn't issue any rankings until thanksgiving week.

 

Preseason rankings are pretty much an extension of recruiting class rankings and prior year results....things that are insignificant once games start being played

[adambr2]

Won by 28 in Indiana and dropped 2 spots in the AP poll. Better put up 80 against Iowa or they'll be dropping us out of the top 10.

 

It's also cute of the AP writers to adjust their voting to try to more closely match the CFP rankings. Because Notre Dame rising from 5 to 3 after giving up 37 points at home to unranked Wake and winning by 11 while we drop from 4 to 6 after beating Indiana by 4 TDs on the road makes total logical sense and has absolutely nothing to do with the coincidence that it now more closely mirrors the CFP.

[Fear The Chorizo]

I also noticed the AP poll garbage...WI ranked #3 in the coaches poll, though. Maybe coaches just don't have enough time to read everything the experts have sent them to dictate how they rank teams

 

Michigan has been written off much too soon due to those two losses, largely brought on by their starting qb getting injured. Their losses came against msu and psu with their poor backup qb play, not syracuse...so I guess they get shafted.

 

It's unfortunate...based on actual on field talent and the way the teams are playing up to this point, wisconsin is going to have two very difficult opponents the next two weeks - but if they find a way to win what should be two hard fought games, M and Iowa will be considered inferior tests because they couldn't beat the badgers.

[Fear The Chorizo]

Looking at this coming week's slate of games, I would like nothing more than hitting the following superfecta of results:

 

WI beats Iowa

Alabama finds a way to lose at Miss St.

Auburn beats Georgia

Miami beats ND

Clemson loses against FSU

OKLA loses to TCU

Washington loses at Stanford

 

Talking heads would explode...and I think in reality most of the above outcomes could easily happen.

[LouisEly]

I wouldn't hold my breath for FSU winning at Clemson, especially with how bad FSU played at BC two weeks ago, but you know this is FSU's bowl game and they would love nothing more than beating Clemson at their house.

[superfly]

Looking at this coming week's slate of games, I would like nothing more than hitting the following superfecta of results:

 

WI beats Iowa

Alabama finds a way to lose at Miss St.

Auburn beats Georgia

Miami beats ND

Clemson loses against FSU

OKLA loses to TCU

Washington loses at Stanford

 

Talking heads would explode...and I think in reality most of the above outcomes could easily happen.

 

In this scenario UW most definitely drops to #11. All about the $$

[adambr2]

Looking at this coming week's slate of games, I would like nothing more than hitting the following superfecta of results:

 

WI beats Iowa

Alabama finds a way to lose at Miss St.

Auburn beats Georgia

Miami beats ND

Clemson loses against FSU

OKLA loses to TCU

Washington loses at Stanford

 

Talking heads would explode...and I think in reality most of the above outcomes could easily happen.

 

In this scenario UW most definitely drops to #11. All about the $$

 

New CFP after this scenario:

 

#1 - Miami

#2 - TCU

#3 - Georgia

#4 - Alabama

 

Sadly, this is probably not that far removed from what reality would be.

[Fear The Chorizo]

Cephus and Orr already ruled out for the Iowa game...injuries to key players on both sides of the ball not good heading into a tough game. Hopefully they don't miss significant time, but being ruled out on a Monday is worrisome.

[nate82]

Cephus is probably going to be out for the rest of the year which sucks as he is the best WR the Badgers have.

[pacopete4]

Cephus has been so fun to watch too. With a competent QB, that dude would light it up.

[Samurai Bucky]

Wisconsin gets more love if they score > 50 and win by > 30 vs. Iowa.

[Fear The Chorizo]

Bucky bumps up a spot in the CFP to #8 due mostly to Penn St. and Ohio St. losing last week - they also got leapfrogged by Miami. This weekend's games will be extremely interesting, since ND plays Miami, Oklahoma plays TCU, and Georgia plays Auburn - guaranteed that at least 2 of the teams rated ahead of Wisconsin lose, so if the Badgers beat Iowa they should jump up at least 2 spots.

 

What I'm really interested in seeing is how far Alabama or Georgia falls after they lose a game...it will be telling if Georgia loses to Auburn and an undefeated WI still finds the Bulldogs ahead of them in next week's rankings. Knowing how things would transpire, I wouldn't be surprised if Auburn would leapfrog them, too.

[paul253]

If Wisconsin goes undefeated and Georgia loses in the SEC championship game it’ll be interesting to see how the committee handles it. Everyone talks about how weak the Big Ten West is but I’m looking at the top 25 and see three Big Ten West teams in there. You want to talk about weak let’s talk about the SEC East, where Georgia plays. That division is awful. Who is the second best team even? South Carolina? Kentucky? So would Georgia’s win over ND offset their loss to Alabama AND the fact that they may be playing in the weakest Power 5 division? You wouldn’t think so but this years rankings are baffling to me.

 

And I can’t for the life of me figure out how Michigan isn’t ranked. They lost to two top 15 teams, one in a monsoon and both with their backup QB. There are 5 three loss teams ranked ahead of them.

[Fear The Chorizo]

Both of Michigan's losses came with their backup QB...yet somehow Michigan is viewed as awful even though those losses were against Michigan State and Penn State.

 

Clemson loses to Syracuse because their starting QB got dinged (although they were down 17-14 when he got concussed, which includes Clemson scoring a touchdown defensively), and they are somehow automatically a top-4 team thus far.

[JackNicholson1974]

I am a huge Wisconsin fan/homer. I am not at all concerned about their CFP ranking because I think its about right. I DONT think the Badgers can win all three games vs. Iowa, Michigan and Big10 Title game. If they do, great, they will be top four. If they lose one, with their schedule, they probably dont deserve to be in top 4 with 1 loss anyway.

[Fear The Chorizo]

I am a huge Wisconsin fan/homer. I am not at all concerned about their CFP ranking because I think its about right. I DONT think the Badgers can win all three games vs. Iowa, Michigan and Big10 Title game. If they do, great, they will be top four. If they lose one, with their schedule, they probably dont deserve to be in top 4 with 1 loss anyway.

 

Agreed, but it's telling that both the committee and talking heads have spent the past few weeks setting up the current rankings to provide wiggle room for 1 and even 2 loss teams to be in front of the Badgers if they stay undefeated. Circular, hyprocritical arguments are made to both suppress WI's resume and bolster these 1-loss teams to the point where it feels like the Big Ten is no longer a power 5 conference...yet they currently have SIX teams in top 25 - should be 7 with Michigan.

[Samurai Bucky]

I am a huge Wisconsin fan/homer. I am not at all concerned about their CFP ranking because I think its about right. I DONT think the Badgers can win all three games vs. Iowa, Michigan and Big10 Title game. If they do, great, they will be top four. If they lose one, with their schedule, they probably dont deserve to be in top 4 with 1 loss anyway.

I like how you omitted the goofers. I see what you did there...

[Fear The Chorizo]

Cephus officially done for the year - that hurts, especially when nobody knows if/when Peavy will be back on the field

[Fear The Chorizo]

Iowa with as many points as total offensive yards midway through the 3rd quarter due to two hornibrook pick 6s...terrified every time he passes the ball at this point!

[homer]

This defense is so ridiculous. That INT by Edwards was one of the more athletic plays by a MLB I've ever seen at UW.

[Fear The Chorizo]

UGA exposed today, hoping for ND to go down tonight as well and wisky really couldn't have asked for better outcomes to improve their position this weekend.

 

Although I'm sure auburn will be ranked in front of them tuesday...