2018 Wisconsin Badgers football

[PeaveyFury]

I'm hoping they don't do the Wisconsin thing and keep Mertz on the scout team all season. They did the same thing years ago with Bollinger, even though it was obvious he was the best QB on the team. If Mertz is the other-worldly talent he is being hyped as, he should play in 2019. There is no way Hornibrook and Coan are the types of talents that should keep him down.

 

I take your point and tend to agree, but it's worth noting that when Bollinger sat, Mike Samuel led them to a Rose Bowl Win.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

I'm hoping they don't do the Wisconsin thing and keep Mertz on the scout team all season. They did the same thing years ago with Bollinger, even though it was obvious he was the best QB on the team. If Mertz is the other-worldly talent he is being hyped as, he should play in 2019. There is no way Hornibrook and Coan are the types of talents that should keep him down.

 

I take your point and tend to agree, but it's worth noting that when Bollinger sat, Mike Samuel led them to a Rose Bowl Win.

 

Hell, I could have handed the ball off to Ron Dayne that year and led them to a Rose Bowl win.

[PeaveyFury]

Exactly. You'd think the Badgers just need a non-turnover-prone QB next year to win a decent amount of games with Taylor in the backfield.

[MrTPlush]

Exactly. You'd think the Badgers just need a non-turnover-prone QB next year to win a decent amount of games with Taylor in the backfield.

 

What they really need is a turnover forcing defense. For their QB (and somewhat lack of offensive WR threat) they can't put together lengthy drives.

[wallus]

Was it just my perception that the line did not block pass attempts well at all? It didn't seem like Coan had a lot of time back there. Coan throws a nice ball but either give him some protection or roll him out to utilize his athletic ability.

[Jenkins5]

Was it just my perception that the line did not block pass attempts well at all? It didn't seem like Coan had a lot of time back there. Coan throws a nice ball but either give him some protection or roll him out to utilize his athletic ability.

 

Pass blocking has been tough all year. Even Edwards when healthy struggled this season which took him out of 1-2 round draft pick he was suppose to be. Detzen is a guard/center so when at left tackle he doesn’t do great. He is merely a run muller out there Van Lanen & Bruss are inexperienced and learning.

[LouisEly]

Was it just my perception that the line did not block pass attempts well at all? It didn't seem like Coan had a lot of time back there. Coan throws a nice ball but either give him some protection or roll him out to utilize his athletic ability.

They were also facing a really good defense. Miami is #1 in the nation in passing defense, 9th in the nation in sacks, 13th in the nation in INTs, 24th in rushing defense.

[nodakfan17]

I don’t get the crowd who is calling for fewer bowl games.

 

I know two 7-5 teams isn’t a marquee matchup, but wasn’t that game fun (for Badger fans)? Outcome excluded, isn’t it good for student athletes to visit the NYSE, play at Yankee Stadium, and get $500 in SWAG? For fans, isn’t marginal college football on the Thursday after Christmas better than Dr. Phil reruns?

[paul253]

He's against the playoff expanding because it means he will have to win an additional game against a top 8 opponent to win a national championship

 

Late to the party here but a few more reasons:

 

1) His team is ALWAYS going to get the benefit of the doubt and get put in ahead of teams with a similar or even slightly better argument.

2) The talk is the first round games would be played on campus, so his team might have to actually play a non conference team in their stadium, something his Alabama teams have done all of one time since he took over in 2007 and won’t do again until 2022. That’s insane when you think about it. One true non conference road game in 16 years! Some power 5 schools play two true non conference road games on the same season.

[stoutdude04]

I don’t get the crowd who is calling for fewer bowl games.

 

I know two 7-5 teams isn’t a marquee matchup, but wasn’t that game fun (for Badger fans)? Outcome excluded, isn’t it good for student athletes to visit the NYSE, play at Yankee Stadium, and get $500 in SWAG? For fans, isn’t marginal college football on the Thursday after Christmas better than Dr. Phil reruns?

 

I'm not sure anyone here is calling for less bowl games. Some(most?) are calling for more playoff games is all.

 

Look at the WV Cuse game. 2 top 20 teams and the top player sat out. Was that enjoyable for WV fans? Perhaps, but their qb play was pathetic.

 

Also, it was pretty evident that one team in the Bucky Miami game didnt really care to be there.

[nodakfan17]

4 16-Team Super Conferences. There’s your 8-Team Playoff.

[owbc]

Another thrilling CFP game today...at least with the 4-team format we can get rid of Notre Dame before the final.

[nodakfan17]

Another thrilling CFP game today...at least with the 4-team format we can get rid of Notre Dame before the final.

Yeah, makes you wonder if 4 teams is too many. At least Alabama vs Clemson IV should be pretty good. Also, while everyone else was playing a conference championship game, Notre essentially received a bye to the CFP. I hate that.

[LouisEly]

David Edwards has declared for the NFL draft.

 

Really surprised by this, as he did not have a good season. PFF graded him as the #41 RT this past season. Hopefully he got a top-3 round grade from the NFL advisory committee and isn't doing this on his own without external input.

[JosephC]

I wouldn't take Edwards in the first four rounds based on the way he played this year and the way he played at the end of last year. He was a nothing more than a turnstile in the previous year's bowl game. But pretty much every NFL team now drafts based on the workout numbers, so if he goes to Indianapolis, runs a 4.95 40 time, has a 33 inch vertical jump and does the 3 cone drill in 7.42 seconds, he would very likely be a first round pick and would be a virtual lock to be picked in the top 50. But a guy (1) coming off a bad year and (2) has reported shoulder problems that seem to have lingered for some time now...personally I just don't see him as a player to get all that excited about.

[stoutdude04]

Another thrilling CFP game today...at least with the 4-team format we can get rid of Notre Dame before the final.

Yeah, makes you wonder if 4 teams is too many. At least Alabama vs Clemson IV should be pretty good. Also, while everyone else was playing a conference championship game, Notre essentially received a bye to the CFP. I hate that.

 

I agree on ND.

 

The Bama and Oklahoma game was entertaining.

 

Ohio State looked pretty good and Texas looked solid in their win against Georgia. The same Georgia team that could have(should have?) beaten Alabama. Interesting.

[MrTPlush]

Didn't a #4 Alabama win it all? So I think that is good proof four teams isn't a bad idea. Are you going to have years where a stacked team makes anyone look silly? Are you going to have teams that make it due to weak schedule to get stomped? Yah, that is football for you. I think over time though you will see 3-4 seeds and even 5-8 seed teams either make noise or win it all. I think that is the point.

 

Not like non-playoff bowl games avoid blowouts.

[pacopete4]

A one seed wins the NCAA tourney a lot of the time too. So what? They played their way to a championship at the end of it.

[MrTPlush]

A one seed wins the NCAA tourney a lot of the time too. So what? They played their way to a championship at the end of it.

 

Right, that is what I am saying. Someone questioned that 4 teams might already be too much, but we have already seen a #4 seed win it all twice. To be even more exact the #1 seed has never won the playoff and this will be the first year an undefeated team wins. Last year neither the #1 or #2 made it.

[nodakfan17]

I suggested in jest that 4 teams was probably too many given the disparity between Alabama, Clemson, and the rest of the NCAA. In actuality, 4 teams most certainly gets us closer to a true champion.

[Jenkins5]

Savior Mertz put on a clinic while breaking passing records in the US Army All-American game! Even Patrick Mahomes tweeted about him! The hype on this kid couldn’t get any higher! Almost feel bad for Chryst. You know he is going to role with his favorite & senior but every snap Mertz isn’t in there, fans will turn on him. Hope he is the real deal. Badgers need a top notch QB finally

[superfly]

Savior Mertz put on a clinic while breaking passing records in the US Army All-American game! Even Patrick Mahomes tweeted about him! The hype on this kid couldn’t get any higher! Almost feel bad for Chryst. You know he is going to role with his favorite & senior but every snap Mertz isn’t in there, fans will turn on him. Hope he is the real deal. Badgers need a top notch QB finally

 

If he rolls with Hornibrook he should fired with a capital F. Graham Mertz or even Coan cannot possibly fare any worse over the course of a season. Hornibrook has ruined enough seasons in Madison...move on.

[Fear The Chorizo]

I hate how the current cfp system is set up and how it has seemingly given Alabama a virtual lock on being in the top 4 discussion every year considering it's next to impossible for them to lose more than once in the regular season with their stranglehold on top talent and SEC powers that be enabling them to maintain soft schedules - so despite almost being equally annoyed that clemson and bama are playing each other the 4th year in a row, it's highly satisfying to watch bama get curbstomped tonight.

 

OSU should have gotten into the playoff.

[young guns]

Based off the results it should have been a 1 team playoff lol.

[MrTPlush]

In actuality, 4 teams most certainly gets us closer to a true champion.

 

If only that is what people cared about. Reality is I think people enjoy a not true champion, people love upsets. Not saying they would happen or often...but people would like it.

 

Regarding next years QB situation. I could see Mertz winning the job outright if he really dominates in practice etc...I would guess Coan gets the nod in the early going though. Not like their season is going anywhere special.