2018 Wisconsin Badgers football

[young guns]

Even though Georgia's loss yesterday makes it moot, hearing ESPN radio discussing the possibility of 3 sec teams making the playoffs made me want to puke.

[Fear The Chorizo]

Watching Alex Hornibrook and Joel Stave makes me long for the days of watching top flight UW quarterbacks like John Stocco. That's right, John Stocco. How pathetic is that? Hornibrook is just awful. Big 10 level arm-strength, no. Big 10 level accuracy, no. In terms of mobility, I think he might be the worst QB to take the field since Dan Marino. And for how "cerebral" he is, he sure seems to misread coverages over and over. I'm almost expecting Chryst to use the Testaverde-excuse and announce that Hornibrook is color-blind considering how often he throws the ball directly at an opposing player.

 

I have no problem with the way Chryst coached the game last night, but I do have a problem with his choice for a starting QB and his inability to recruit a decent QB. Even the rare 4-star recruits have ended up as completely mediocre players (like Bart Houston). I totally get that the Badgers are a run-first, then run-second and eventually we'll get to the pass type team, and the vast majority of practice time and OL coaching is going to be geared towards running and the pass game will always lag behind. But for Pete's sake, the QB has to be able to complete a simple screen pass. Hornibrook can't even do that. Every time the offensive linemen let the defensive linemen loose, Hornibrook immediately gets happy feet, poops his pants and proceeds to toss the ball right at a defensive lineman. The guy is just awful. He should be playing for the Wisconsin-Eau Claire Bluegolds. He has no business being in a Big 10 uniform. Not even for Rutgers.

 

Can't wait until Hornibrook breaks the school record for number of wins for a quarterback (which, as everyone knows, is currently held by the great Joel Stave). It will be just peachy to hear the talking heads ramble on about how under-rated Hornibrook is and what a wonderful, stabilizing influence he's been for the Badgers and all the various nonsense like that. I think it's pretty obvious at this point that "wins for a quarterback" is just about as meaningful a statistic as "wins for a pitcher" in baseball. Hornibrook and Stave...ugh!

 

I have yet to understand how this team continues to recruit top-flight RBs and OL, yet can't even stumble into a decent QB option. Just once I'd love to see a QB that can throw the ball more than 30 yards without it looking like a wounded duck. The Badgers have a QB type that they recruit, and that type is skinny, unathletic and with mediocre throwing ability.

 

Any more Russell Wilson's looking to transfer? Maybe go after the guy at clemson or ALA' s 2nd option after this season?

[pacopete4]

If you’re a top end QB, do you really want to come to Wisconsin? Your talents will be shoved aside by a 1970’s playbook that incorporates a few jet sweeps. If I’m Graham Mertz, I’m looking elsewhere.

[GAME05]

You wouldn't want to be a top QB prospect and come to a team that insists on having you throw 12 short- and mid-range passes every game and that's it. You go to the teams that want to throw for 300 yards per game and have coaches with a history of developing NFL talent at that position. You also go to the teams that recruit NFL-caliber WR talent who will make you look better and help inflate your numbers.

 

With the Brewers extending their season and the Bucks due for a good year, there's enough sports going on that I'm not paying that much attention to the Badgers, especially when Week 2 pretty much shot the hopes of having a great season. It's more a game this year that if I happen to be home, it's good to have playing while I do housework. Or like when the Brewers are having a bad year, good for reading the box score but not investing my time watching. By the end of the season we'll have the Bucks fighting for a playoff seed, the Packers trying to finish above .500, and Baseball free agency news. That's kind of enough sports for me. In a way, I don't have enough time for bad teams.

[LouisEly]

You wouldn't want to be a top QB prospect and come to a team that insists on having you throw 12 short- and mid-range passes every game and that's it. You go to the teams that want to throw for 300 yards per game and have coaches with a history of developing NFL talent at that position.

I heard that over the last 15 years or so, as many NFL QBs have come from Wisconsin as any other school except USC. Off the top of my head, Wilson, Tolzien, Bollinger, Sorgi, Stave. For reference, Michigan has had four (Henson, Navarre, Henne, Rudock - not exactly NFL starting caliber there). Alabama has had three (McCarron, McElroy, Croyle - not exactly NFL starting caliber there). Ohio State has had four (C. Jones, T. Pryor, T. Smith, Krenzel - not exactly NFL starting caliber there).

 

Obviously most are 2nd/3rd stringers (except for Wilson), but because Wisconsin runs a pro-style offense it teaches QBs how to read the defense instead of rushing to the line and looking over for a card to tell them what play to run. That gives UW QBs a leg up on others in the pro game.

[tmwiese55]

Coan was a top flight recruit and so is the next one Mertz. Hornibrook was a salvage best they could do during the Anderson transition of recruiting running QBs who can't throw. Now, one of Coan/Mertz has to actually do it, but this 'why can't we get a QB' is seemingly been taken care of recruiting wise. But overall I get the point, they have to actually produce on the field. Also, the true fresh now Wolf was a legit recruit with an OSU offer. Basically just saying recruiting wise they now have legit QB talent in the system. Overall I'm really disappointed in the playcalling on the offense though, I wonder if Horni's lack of mobility hampers it.

 

One has to trust that the coaches aren't idiots and Horni must be currently better. However, the increased mobility of Coan has to be intriguing. Horni is a statue and it forces him to chuck it up in bad spots. They are currently trying to save Coan's red-shirt, so I fully anticipate Horni to keep going, but if he struggles again come PSU things could interesting because after that there will only be a max of 4 games left. Yes it would be odd to throw him into the fire in what will be must win games, so just saying if it's more of the same from Horni vs PSU they might get creative.

 

Also, a legit reason for top QBs to come here is to run and be coached in an NFL offense rather than spread.

 

For the college football sucks because can't win national title talk. First, they can still win the B1G conference which is something legit to play for. Second, how is that any different than other sports who have huge chunks of teams eliminated from playoffs or any legit chance of winning it all about halfway through the year. If you just value all out championships (not conference, division, etc) then yea I guess just let everyone in every sport in the playoffs. But then regular seasons are meaningless like CBB basically is, and to a degree so is the NBA.

[PeaveyFury]

Chryst still coaches the game like he has a top-level defense, which finally isn't the case this year after losing a ton of talent the last two. I think they'll be good again, but the d-line and secondary are young and very work-in-progress.

 

Offensive gameplanning is a chicken-or-the-egg thing, IMO. Do they gameplan basic because the offensive talent level isn't great, or is the gameplan just lackluster? Don't really know. All I do know is that I didn't think it was possible to have a more conservative coach than Barry Alvarez, but Chryst might be it.

[owbc]

The fun thing about the CFP is that every week can be an elimination game.

 

The bad thing about the CFP is that the Badgers were [essentially] eliminated in week 3.

[tmwiese55]

The fun thing about the CFP is that every week can be an elimination game.

 

The bad thing about the CFP is that the Badgers were [essentially] eliminated in week 3.

 

And even if your team is out, if you're a fan of the sport in general then there is basically one or two playoff type games every week of the season involving a big matchup of two teams playing for their lives. Us vs Mich was one this week. Oregon/WAS was another. LSU/UGA another. Then add in that anytime one of the top contenders is playing someone competent (even if that team is out of playoff contention) that it becomes a huge game with huge ramifications. Say, when PSU plays Michigan in a few weeks as an example. The playoffs happen all year in CFB.

[MrTPlush]

If anyone was wondering...no, Graham Mertz is not going anywhere. The kid is fully committed to Wisconsin.

 

 

I wish there was a better way for postseason play though. They simply have to find a way to get more teams into it. Someday this "bowl game" garbage is going to get old and people will stop caring. They have to find a way to make more teams feel like they are actually playing for something every year. It amazes me how much attention college football gets nation wide under the current format.

[tmwiese55]

It's the pageantry and tradition, haha. Mostly joking, but it is a factor as these teams tie themselves to the community/state so much.

 

Beyond that though, it's like I just mentioned. They can market 2-4 huge playoff ramification level games almost every week, which no other sport can do. As opposed to other sports which have regular seasons of basically killing time. Which obviously a huge chunk of teams are doing in CFB too, but at the top level they have a few huge games every week to market. combine that with local rivalries, conference/division titles, tradition/pride, social/partying around it and I don't think it's surprising at all.

[MrTPlush]

It's the pageantry and tradition, haha. Mostly joking, but it is a factor as these teams tie themselves to the community/state so much.

 

Beyond that though, it's like I just mentioned. They can market 2-4 huge playoff ramification level games almost every week, which no other sport can do. As opposed to other sports which have regular seasons of basically killing time. Which obviously a huge chunk of teams are doing in CFB too, but at the top level they have a few huge games every week to market. combine that with local rivalries, conference/division titles, tradition/pride, social/partying around it and I don't think it's surprising at all.

 

Locally and in general that is honestly what it is. It is the ability to pump up the "rivalries" and get people into it. Making up a bunch of BS trophies for most of them.

 

On a more nationwide scale, yah, it is their effective ability to market those "big" games as actually meaning something. Even though I would say over half of them only mean something if the wildest of scenarios works it's way the rest of the season. I mean honestly even if Wisconsin won out I bet they still miss quite easily. Michigan can win out and probably still be out. I mean sure they are still "in it" if you honestly think they won't lose another game and all the teams around them implode.

[tmwiese55]

It's the pageantry and tradition, haha. Mostly joking, but it is a factor as these teams tie themselves to the community/state so much.

 

Beyond that though, it's like I just mentioned. They can market 2-4 huge playoff ramification level games almost every week, which no other sport can do. As opposed to other sports which have regular seasons of basically killing time. Which obviously a huge chunk of teams are doing in CFB too, but at the top level they have a few huge games every week to market. combine that with local rivalries, conference/division titles, tradition/pride, social/partying around it and I don't think it's surprising at all.

 

Locally and in general that is honestly what it is. It is the ability to pump up the "rivalries" and get people into it. Making up a bunch of BS trophies for most of them.

 

On a more nationwide scale, yah, it is their effective ability to market those "big" games as actually meaning something. Even though I would say over half of them only mean something if the wildest of scenarios works it's way the rest of the season. I mean honestly even if Wisconsin won out I bet they still miss quite easily. Michigan can win out and probably still be out. I mean sure they are still "in it" if you honestly think they won't lose another game and all the teams around them implode.

 

you're not wrong in anything there. Yes, UW can't make the playoffs now. But they will play in a playoff level game against OSU or UM in the B1G title game.

 

To the bolded though, that's just like the actual playoffs in other sports. Sure, the Bucks/Trailblazers/Heat/Pelicans were in it but were they really? Sure the 14 seed in the NCAA tourney are in, but really? Buffalo and Tennessee made the playoffs in the NFL, really? You see what I'm getting at, it's not fair to just look at the final 4 of any playoff and say the games leading up to were meaningless because only 4 can win. Basically, I'm just saying these games in the regular season are the equivalent of early round playoffs in other sports.

 

As long as you're in position that winning out wins the title, it's just like all those playoff things I listed. That applies to Michigan right now. If they beat PSU and OSU then us again in the title game, they're for sure in the playoffs and should have a legit shot to win (have to be damn good to win all those games) so every game they play is huge for them and their fans but also nationally. Same would apply to an LSU type this year and several more if you look into it a bit. So you have this type of thing going for 12-13 weeks straight creating entertainment and drama, as opposed to other sports where you can ignore for most of the regular season. Clemson gets into a tussle with Syracuse, or like OSU did this week vs MN and it's huge drama. If that happens in any other sports regular season it doesn't matter, that team is in the playoffs anyway. As you can tell I like CFB, it's my #1 sport so of course I'm biased, but when this discussion comes up I just try to say to people just realize the playoffs happen all regular season in CFB.

 

Note before someone points it out, to an extent baseball is an exception to this discussion because it's the sport with the most randomness in a game by game basis making any team have a chance come playoffs.

[PlayerHader]

It's the pageantry and tradition, haha. Mostly joking, but it is a factor as these teams tie themselves to the community/state so much.

 

Beyond that though, it's like I just mentioned. They can market 2-4 huge playoff ramification level games almost every week, which no other sport can do. As opposed to other sports which have regular seasons of basically killing time. Which obviously a huge chunk of teams are doing in CFB too, but at the top level they have a few huge games every week to market. combine that with local rivalries, conference/division titles, tradition/pride, social/partying around it and I don't think it's surprising at all.

 

Locally and in general that is honestly what it is. It is the ability to pump up the "rivalries" and get people into it. Making up a bunch of BS trophies for most of them.

 

On a more nationwide scale, yah, it is their effective ability to market those "big" games as actually meaning something. Even though I would say over half of them only mean something if the wildest of scenarios works it's way the rest of the season. I mean honestly even if Wisconsin won out I bet they still miss quite easily. Michigan can win out and probably still be out. I mean sure they are still "in it" if you honestly think they won't lose another game and all the teams around them implode.

 

Had Wisconsin won out (wins @Michigan, @Penn State, vs OSU (likely). They'd have been in. If Michigan wins out they will certainly be in. There is really no chance that they wouldn't be.

[owbc]

If anyone was wondering...no, Graham Mertz is not going anywhere. The kid is fully committed to Wisconsin.

 

I wish there was a better way for postseason play though. They simply have to find a way to get more teams into it. Someday this "bowl game" garbage is going to get old and people will stop caring. They have to find a way to make more teams feel like they are actually playing for something every year. It amazes me how much attention college football gets nation wide under the current format.

 

I think the #1 problem for the fans is the lack of interesting games. Each team plays maybe 2-3 interesting games per year, the rest are mismatches. There is zero motivation to play meaningful non-conference games and the ones that are played are at neutral sites.

 

With bowl games, the problem is that formerly top-tier bowl games are now a consolation prize for missing the playoff and they have lost their luster. So maybe those games do need to become a play-in for the final playoff spot or something.

 

The other part of me is kind of like...well the student athletes would not benefit at all from a more complicated playoff system and considering how much money college football is making right now, there's really no reason for them to do anything.

[superfly]

If anyone was wondering...no, Graham Mertz is not going anywhere. The kid is fully committed to Wisconsin.

 

 

I wish there was a better way for postseason play though. They simply have to find a way to get more teams into it. Someday this "bowl game" garbage is going to get old and people will stop caring. They have to find a way to make more teams feel like they are actually playing for something every year. It amazes me how much attention college football gets nation wide under the current format.

 

Someday? I used to be a devout CFB watcher and never missed a Badger game. Now its basically when they lose i'm done, and I watch negative 0 minutes of any other game. Bring on the basketball season.

[PeaveyFury]

I think the #1 problem for the fans is the lack of interesting games. Each team plays maybe 2-3 interesting games per year, the rest are mismatches. There is zero motivation to play meaningful non-conference games and the ones that are played are at neutral sites.

 

With bowl games, the problem is that formerly top-tier bowl games are now a consolation prize for missing the playoff and they have lost their luster. So maybe those games do need to become a play-in for the final playoff spot or something.

 

The other part of me is kind of like...well the student athletes would not benefit at all from a more complicated playoff system and considering how much money college football is making right now, there's really no reason for them to do anything.

 

I think this post is spot-on, save for the last sentence. The NCAA stubbornly clung to the crappy BCS system for far too long while everyone else was clammoring (correctly) for a playoff, and now the playoff is making gobs of money, to no one's surprize except the NCAA, apparently.

 

I have zero doubts in my mind that an 8-team playoff would make even more money, would solve many of the issues of 'who gets in and who doesn't', and will only create more interest in the game. 5 conference champions get automatic spots, and 3 at-large spots can include teams like UCF last year to avoid the disaster that is 'dual national champions', which the system was designed to eliminate.

[homer]

Chryst punted in the 4th quarter on 4th and 2 at the Michigan 42 down by two touchdowns. Think about how stupid that is for a second.

 

That's the kind of crap that will prevent his teams from ever getting a natty. Margin for error is much smaller with a UW team. Need to maximize scoring opps whenever you can.

[pacopete4]

Chryst and his play calling... man it sucks.

[adambr2]

This team is such a disappointment.

[young guns]

Just shooting ourselves in the foot all day. Stupid pass interference on 4th down, roughing the punter, and I'd say we are using the hundly play book, but I'm pretty sure that IS our offense all the time.

[PeaveyFury]

Sending Gags out there for the 51 yarder down 2 TD's and a 4th and manageable is about as bad a decision as I've seen from Chryst. Good grief.

 

Evanston has been horrendous to the Badgers that past 20 years or so, and that apparently continues....

[trwi7]

Maybe a UW math professor can tutor Chryst and explain to him why these decisions to punt on 4th and short in opponents' territory are really stupid.

[young guns]

And fumbles. Killed by fumbles.

[nate82]

This team is garbage how were they ranked so high in the preseason?