Badgers Football 2019

[pacopete4]

How do we get Urban Meyer to Wisconsin?

 

1. Give him a zillion dollars.

 

2. Throw all academic standards out the window.

 

3. Pay all players under the table.

 

4. Free tats (that was previous coach but still a solid Ohio State tradition).

 

5. Make sure there is plenty of dope to go around.

 

In other words, pay him and allow him to bring his "SEC-style" of recruiting to Madison.

 

Sign me up!

[tmwiese55]

Long story short the main ways to get UW to the next level as the complainers here and all over right now are clamoring are these options (not in any particular order)

 

1) relocate the school to the south, or some kind of better recruiting territory

2) somehow go back and turn them into a historical power

3) straight cheat with paying players

4) get rid of academic standards

 

Call me crazy, but I don't think any of those 4 are happening. So let's accept it, realize the coaches are doing their best and do really want to beat OSU, continue to take pride in not being a scumbag university, and continue to root for the underdog. It'll be all that much sweeter if they ever win it. Also, get the Ringz mindset out of our heads. We're not competing for the same things as the SEC. Beating your rivals, winning your division and conference has value as fans.

 

Again, as I've said through this all. They definitely can still improve and accepting Iowa level of mediocrity should not be accepted. But hovering this 2nd tier of CFB is a very good spot to be in, and not easy to replicate if you go scorched earth firing everyone. Our 2010-11 offense combined with the 2016ish-now D is a serious Title contender. Just need to line the timing up at some point. And at this point, after 5ish years of underperforming on O and OLine I think you have to make some tweaks.

[HiAndTight]

It's simply easier to chalk it up to talent than it is to recognize the deficiencies in play-calling and game planning. The Badgers can continue to place an inordinate amount of talent into the NFL relative to their NCAA achievements and fans will continue to say there's not enough talent. Fine, cool. Meanwhile Buckeyes QBs continue to put up Heisman-like numbers and do nothing in the NFL. That's scheme.

 

It's easier because it's true.

 

Yeah, the Badgers put talent into the NFL. How many of those have been top talent? Some, but they are the exception, not the rule. By contrast, here are OSU's last few drafts:

 

2016: 5(!) first rounders, 2 second rounders

2017: 3 first rounders, 2 second rounders

2018: 2 first rounders, 1 second rounder

2019: 2 first rounders, 1 second rounder.

 

The Badgers' numbers for those same four drafts? Two first rounders.

 

Earlier, you countered the Bosas with the Watts, and Gordon and White with Elliott, but those are just three of the 18(!) top picks OSU has put into the draft.

 

 

More than just how many players OSU gets picked early, it's the spread. They can have elite pass rushers, corners, a QB go in the first round. The Badgers can't recruit the premiere corners, they can get a roster that has 3 elite QB's on it, they can't just keep churning out those JJ Watt type collegiate athletes. Also, JJ Watt is a monster. But just because he's from Wisconsin, lets not pretend he or the Watt's had the same impact as the Bosa's did or Young is having.

 

I'm pretty sure if we have WR'ers who ran 4.27 40's, we'd use them more. But we don't. I can't believe it's this big of a shock to find that we don't have the talent(or anywhere near it) that OSU does.

 

As for repeating that Clemson line over and over(And over and over) again, it's the same thing. They have more talent and they have it all over the roster. Not just at OL, FB, LB'er, TE.

[HiAndTight]

It was definitely cover 2 as the outside linebacker covered the seam hook. It was the perfect defense against the play that was called. The linebacker was in the throwing lane of the QB.

 

That last play should have been a run play instead of a pass.

 

All cover 2 is telling you is what the safeties are doing...

[nate82]

It was definitely cover 2 as the outside linebacker covered the seam hook. It was the perfect defense against the play that was called. The linebacker was in the throwing lane of the QB.

 

That last play should have been a run play instead of a pass.

 

All cover 2 is telling you is what the safeties are doing...

 

No the linebackers specifically the outside ones cover the seam hook on a pass play. Which is where the ball went Coan had to throw it higher and the receiver had to run further out for that play to work. Really a run against the cover two is what you want to do on a short yardage situation. Throwing short and medium is playing into the strength of the cover two unless you can run a rub route or a slant but Wisconsin doesn't have the WR to run a slant route.

[HiAndTight]

It was definitely cover 2 as the outside linebacker covered the seam hook. It was the perfect defense against the play that was called. The linebacker was in the throwing lane of the QB.

 

That last play should have been a run play instead of a pass.

 

All cover 2 is telling you is what the safeties are doing...

 

No the linebackers specifically the outside ones cover the seam hook on a pass play. Which is where the ball went Coan had to throw it higher and the receiver had to run further out for that play to work. Really a run against the cover two is what you want to do on a short yardage situation. Throwing short and medium is playing into the strength of the cover two unless you can run a rub route or a slant but Wisconsin doesn't have the WR to run a slant route.

 

 

No Nate, they don't. Literally, ALL Cover 2 or Cover 3, Cover 4, Cover 0(no safety help at all), Cover 1.. is telling you is what the safeties are doing. It tells you absolutely NOTHING about the LB'ers. And to me, it looked like the safeties were playing up and they were playing the flats and. But again, I only saw the TV version which only shows you a portion of the defense.

 

But JUST saying Cover 2, the only thing that tells you is you are playing 2 safeties who are responsible for defending their half of the field. That's absolutely it. There's nothing in just cover 2 that tells you how the LB'ers are playing it.

[tmwiese55]

Regardless, it was 3rd and 5. And the way the D was playing you needed the 1st to end the game or you knew you were in serious trouble. You basically had to throw unless they just pulled everyone from the box and gave the easy run. They knew that out to the TE was a completely common play and they called a D to defend it. And still, if that pass is what 8 inches higher it's a 1st and the game is over. That kid dropped a little extra because he knew the game situation and he made a great play.

 

I guess I don't even recall the point that was trying to be made about Cover 2. I just brought this up in regards to saying they should've ran, when they really shouldn't have in that situation. And to point out how it was a great play by that kid and inches away from a complete pass as the throw was right on the money. Couple little things like that can go eitehr way in a close game to decide a game and it's not some grand judgment on a coach.

[MrTPlush]

The last play against Illinois was bad execution. Watching it I would guess the option he was considering before snapping was the TE or the opposing team. When the ball is snapped he looks at the TE the entire time. Because of that the DB/LB quickly bounces off covering Groshek the second he starts his throwing motion. It was trying to thread a needle between three defenders and Coan made it about as predictable as possible.

 

The play call isn't the worst...but Coan had a big moment and fell on his face in my opinion. I won't totally ignore the play by the defender, because it was nice...but Coan tipped his pitch so to speak and underthrew his TE a bit.

[tmwiese55]

Yea I'd agree with you there. It was one of our most predictable plays and stared it down (something he hasn't had a problem with so far), the ILL guy picked up on it and made the play. But, it's a quick route so it's not like there is really any time to look elsewhere. They had the D called knowing that was a common play. I have no idea what other options were out there for Coan to do anything different, would have to look again and would need all 22 angle. IMO it's tough to rip Coan too hard considering he's been great on on 3rd and 4th down passing all year, including in that game. No one's perfect.

 

Bottomline, if the Heisman superstar RB doesn't fumble they win that game.

[MrTPlush]

I have no idea what other options were out there for Coan to do anything different, would have to look again and would need all 22 angle.

 

He didn't really have another play outside of Groshek and you probably pick up 2-3 yards. Not terrible for a 4th and 2 try then. Outside of that is kinda irrelevant as the ball was clearly going to Ferguson or maybe Groshek if Ferguson fell down. The left side was very slow developing and by watching the video one can see an absolutely just pathetic effort by the LT. Coan didn't know it but any longer and he was going to get drilled as the DL went pretty much unblocked.

 

I guess I am also shocked Taylor wasn't on the field. It wasn't an obvious passing down. I don't think it could have been an more predictable what we were doing. I also don't get why every receiver was 10+ yards downfield twice as far as we needed to get. Just feels like we made that way harder and more complicated than it needed to be. Can a Wisconsin QB audible cause it seemed like a nice situation to run a shorter route over the middle to get 5 yards or pretty dang close to it.

[tmwiese55]

Yea they've had plenty of success on crosses/slants all year when they need that type of yardage too and he's done great with them. Has to be some kind of play call where all those things are options based on what the D does. One would think those type of routes would be better vs a zone D.

 

I suppose a logical thing could be they viewed the out like that as low risk for a pick where as slants and things over the middle are more prone to weird thigns happening. The irony of course is a pick still happened.

 

Agree Taylor should be out there. if the D just drops out and you audible to the draw you'd prefer him getting it. I like Groshek and have nothing negative to say about him. But, I do think he gets used more than he should. Not unlike many of us probably said about Hernan Perez, like him and good guy to have but he shouldn't be playing as much as he did.

[stoutdude04]

I have no idea what other options were out there for Coan to do anything different, would have to look again and would need all 22 angle.

 

He didn't really have another play outside of Groshek and you probably pick up 2-3 yards. Not terrible for a 4th and 2 try then. Outside of that is kinda irrelevant as the ball was clearly going to Ferguson or maybe Groshek if Ferguson fell down. The left side was very slow developing and by watching the video one can see an absolutely just pathetic effort by the LT. Coan didn't know it but any longer and he was going to get drilled as the DL went pretty much unblocked.

 

I guess I am also shocked Taylor wasn't on the field. It wasn't an obvious passing down. I don't think it could have been an more predictable what we were doing. I also don't get why every receiver was 10+ yards downfield twice as far as we needed to get. Just feels like we made that way harder and more complicated than it needed to be. Can a Wisconsin QB audible cause it seemed like a nice situation to run a shorter route over the middle to get 5 yards or pretty dang close to it.

 

If you have the game saved or Tivo'd or whatever you should watch the play RIGHT before it. They literally ran the same route combination and Ferguson was open and he dumped it down. I would not be surprised if they saw that missed play and called it in and told Coan to look Ferguson.

[HiAndTight]

Regardless, it was 3rd and 5. And the way the D was playing you needed the 1st to end the game or you knew you were in serious trouble. You basically had to throw unless they just pulled everyone from the box and gave the easy run. They knew that out to the TE was a completely common play and they called a D to defend it. And still, if that pass is what 8 inches higher it's a 1st and the game is over. That kid dropped a little extra because he knew the game situation and he made a great play.

 

I guess I don't even recall the point that was trying to be made about Cover 2. I just brought this up in regards to saying they should've ran, when they really shouldn't have in that situation. And to point out how it was a great play by that kid and inches away from a complete pass as the throw was right on the money. Couple little things like that can go eitehr way in a close game to decide a game and it's not some grand judgment on a coach.

 

 

That was the context. Argument being that it was a terrible play call to pass there because they're in cover 2(something you don't know when you're making the call) and that they should have run. Difficult to argue with in retrospect, but I thought it was the right call at the time. I even said I THOUGHT as the play developed that Coan actually looked poised and didn't just try to fire it in there, but it looked like he got it over the backer.

 

 

Bottom line, looking at this teams youth and the ceiling they face in terms of talent, I'm not as down on them as others. Illinois was a bad loss, but people were saying this was the year they might not make a bowl game. They lost a bad game to Illinois and then lost to a stacked OSU team.

[tmwiese55]

Last sentence is exactly right. Illinois was a horrible embarrassing loss, but it was a fluke and not some grand sign of problems. Upsets happen. Good teams play crap games vs inferior teams and often hold on and pull it out, they just didn't. OSU was expected, they're ridiculous this year and it's on the road. Now, if they lose two more here to end the year. Yes, huge disappointment after such a great start and considering they ended up with good QB play (huge ? going into year).

[homer]

Last sentence is exactly right. Illinois was a horrible embarrassing loss, but it was a fluke and not some grand sign of problems. Upsets happen. Good teams play crap games vs inferior teams and often hold on and pull it out, they just didn't. OSU was expected, they're ridiculous this year and it's on the road. Now, if they lose two more here to end the year. Yes, huge disappointment after such a great start and considering they ended up with good QB play (huge ? going into year).

 

I think there were three 20+ point favorites that lost on consecutive weeks. It happens.

[tmwiese55]

Just saw a tweet on that yesterday. A favorite of 17+ pts has lost 3 weeks in a row, 6 total in that span. OU was about a 24 pt fave last week and lost.

[JosephC]

Last sentence is exactly right. Illinois was a horrible embarrassing loss, but it was a fluke and not some grand sign of problems. Upsets happen. Good teams play crap games vs inferior teams and often hold on and pull it out, they just didn't. OSU was expected, they're ridiculous this year and it's on the road. Now, if they lose two more here to end the year. Yes, huge disappointment after such a great start and considering they ended up with good QB play (huge ? going into year).

 

Not pushing the panic button but the Illinois fluke should not happen and the Badgers have had more fluke losses than they should have the last couple of seasons.

 

2019 = Illinois

2018 = Brigham Young, Minnesota - We can look at Minnesota's 2019 record and maybe take issue with calling the 2018 loss a fluke. However, it was a home game for Wisconsin and Minnesota came into that game with a 2-6 record in Big 10 play...it was a terrible loss for Wisconsin.

2017 = no bad losses

2016 = no bad losses

2015 = no bad losses

2014 = Northwestern (they were only 5-7 that year)

 

It was a really nice run from 2015-2017 in taking care of business and winning all the games they should win. Even with some seemingly tough games on the schedule, I really liked the home/away breakdown and thought they had a solid chance to sweep the schedule outside of Ohio State which did look like a mismatch on the road. No shame in losing that game, even the lopsided result was pretty much expected. But Illinois is a bad team and if the Badgers want to be considered a solid #6-#15 in the national rankings year in and year out they can never lose those games. Third one in a year-and-a-half is not a good result.

 

And Illinois is terrible. There have been some talking heads in the Madison area spinning it that Illinois is up and coming and this could very well be the springboard game for them. Nonsense. They got beat at home by Eastern Michigan this year. Nebraska is a total mess and they went into Illinois and won. So what if Illinois beat Purdue. Purdue is 2-6 and lost to Nevada (who are only 1-3 in the Mountain West).

 

So much for the Badgers going 11-1 in the regular season. If they lost to Illinois on the road, it puts every road game in question (except if Rutgers was on the schedule which they are not).

 

Again, this might sound like a complete panic job...but I have more of a feeling of disappointment than panic. From 2014-2017 this was looking like a program that would be in the top 15 every year. Even with a nasty Big 10 schedule, a 9-3 record would pretty much be expected (with a top 15 ranking considering the brutal schedule). Schedules like this year...an 11-1 record completely possible which likely comes with a solid top 6 or top 7 ranking...and if Wisconsin is the team that pulls off the fluke win then it's 12-0 and in the playoff. It's really disappointing.

 

And one more comment...Minnesota sits there with an 8-0 record but look at the dog schedule they have played. Nebraska the best team they've gotten so far and Nebraska is not very good. If it wasn't for that Illinois game, there is no reason why we should think the Badgers cannot win that game at Minnesota. Let's just say I'm a Gopher doubter.

[homer]

Not pushing the panic button but the Illinois fluke should not happen and the Badgers have had more fluke losses than they should have the last couple of seasons.

 

This is only relevant if you can tell us how many fluke losses other top 15 teams have had during the same time span.

 

There were plenty of fluke losses during Alvarez's tenure too.

[tmwiese55]

Yes, 2018 was bad. For whatever reason something was off there, chemistry issues with the QB/OL. The Cephus/WR situation and scandal. All that. Granted, I get the HC is ultimately responsible. But as of now I'm deleting that from my memory.

 

Nothing JC said there is wrong or out of line. One nitpick I'd have is you're implying as if this was an easy schedule (2017 was a cakewalk schedule). This year's schedule is legit tough. Got 3/4 of the top West teams, plus Nebraska on the road. Now MN on the road is a legit game. Still have more than solid Iowa. Oh, and a true road game to open the year vs a non cupcake team. Sure not power 5 but they're not your typical MAC or Georgia Easter Poly tech type team. This was considered a very tough schedule. Again, it essentially comes down to one fluke loss that shouldn't happen, otherwise they'd be exactly where we hoped they'd be in a best case scenario. If not even better due to how badly they destroyed UM and MSU

 

One crazy thing about Beliema is that he basically pounded everyone he should've from 2009ish on until his last year. No bad losses and usually not even a scare. Just complete destruction as they could run on anyone no matter how many in the box. Rarely beat teams they shouldn't and lost many close games late, but if you played an IU/Purdue it was gonna be a bloodbath. Now our blah O let's teams hang around

[MrTPlush]

I don't think any of those losses you mentioned are near the level of the Illinois loss. This years team is pretty darn good, but 2018 was not very good at all.They weren't bad, but hardly a team that was invincible against inferior opponents. Of course maybe this years team isn't as good as we originally thought and they end up losing 4 games (not including the bowl game).

 

I think it was a bit flukey...but it definitely was pretty embarrassing and a loss that should simply not happen.

[DuWayne Steurer]

1) Badgers absolutely should have won that Illinois game.

 

2) Illinois looks like they're a bit better team than they were looking like at the beginning of the season. They could end up 6-6 or 7-5. At the end of the season this might not be as "embarrassing" a loss as it looked like a few weeks ago.

 

3) At some point, it just doesn't matter, and they have to move past it. Pick up the pieces and move on.

[PeaveyFury]

I'm struggling to understand the people saying "Wisconsin should never lose a game like that" while also saying "Ohio State has been beated by Purdue three times recently."

 

Seriously, it happens a lot to a lot of teams. Wisconsin hasn't had more than their fair share of clunkers, IMO.

[HiAndTight]

Last sentence is exactly right. Illinois was a horrible embarrassing loss, but it was a fluke and not some grand sign of problems. Upsets happen. Good teams play crap games vs inferior teams and often hold on and pull it out, they just didn't. OSU was expected, they're ridiculous this year and it's on the road. Now, if they lose two more here to end the year. Yes, huge disappointment after such a great start and considering they ended up with good QB play (huge ? going into year).

 

I think there were three 20+ point favorites that lost on consecutive weeks. It happens.

 

 

It does and I'm realizing that much of the complaining/frustration on these forums comes from unrealistic expectations or opinions of the team we're rooting for. It happens when the Packers struggle even though they're in their first year with a new coach and they're still lacking talent in key places, it happens when the Brewers win 89 games with a team that's probably closer to a 75 win team talent wise and they get upset at a sequence and call the season a lost season or missed opportunity because they lose, it happens with the Bucks when they're playing against a great team and get out to an early head start.

 

And it's happening here(again, all my opinion, but one I'm pretty confident in) when they look at a School like Madison that puts a significant emphasis on Football, but one that doesn't even approach what the powerhouse schools do and they lose to a great team and they trip up in the game before that and lose to a talented, but underachieving team.

 

 

Just taking one of the arguments, that the Badgers talent is closer to OSU's than we think. The FEW positions we're as good or better, we're MARGINALLY better. Tayor for instance. There's a real argument to be made he wasn't even the best RB in that game. Dobbins is a projected 1st rounder as well. So even where we had the advantage, we have a nominal edge.

 

Now where THEY had the edge, it was massive. Justin Fields, an elite recruit who left Georgia because they had a great QB in place. They've got the top edge rusher in this years draft class. We've got a good player in Baun, but he'd likely be the 5th or 6th guy on their team. We've got good young corners that might make an NFL roster one day...they have 1st round picks consistently and this year they might have the best DB in the draft again.

 

So I think arguing talent level is just silly. We produce good players in the NFL(though not as good as True Blue seems to think(3 of the top 5 OL from UW? Is Nelson from UW? Martin? Bahk? Anyway...) but we produce them at only a number of positions.

 

If we can somehow find a way to grab a Parris Campbell every once in a while(as opposed to OSU who has one every year) and just a few very good, 3rd-4th round corners like Nick Nelson on occasion, again, as opposed to having a couple guys who'll come out early, go in the first round, and then replace them with players who will be picked the following year in the 1st round, and spread out the talent we're sending to the NFL, then I'd understand the complaining and the calling for Chysts head. But you can only do so much.

 

I mean....really, the calls for the "shots down the field." Urban Meyer can point out that's what we're going to do and be right because...we don't have a choice. We can't take 'em. Not can't even get 2.5 seconds to get the ball out.

 

And even if you can, you're still talking about guys who'll be top 10 picks playing corner from the other side locking up our best WR'ers. And again, on the other side of the ball, we don't have those WR'ers who can press your defense and force you to HAVE to give help on virtually every play. We have good "Wisconsin," WR'ers.

 

OSU has the #1 Edge rusher-highest grade given on a pass rusher since 2014=better COLLEGE player than Watt one year after they had an edge rusher go #2 overall.

They have the #1 CB. Last year in a DOWN year(a great year for UW) they had a CB who went all the way in the 4th round. The year before they had Ward who went 4th and the year before that IIRC, they had Lattimore, Conley and among others.

 

Oh, and last year they had a QB go in the 1st round and they'll almost certainly have one go in the 1st round again next year.

 

So just stacking up number of players on a roster....it's a ludicrous way of comparing college talent. JJ and TJ Watt were great players at Wisconsin. Neither was as good in College as they became in the Pro's and they weren't as good as Young.

 

Nick Nelson is the last CB I can think of and OSU has had more players drafted in the top 10 and then selected to the pro bowl since then at CB.

 

 

And then when they DON'T have a great NFL prospect....and really, we all know a College player can be great and not be a great prospect....Take Broxton Miller, a guy who was a Heisman Finalist AND HE LOST HIS JOB and was arguably the 3rd best QB they had in a very short period of time.

 

www.nfl.com/draft/history/fulldraft?abb ... ype=school

 

Just look at that? 3 members of their secondary who are starting in the NFL drafted in the 1st round in ONE draft class and on that team they STILL had a guy who'd end up going 4th overall, who's on pace to go in the top 10 this year and as high as 4-5 among others.

 

 

Football's a TEAM game, you can't just look at how many OL we've put into the league(and by the way, OSU pretty damn good at that as well) and say, "see, we have a lot of NFL players as well." When one team has elite QB player year after year and elite skill players to, getting offensive linemen drafted doesn't mean quite as much.

 

http://www.nfl.com/draft/history/fulldraft?abbr=W&collegeName=Wisconsin&abbrFlag=0&type=school throw the ball to

 

 

I've LOVE to see UW Football put together the type of run the Mens BB team did a few years ago and I sincerely hold out hope that we can actually do that. We're CLOSE ENOUGH that it is definitely possible.

 

But when looking at the actual facts, you can't build a intellectually honest argument about how many players we have in the NFL, therefore "scheme," is the problem.

 

 

I'll guarantee you if the Badgers had elite QB player year in and year out, a defense that had edge rushers who could get to the QB in 2 seconds or 2.5 seconds consistently(along with having many interior linemen going high in the draft) AND you had the elite, freakishly talented receivers running sub 4.35 40's out there and you just needed to get the ball in their hands, we'd scheme differently.

 

 

 

But the bottom line, because of the players that Badgers have, they can't "change their scheme," anything CLOSE to what people on here expect. The only REAL chance they have is to hope they can win at the LOS, wear down the more talented players and then TRY to build off of that. But if you can't run the ball-EVEN AGAINST 9 man boxes when the athletes on the outside are so vastly superior....you can't just drop back and "stretch the field."

 

You have to hope that you can keep it close(like we did I the first half) and hope you can make enough plays to swing the game like Iowa did when Jackson had a couple of Pick 6's for example.

 

 

 

So not only do I not think this season is in any way a disappointment, especially after throttling a far more talented Michigan team and despite a bad loss to an Illinois team, I think the people who are expecting more than what this program is producing at the moment are just not being realistic.

 

Maybe Graham Mertz comes in and we have a few great years recruiting and we get some great impact recruits(something that I think will be tougher with the new ruling about athletes making money off their name).

 

Maybe Mertz success coincides with a legit #1 WR'er, Ferguson who could be a 1st/2nd rounder at TE and a great defense that's not JUST smart, but also supremely athletic and we'll be able to scheme differently.

 

But the general theme, that we're "predictable," it's pointless. We're limited in what we're able to do and how we're able to scheme. I think some people understand the nuances of the game whereas I don't think others do.

 

You want to go deep and run some double moves, you need 7 step drops and you need time for that play to develop, a athletic WR'er to be able to beat the top cover man in the country and you need to be able to slow down the best pass rusher in CFB in the last several years. If you can't do that, changing the "scheme" doesn't do a damn thing.

 

 

The Badgers are a program that's bringing in recruiting classes that are usually OUTSIDE of the top 40, OSU is getting top 4 classes(#2 in '17, the best players on the team right now) AND they're adding a former #1 recruit AHEAD of Clemson QB Lawrence in the transfer portal.

 

 

So while I feel lucky that they're able to turn that into a team that consistently wins 10 games and beats a good team in the Bowl Games, I don't feel the need to "demand that they not 'settle' for mediocrity," while finishing ~15th year in and year out. PARTICULARLY in a year when everyone thought we'd have at least 5 losses and some thought we'd not end up in a bowl game.

 

 

All this is to say, maybe adjust your expectations. If you have a inaccurate opinion of the talent on the team, it's easy to blame it on "scheme," but if you look at it honestly, not just cherry picking positions or looking back 10 years ago when we got lucky enough to get a QB to transfer here who's OWN SCHOOL didn't want him back and we picked up a TE from Central Michigan who was a non-scholarship player who broke out in College and then REALLY broke out into an all-time great in the NFL, you just simply see, WE-DO-NOT have anywhere NEAR the horses to run with OSU in this new "drop back and stretch the field," scheme that people are complaining about.

 

 

You want the scheme changed, change the talent. You want the talent changed....you lower you're requirements substantially, start paying players, doing all the things that OSU with exponentially more talent already at their disposal does that's shady and you'll STILL likely end up with less talent.

 

 

So we will NEVER be a program that is able to compete with Ohio State year year. And if you find watching CFB boring once the chance to win a Title is gone, that's gonna suck to hear. But we ARE a program that's good enough that if we can manage to snag a couple truly elite recruits that pan out to be as good as hoped AND continue to develop the other guys, maybe we'll go from consistently good to great every so often and put ourselves in a POSITION to maybe get into a CFP.

 

 

Expecting ANY more than that is going to lead to you bemoaning how everyone is "fine with mediocrity," and expecting something that's just not coming. The Badgers will NOT have a Clemson like run(again, an area with SOOO much more talent than what Wisconsin is capable of bringing in). They COULD have a run like Auburn had that one year with Newton if everything goes right or the year they NEARLY had if JJ had decided to come back early with Wilson.

 

 

But the fact of the matter is, OCCASSIONALLY, maybe 1 game in 20, we'll trip up vs an inferior team while beating the majority of the rest easily.

 

When we face everyone else, many of whom recruit better than us(Nebraska) we usually beat them soundly and put us in contention for yet another top 15 finish.

 

There should be a bit of disappointment, but the people who want coaching chances or other ridiculous things like that, they need to go back to the 80's when they were a bottom feeder and having wingless seasons.

 

Barry has gotten us to JUST ABOUT the highest rung we're capable of going and Chryst has kept us there for the most part. Again, two years ago, 13-1, 6 point loss to OSU. It likely won't get better than that, AND Paul Chyst is the PERFECT coach for this team while Jim Leonard is the PERFECT DC for this team. Or he would be if he was happy staying here and wanted to be a DC for the next 10-15 years.

[JosephC]

 

 

 

But the fact of the matter is, OCCASSIONALLY, maybe 1 game in 20, we'll trip up vs an inferior team while beating the majority of the rest easily.

 

 

The Badgers have had 3 trip ups in the last 19 games.

[tmwiese55]

That is basically a perfect post. Well said