Badgers 2014 Not Too Impressive So Far | Big Ten Looking Sloppy Overall

The Badgers came into the 2014 season with high hopes and a new quarterback. Through the first two games of the season, I’m not impressed with this team, period. Joel Stave was the starter for the Badgers for the last two seasons. However that doesn’t mean he played well. He started out okay as the season began a year ago, and got worse as the season progressed to the point of which the bowl game against South Carolina was one of the worst performances by a quarterback I have ever seen in my 28 years I’ve spent on this planet. Simply put, Stave just looked outmatched at every turn for 60 minutes. This led to a quarterback change this off season in Madison. Out steps Joel Stave, in steps South Carolina transfer Tanner McEvoy. To tell you the truth, McEvoy has not looked that much better running this offense. Unless he improves, it looks like the Badgers will need to find yet another quarterback. In fact, I would say it is time for them to expend some out of State recruiting resources into find a solid quarterback.

As far as the rest of this team is concerned, I’m not impressed with the rest of you all either. I was not impressed with the defensive meltdown against LSU to open the season. I was not impressed with the fact that they had a one score lead entering the third quarter, at home, against Western Illinois. That was a team they should have buried by halftime if they were as good as their ranking says they are.

The Badgers have a game upcoming this Saturday at home against Bowling Green. The line has the Badgers as 27 point favorites, but with the way this season has started, I am not sure if it should be that high. I think they will win, but the final score may be much closer than that, say 34-20.

Big Ten Looking Bad So Far

Here is the good news for the Badgers, the rest of the Big Ten hasn’t looked that much better either. Michigan State’s defense blew a lead against Oregon and lost, although that is no big deal. Ohio State lost at home to Virginia Tech who turned around and lost last Saturday to East Carolina. The Badgers are still the favorites to come out of their own division to play in the Big Ten title game, so they could coast all the way there with all sorts of problems and not have to do anything about them. I will tell you this, no Big Ten team will be in the playoff this year.

Badgers Head to Minneapolis In November 2013 | Will The Axe Stay With Bucky?

Will the Badgers crush the Gophers the next time that they fight for the Axe?  If you go back in time to October of 2012, you will recall that Wisconsin took care of business in a big way.  They finished that day with a 25 point margin of victory over the hapless Golden Gophers.  James White destroyed the Minnesota defense, rushing for three touchdowns that day.  Montee Ball also had a field day, racking up over 160 yards on the ground.

That victory put the Badgers at 3-1 in the Big Ten.  Will it happen again this season?  We won't find out until November 23.  That's when Badgers fans will be scrambling for Minneapolis tickets in a big way.  Their beloved Badgers will have to repeat their success on the road in 2013.  That game is part of a three game, season ending stretch, where they face three Big Ten teams in a row.  First they will play Indiana at Camp Randall, then play the Gophers on the road.  The final game of the season is on 11/30, when they host Penn State. 

Badgers Fans Shocked As Brett Bielema Walks Away

Badgers fans were stunned by the news of Bielema's departure to Arkansas. This news came before the Rose Bowl, further angering Wisconsin fans. The news that Barry Alvarez will coach the team at Pasadena was less of a surprise. If you take a hard look at the situation at Madison, it becomes easier to understand why Bret took the leap.
The Badgers made the Rose Bowl this year because Ohio State was ineligible. Next season, the Buckeyes will most certainly win the Big Ten Championship game, and our Badgers will more than likely be languishing somewhere below the .500 mark. Last season, the team had lost key players to graduation, and that talent drop off will increase as Montee Ball will be gone next year.

Bielema Took Advantage Of The Timing

Bielema saw the writing on the wall, and took a powder before his stock dropped big time. Why didn't Bielema find a way to recruit well in these past few years, in order to replenish the departing players? Some say it was partly due to the playing and coaching style of Wisconsin football. When a team is focused on the run, hot shot quarterbacks will more than likely avoid the calls from recruits from said teams.
Why spend your college career working under the radar, or in the shadows of a player like Ball, White, or Dayne? Finally, Bielema is a gambler. Most folks know that. Bret took an assessment of the situation in Madison, and decided to go "all in" at Arkansas. Now it's up to Alvarez to find a suitable replacement that will be able to keep the team hot.