NCAA Tournament Picks 2016 | Who Will Make it to The Final Game?

Well, here we are, another edition of the March Madness, also known as the greatest four days in sports, is upon us. Here is a summary of what my bracket looks like. Will we see an upset that takes out most of the brackets in the first round? Will things go according to plan? 

In round one, I have all four number one seeds advancing as well as all four number two seeds. The lowest seed I have winning in round one, is 14^th seeded Stephen F. Austin in the East Region. I have them defeating West Virginia in round one. In round two, believe it or not, I have them defeating Michigan and advancing to the Sweet 16. In addition to that, I have a pair of 13 seeds in the Sweet 16. First we have Hawaii out of the South Region. I really like this Hawaii team. They are anchored by three veteran guards in Roderick Bobbitt, Aaron Valdez, and Quincy Smith. Their leading scorer is their big man; 6'11” forward Stefan Jankovic at 15.7 points per game. In round one, I have Hawaii defeating the California Golden Bears. In round two, I have them defeating the South Dakota State Jackrabbits, after they themselves dispatch of 5^th seeded Maryland in round one. Once a national championship and number one seed favorite, the Terrapins are going backwards at the wrong time. The other 13^th seed is out of the Midwest Region, the Iona Gaels. In round one I have Iona defeating 4^th seeded Iowa State, and in round two I have them defeating 5^th seeded Purdue. Not all four number one seeds make it to the second weekend in my bracket. In round two, the 9^th Providence Friars stun the North Carolina Tar Heels in my bracket.

As we move into the second weekend, the seasons of all three of my mid-major underdogs come to a close. I have Hawaii getting bounced by Kansas, Iona getting beat by Virginia, and Stephen F. Austin getting dispatched of by Xavier, all in the Sweet 16. I have Seton Hall, the 6^th seed in the Midwest, upsetting Michigan State in the Sweet 16, a trendy pick for the national champion by many. In the Elite 8 I have Miami defeating Kansas, Oregon defeating Oklahoma, Virginia defeating Seton Hall, and Xavier defeating Providence to get to the Final Four.

In the Final Four, in my first match up, I have Miami going against Oregon. The Ducks will win this game by a score of 83-75. In the other Final Four match up, I have Virginia going against North Carolina. That will be the classic “Tortoise vs. Hare” match up, with the hare winning 76-70. In the National Championship game Oregon will defeat Virginia by the score of 74-63. Can you say "quack quack"?

Badgers Part Of Conference Championship Weekend 2014

Well, we have reached the final week of the college football season, also known as “Conference Championship Saturday” and there is plenty left to be decided as far as the playoffs are concerned, meaning the final four teams that will get to play for the national championship. So lets take a look at these games

Arizona and Oregon, PAC-12 Championship- For Oregon, this one is very simple, they win, their in. Arizona has been really lucky at time this season, luck like that usually runs out in the big moments. This should be an easy win for the Ducks.

Iowa State and TCU- This one is not a conference championship game, but this one does have national championship implications. TCU has no choice but to win this game, and they must win convincingly. Fortunately, that should happen. I expect TCU to win by several scores.

Kansas State and Baylor- This is another huge game with playoff implications. This is a chance against a great team for Baylor to make a statement and sneak in to the playoffs. Final score, Baylor by three.

Florida State and Georgia Tech, ACC Championship- Despite being the defending national champions, despite carrying the nations longest win streak, the Seminoles currently sit number three in the polls. This can be a good game if the Yellow jackets can control the clock early and prevent the Seminoles from getting up early. Still, I expect the Seminoles to win this game by two scores.

Wisconsin and Ohio State, Big Ten Championship - Oh the Gophers are getting closer to winning that game against the Badgers every year. But, the Badgers prevailed and they will take on Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship game. J.T. Barrett will miss this game as well as the postseason for the Buckeyes, so it is going to take a great gameplan for them to win this game. Badgers should win this game.

Alabama and Missouri, SEC Championship - This one may turn out to be the blowout of the day. I do not see how Missouri can win this game. Final score, Alabama with the mercy rule.

Badgers Need No Stinking Quarterback In 2014 | Random NCAA Notes

As those of you who read this blog on a weekly basis no, I have spent a great deal of time making jokes of the Badgers current quarterback situation. Well last Saturday Melvin Gordon decided that to completely deem the Badgers quarterback is irrelevant. Gordon set an NCAA record with 25 carries for 450 yards and four touchdowns. By the way, Joel Stave finished 7-11 for 46 yards and a touchdown. I still say the quarterbacks need to play better because Gordon is not going to run for 450 yards every week. The Gophers slipped up against Ohio State last week, but it is no big deal as right now the Buckeyes are one of the hottest teams in America. I still think the Gophers may actually finally have what it takes to beat the Badgers this season for the first time in quite a while.

I originally ruled out Oregon after their crushing loss at home against Arizona. But somehow they have crawled their way back and now find themselves on the inside track to the playoffs this season. Also crawling their way back in has been Alabama. At halftime of the Arkansas game, I thought we were watching the beginning of the end for the mighty Crimson Tide under nick Saban. But they gathered themselves and fought their way right back into the playoffs. Auburn has ran into some struggles this season after last season’s miracle run. Still, they are not out of it yet and could still win the SEC, although with two losses already the playoffs may be unlikely.

Todd Gurley Comes Back To Bulldogs and Random Notes

 Over in the SEC East Todd Gurley returned for Georgia. On his first touch coming off his suspension, Gurley returned a kickoff for a touchdown but is was brought back due to a holding penalty. His day got worse and he tore his ACL, effectively ending his season. Florida has finally made a decision on head coach Will Muschamp, he will not return in 2015. Many have been calling for the hiring of Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen. You know what, that kind of crap sickens me. These big poster schools can not stand let someone else have the spotlight for five minutes. Let the man at least finish the season before you make any such demands.

Preseason Top 25 College Football Teams 2014

Hello, everyone, here is a new feature being added to this blog. Each week, I will give out my own top 25. Here is my preseason top 25. Mine are a little bit different than most other prognosticators.  As for you Wisconsin Badgers fans, I have them starting the season at 19. We’ll see if these numbers hold throughout the weeks.  

 1. Florida State

 2. Oklahoma

 3. Oregon

 4. Auburn

 5. Michigan State

 6. Alabama

 7. UCLA

 8. South Carolina

 9. Baylor

10. Stanford

11. Mississippi

12. Kansas State

13. Arizona State

14. LSU

15. Clemson

16. Mississippi State

17. Iowa

18. North Carolina

19. Wisconsin

20. Washington

21. Cincinnati

22. Nebraska

23. Georgia

24. Minnesota

25. Duke

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. 

Bucky Bets On Phillips | Do They Have Any Other Choice?

The Badgers must have felt as if they had seen this play out before.  Time was running out, the Badgers were in the lead, but it all faded away in the final moments. This time, the Spartans won it in overtime.  That didn't make it any easier to take. Wisconsin had the lead, and had pinned Michigan State back around their own 25.  Michigan found a way to get down the field, and scored the tying touchdown.  The Badgers didn't manage the clock, and the game went to overtime.

Wisconsin scored a field goal with their first possession.  Would that hold up?  The Spartans answered with a 12 yard touchdown pass that capped of a solid drive.  Game over, Badgers lose. Wisconsin is now 3-2 in the Big Ten conference. Stave is out for the season.  Bucky fans are now wondering if the team can manage to pick up the pieces. They face an uphill battle to say the least.

Curt Phillips Takes Over As Quarterback

Curt Phillips now takes over as QB. Sure, he was a high school star, but weren't most Big Ten starters? On top of that, Phillips has gone under the knife three times, and played in very few games.  Still, there is hope. Phillips can move.  O'Brien failed to do the same in the pro-style offense that Wisconsin is known for. Phillips will get a chance to ease into things, as he's facing a team that gives up huge rushing yards.  With that in mind, the Badgers run game could certainly set up Phillips for some easy passes.  The Badgers are running out of options. It's got to work.

Badger opener was a close call

A win is a win. Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema and numerous Badger players echoed this cliché following Wisconsin’s (1-0 overall, 0-0 Big Ten) 26-21 victory over FCS opponent Northern Iowa (0-1 overall, 0-0 Missouri Valley Conference) Saturday afternoon in the first game of the 2012 season.
However, the Camp Randall crowd wasn’t necessarily pleased with that type of mentality. The usually raucous crowd essentially stood in disbelief when UNI pulled within five points midway through the fourth quarter. Fans appeared lifeless when the Wisconsin offense responded to UNI’s surge with a three-and-out, giving the Panthers the ball back with 5:17 left to play, still only behind by five.
The anxiety was felt in the crowd most when UNI went for a fourth-and-one on Wisconsin’s 41-yard line with just under three minutes remaining. The Panthers had converted on their two previous fourth down attempts, but redshirt junior defensive lineman Ethan Hemer deflected Northern Iowa redshirt freshman quarterback Sawyer Kollmorgen’s pass across the middle, ridding the crowd of its unexpected restlessness.
“There’s a lot of credit that should go to UNI,” Bielema said. “I thought they were probably the best FCS team we’ve ever faced. I could see that before we even played them.”
Senior running back Montee Ball capped things off for Wisconsin following Hemer’s play, as he rushed for 24 yards during the last drive to run the clock out.
“I don’t care if that was UNI or Nebraska, or anyone else that’s left on our schedule,” Bielema said. “[Ball] was going to secure that win and you could tell that.”
Redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Rob Havenstein felt the Wisconsin offense brought a bit more life and intensity during that drive.
“We definitely picked it up a bit,” he said of the drive. “[But] the intensity has got to be there every play, every snap, every down.”
The Badgers’ defense looked like an almost entirely different squad in the second half, as Kollmorgen completed clutch passes at will. After holding the Panthers to just three first downs and 47 yards in the first half, Wisconsin gave up 10 first downs in the second. All 13 Panthers’ first downs came off passes.
Let's hope this week isn't so close.

Jack Russell is the field goal kicker

University of Wisconsin football coach Bret Bielema released on Monday the first depth chart since the end of the 2011 season.
The biggest surprise is freshman kicker Jack Russell, from Waunakee High School, will handle field goals and extra points, while sophomore Kyle French will handle kickoffs. Coming into preseason camp, the opposite was expected.
Russell, who only kicked for two years in high school, won the field-goal job when French struggled at the end of last week.
The next biggest surprise is that redshirt freshman Derek Watt, who moved from middle linebacker to fullback a week ago, is listed as the co-starter along with sophomore Sherard Cadogan.
As expected, redshirt freshman Jordan Fredrick, from Madison Memorial, is one of three starting receivers listed on offense. The depth chart lists 13 starters on offense and 14 players overall, counting co-starters at fullback.
Junior Jared Abbrederis is a returning starter at wide receiver; also listed is sophomore Kenzel Doe. Based on recent practices, Doe will play the slot when UW goes to three receivers.
Let's hope he makes every kick. 

O'Brien hopes to make impact

They play the same position, came from the same conference and took advantage of the same rule.

Ultimately, they both landed in the same program, for similar reasons.

The comparisons between Russell Wilson and Danny O’Brien should end there, but they won’t, of course.

Since O’Brien made the decision to transfer from Maryland and follow the path Wilson forged a year ago to the University of Wisconsin — each getting a chance to play right away, having earned a degree — much of the focus has been on the similarities between their situations.

Now that O’Brien has arrived on campus, spent two months getting to know his teammates and has gone through the first week of preseason camp, it might be appropriate to point out the differences.

One of Wilson’s strongest supporters, from Day One, was UW athletic director Barry Alvarez, who quickly recognized the special talent that arrived from North Carolina State.

So, after O’Brien signed with UW in the spring, Alvarez was asked to make a comparison between the two.

Let's hope the Badgers go to BCS game this year.

Montee Ball gets beat up

University of Wisconsin running back Montee Ball suffered a concussion and facial injuries after five men jumped him early Wednesday in an area near campus that has been plagued by violence. Police are investigating whether the Heisman Trophy contender was targeted because of who he is.
Ball suffered blows to the head and is being treated by the UW sports medicine staff, according to the UW Athletic Department. He was treated and released from a local hospital after the attack, which occurred about 2:15 a.m. in the 500 block of University Avenue.
"We will continue to evaluate him as we approach the start of fall camp this weekend," UW coach Bret Bielema said in a statement. "I do expect Montee to make a full recovery."
The Badgers report for preseason camp on Sunday and begin practice on Monday. UW's season opener is Sept. 1 against Northern Iowa at Camp Randall Stadium.
Efforts to contact Ball or his family Wednesday were unsuccessful. But on his Twitter account, Ball wrote: "I appreciate the support and thank you for the concerns. I will be OK! See you guys in September!"
The senior is considered to be one of the top preseason Heisman Trophy contenders in the nation. UW coaches raved about the work he put in during the summer, and Ball tweeted on Tuesday, "You have no idea how ready I am for this fall."
Let's hope this does not happen again.

Bielema likes the new playoff system

Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema sounded excited to be a part of college football history with the advent of a four-team playoff that will replace the BCS model beginning with the 2014 season.

Doing the simple math, though, he expressed the one obvious concern that is shared by all of his fraternity brothers in the coaching profession. There is a concern, you ask?

"Yeah, if I'm No. 5,'' he said, grinning. "Everybody used to talk about the No. 3 and No. 4 teams that didn't get to play for the championship. Now they're going to be talking about No. 5 and No. 6.

"I think it's probably legit to say that every year you're going to have teams that can play the excuse game on why they should be there.

"But to have four teams that will have a shot to win it all now is really cool.''

The Rose Bowl will not only be part of the six-bowl rotation for the two semifinal games, but it will be locked into a 4 p.m. (CST) kickoff on Jan. 1 through 2026 (Jan. 2 if New Year's Day is a Sunday).

The Tournament of Roses also announced Thursday that the Rose Bowl would continue to honor a Big Ten/Pac-12 matchup in those years that it's not playing host to a national semifinal.

That type of stability and/or continuity is priceless, Bielema pointed out.

"Of course, we're all a little biased,'' he conceded. "I've been there as a player and a coach. I know the Rose Bowl is a sacred, hallowed ground for college football, especially for the Big Ten.''

The new system will render polls virtually meaningless in their current form, thereby eliminating what has always been a healthy source of debate and controversy for fans, players and coaches alike.

The preseason polls, in particular, were problematic; especially from Bielema's viewpoint. The Badgers were off the radar in 2006, his first season; yet fought all the way back to a No. 5 final ranking.

"I was a new head coach with a new team and people had questions,'' he recalled. "But we finished 12-1 and I felt like we were a BCS (bowl) level team (that had to settle for something less).

"I've always been in favor of ranking teams later in the year because you have a chance then to truly find out who has good teams -- and it's not based on just good projections.''

College football is expected to adopt the NCAA's basketball model for a selection committee, which would include a collection of current athletic directors and league commissioners.

That would eliminate the importance of two BCS staples: the USA Today Coaches Poll and the Harris Poll. There have been reports, too, that the tweaked system will rank teams by tiers; another notable departure from the past.
Let's hope Bucky can make it in to the playoffs. 

Badgers get a 4 star defensive lineman

All it takes is one look at two-sport standout Darius Latham to figure out what is his best sport.
Latham, 6-foot-5, 285 pounds, is a four-star defensive tackle from Indianapolis North Central High School, who gave an oral commitment to the University of Wisconsin on Tuesday.
But he's also a good enough basketball player that he travels around the country on the AAU circuit, playing for the Eric Gordon All-Stars.
In fact, Latham believes his time on the basketball court benefits his football skills. Not only does it keep him in shape, he is considered to have excellent feet for somebody his size.
"It does really help a lot," Latham told the Indianapolis Star in the spring. "I don't know how well I'd be playing (football) if I didn't play basketball."
 "I'm officially a Wisconsin Badger," he posted on his account on Tuesday night.
Scout.com ranks Latham as the No. 22 defensive tackle in the 2013 class. rival.com has him ranked as the No. 14 defensive tackle.
Among the schools recruiting Latham were Notre Dame, Arkansas, Michigan and Ohio State.
Tight ends coach Eddie Faulkner was the primary UW recruiter for Latham, who is the 11th known commitment of the upcoming recruiting class.
Let's hope he can produce. 

Is a playoff system coming to college football?

It was college football’s version of Band of Brothers.
The sport’s top decision-makers, 15 strong, stood together on a podium in the Camelot Room of the InterContinental Chicago Hotel late Wednesday afternoon.
“The fact we’re all here together,” SEC commissioner Mike Slive said, “is an important statement.”
Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick made the announcement: “We are on the threshold of creating a new postseason structure for college football.”
A group previously known for jousting over the complex issues surrounding a seeded four-team playoff achieved a consensus and will present its ideas Tuesday in Washington to the BCS Presidential Oversight Committee.
The playoff would start in 2014.
Details of the plan were not made public. Slive said commissioners want to inform school presidents and athletic directors, as opposed to having them “read it in the paper.”
One source, though, said the commissioners will recommend the creation of a selection committee to choose teams. Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany probably will not get his way on the “hybrid” model of three conference champions and a wild card, but a selection committee would be charged with favoring teams that win a conference title and challenge themselves in the nonconference schedule.
Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott has stood with Delany on the issue. He agreed that forming a selection committee could be an important step toward enhancing “the value of regular-season play.”
There’s consensus on using rotating bowls (Rose, Sugar, Fiesta and Orange — for now) to host semifinal games, with the championship game to be bid out like the Super Bowl. And Delany and Scott are satisfied the Rose Bowl’s value will be upheld; it is slated to host a semifinal game and a Big Ten-Pac 12 showdown in alternate years.
Several issues still need to be worked out, including dates of the games, the criteria a selection committee would use and revenue sharing.
Scott cautioned it’s “unlikely that every ‘i’ gets dotted and every ‘t’ gets crossed” next week in Washington.
“But I’m hopeful that on some main concepts we get the green light,” he said.
Delany said details don’t need to be hashed out until negotiations with TV partners begin in September or October.
Bottom line, this group of 11 conference commissioners, two assistants, Swarbrick and BCS executive director Bill Hancock found unity on the matters that really count.
“The biggest change,” Hancock said, “is when the commissioners realized that they could preserve the importance of the regular season and have a playoff, that let them go down the road to considering how to do a playoff.”
Camelot, according to Wikipedia, is viewed by scholars as “being entirely fictional, its geography perfect for romance writers.”
What took place Wednesday not only marks one of the final steps in a historic change for college football.
It was real
It would be great to see a playoff system. 

Badgers win a rowing title

The Wisconsin women's lightweight rowing team raced to its second straight national title at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championships, winning the varsity four event Saturday in Camden, N.J.
The Badgers cruised to a 4.830-second victory over Stanford. UW finished in 7 minutes 14.633 seconds, nearly 1:40 faster than its time in the heats Saturday.
UW's team consisted of coxswain Jenna Pavelec, Erin Wyliedden, Sophie Gavell and Lucy Wood, Sofie Ma.
"They were lights out, really did a fantastic job," said Badgers coach Erik Miller.
In the men's competition, top-ranked Washington edged the Badgers for the title in the second varsity eight. The Huskies, who won all five of their races, trailed the Badgers by a seat going into the final 700 meters of the race.
It is good to see Bucky win something that they are not
known for.  GO BUCKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Badgers don't play Michigan State in 2015 & 2016

Just when the rivalry between the University of Wisconsin and Michigan State football teams was getting really good comes the news that it's about to go on a hiatus.

The Big Ten Conference announced on Monday the conference schedules for 2015 and 2016.

The highlight for the Badgers is the return of Michigan following a four-year break. But the downside is the absence of the Spartans from 2013 to 2016.

The Badgers and Spartans have played three highly entertaining games the last two years and met in the inaugural Big Ten championship game last season.

Michigan State handed UW its only regular-season loss in 2010, winning 34-24 in East Lansing, Mich. The Spartans won the 2011 regular-season meeting, also at home, 37-31, on a Hail Mary pass on the game's final play.

The Badgers prevailed 42-39 in the wild title game, securing the win with the help of a roughing-the-kicker penalty on a punt late in the game.

The two teams are expected to be the favorites in their respective divisions during the upcoming season and will face each other at Camp Randall Stadium on Oct. 27. But the next four years, the only way they would play each other is in the conference title game.

Iowa, a traditional rival, leaves the UW schedule again in 2015-16, after returning in 2013 and 2014. That means the Badgers and Hawkeyes will not play each other in the regular season in four of the first six years of divisional play in the Big Ten.

Let's hope when they do meet Bucky comes out on top.

Badgers looking forward to this season

Back-to-back Rose Bowl appearances go a long way in building a nationally recognized football brand. But in 2012, the wisconsin football program has the chance to take a final, long-awaited step forward.

After spending years adjacent to the circle that surrounds college football’s “elite” programs, Wisconsin has the opportunity next season to finally anchor itself among the upper echelon of not just the Big Ten conference, but all of college football.

And a Heisman frontrunner coupled with a remarkably deep and talented defense may be just enough to finally bring the Badgers much-deserved validation as one of the conference’s perennial contenders. Wisconsin’s pursuit of becoming an elite program (à la Ohio State) has been a reappearing topic for years — including a recent ESPN college football roundtable — but next season it has the opportunity to capitalize on recent success and establish a spot on the national scene.

Analysts are quick to point out potential issues arising from the exodus of UW coaches this offseason, most notably offensive coordinator Paul Chryst. But the talent returning on both sides of the ball puts Wisconsin in great position for a third-consecutive BCS bowl appearance that could place them firmly among the Big Ten’s best and no longer keep them looming a half-step behind.

This chance at claiming a spot among the country’s best programs begins with one of the most dangerous players lining up in the backfield in all of college football — running back Montee Ball. After piling up simply absurd numbers in 2011 — 1,923 yards and 39 total touchdowns — the senior running back will be the unquestioned centerpiece of the Badgers’ offense next season.

Ball is the rare, once-in-a-decade player who can single-handedly carry the offense as a one-man touchdown machine. Although he’ll have a tough time surpassing the stats he managed in 2011, the senior’s speed and vision out of the backfield alone could earn Wisconsin a couple of victories. Beyond that, Ball’s name staying in the Heisman discussion all season will continue to elevate the image of wisconsin football. Even if Danny O’Brien fails to exhibit the skills through the air he showed as a Maryland freshman in 2010, Ball will be ready to take a starring role in the Badgers’ offensive attack.

Ball and White in the Backfield at the same time?

University of Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema was teasing senior running back Montee Ball during football practice on Tuesday about a potential position switch.

“I was giving Montee some heat,” Bielema said. “We finally found his right position — at fullback.”

The Badgers returned from last week’s spring break and opened the doors to the media for the first time. They also unveiled a backfield at times that included two running backs — Ball and junior James White.

UW fans don’t need to be alarmed about Ball, a Heisman Trophy finalist last year who rushed for 1,923 yards and scored 39 touchdowns, moving to a new spot.

But the UW coaches would like to find a bigger role for White, whose statistics dropped last season as Ball emerged as the team’s workhorse.

White still had solid numbers, rushing for 713 yards and averaging 5.1 yards per carry. But it was a dramatic dip from 2010, when he rushed for 1,052 yards and averaged 6.7 per attempt as a true freshman.

“As a competitor, you want to play more,” running backs coach Thomas Hammock said. “So I think he wants to play more. He’s putting in the work to play more. Obviously, he’s doing enough things to say, maybe we need to put them both on the field.”

Bielema said the Badgers put in a package with Ball and White together in the backfield last season, but didn’t really get to it.

“I believe it was game seven, we put it in,” Bielema said. “Our other stuff was working so well, we never expanded the package.”

One thing that makes the combination possible is both are excellent receivers. Ball caught 24 passes for 306 yards and six scores last season, while White caught 15 for 150.

It might be an interesting season.  GO BUCKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Konz ready for the NFL

Former University of Wisconsin center Peter Konz had to wait later than most NFL draft prospects to show what he could do.

Konz suffered a dislocated left ankle in the game against Minnesota on Nov. 12.

So he only took part in the bench press at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis in late February and put up a disappointing 18 repetitions at 225 pounds.

During UW's pro day on March 7, Konz was limited to snapping for quarterback Russell Wilson during quarterback drills.

Konz finally got a chance to show what he could do Wednesday in a workout at the McClain Center and may have cemented his status as the top center in the draft later this month. Sixteen NFL teams were represented at the workout, mostly offensive line coaches.

"I thought it went very well," Konz said. "It's been a long journey, rehabbing from Nov. 12 until today and mustering out that Rose Bowl, really taking it easy during the combine, which was hard because teams want to see you.

"To get out here today and really feel healthy and able to do all the workouts makes me feel really confident."

Konz did not run a 40-yard dash. He did the bench press and also went through offensive line drills.

"It would have put more strain on my ankle," Konz said of the 40. "It's really more important to do the O-line drills, to see I'm functional, I can go in a minicamp and do it.

"If I go out and do a 40 and all of a sudden tweak something, that's just not smart."

First, Konz had to put to bed the number 18, which haunted him since the combine.

"There are tight ends and probably a running back or two that beat me," he said of his bench press reps. "It just burns through your pride."

He worked with UW assistant strength coach Brian Bott and the results showed as Konz improved to 23 repetitions.

"Brian Bott really helped me," Konz said. "He did a phenomenal job. That's a big leap from, what was it, a month ago until now?"

Former Michigan center David Molk led the way for offensive linemen in the bench press at the combine with 41 reps. Konz is tall for a center at 6-foot-5 and that does not help in the bench press. By comparison, Molk is 6-1.

But Konz made no excuses for a performance some draft analysts thought could have been a red flag that keeps him out of the first round.

It would be nice if the Packers drafted him.  GO BUCKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!