Kicking Their Dairy Air

I wish I had


TWEET!

Sorry, false start.  Again.

I really wish I had written a pregame summary this week, predicting a win for Penn State based on a complicated formula of controlling the line of scrimmage, not turning the ball over, controlling time of possession and committing eight false starts.  I would have looked like a freaking genius.  Now, I just look like a freak.  Such is life.

In their final game of the season, the team that just wouldn't quit wouldn't quit one last time, beating Wisconsin 31-24.  They were over matched and under scholarshipped.  The bettors were predicting a 24 point margin of victory for the Badgers.  Penn State had already lost to Indiana for crying out loud.

Simply put, Penn State should not have been in this game.

Instead, it was the Badgers who played like they shouldn't have been in this game.  With a combination of poor throws by Stave (apparently pronounced Stavie--does that mean that the Packers were quarterbacked by Bret Favrie?), interceptions by Penn State, and big plays on offense (4 plays over 50 yards!) the Lions ended the season for the second straight year with a win over a ranked Wisconsin squad.  Okay, they weren't ranked last year, but they were headed for the Big Championship and ultimately the Rose Bowl.  These were two quality season-ending wins dammit!

I thought last year that we benefitted from circumstance--Wisconsin had the title game already locked win or lose and didn't want to risk any injuries.  But that was not the case this year.  They weren't looking ahead to any championship game, and in fact, they were playing for a better bowl--perhaps a BCS game.  They had everything to gain by beating Penn State.

Wisconsin seemed out of whack, especially on defense.  Perhaps their shifting of players in and out was supposed to confuse Hackenberg, but in the end, it was the Badger defense that seemed confused. 

But like so many other games this season, the Lions were unable to put the chokehold on their opponent when they had the opportunity.  They actually led by three scores 31-14 in the fourth quarter, but had to survive a Hail Mary pass with one second left to avoid a loss or OT.  Ficken missed a field goal that could have sealed the game, and had one blocked.  With time running out, O'Brien called a time out with FIVE seconds still on the clock.  Although Keiser intercepted Stave in the endzone to essentially end the game, there was still one second left on the clock that should not have been there.  Better clock management, and that final play wouldn't have happened at all.

But that's being a little picky for a team that defied all odds to go 7-5 and quite frankly we should be thankful this Thanksgiving that we still have a football program at all. 

I simply cannot find the words to describe how happy I am with the win.  I had a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes as Zwinak broke free for 61 yards.  These guys have played their hearts out all year and were so close to having a 10-2 season (but also close to a 4-8 one as well.)  But to come out in this final game in a hostile environment with nothing to play for than pride and put on that kind of performance is simply amazing.  Kudos to the coaches for keeping these guys motivated and focused!   The energy level was amazing!

Hackenberg finishes the season with 2,900+ passing yards, 20 TDs and 10 INTs.  The long ball looked good today.  With more scholarships on the horizon, the future looks bright.  I hope Allan Robinson sticks around for another year.

BY THE NUMBERS:

From GoPSUsports:

	PSU	WIS
FIRST DOWNS...................	13	27
RUSHES-YARDS (NET)............	28-126	30-120
PASSING YDS (NET).............	339	339
Passes Att-Comp-Int...........	30-21-0	55-29-3
TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS.....	58-465	85-459
Fumble Returns-Yards..........	0-0	0-0
Punt Returns-Yards............	2-9	1--2
Kickoff Returns-Yards.........	5-73	6-78
Interception Returns-Yards....	3-66	0-0
Punts (Number-Avg)............	5-30.6	5-47.8
Fumbles-Lost..................	1-0	0-0
Penalties-Yards...............	9-45	4-35
Possession Time...............	29:13	30:47
Third-Down Conversions........	5 of 13	8 of 17
Fourth-Down Conversions.......	0 of 0	2 of 3
Red-Zone Scores-Chances.......	3-5	3-3
Sacks By: Number-Yards........	3-18	0-0

Penn State outgained the Badgers by a small amount in total yards, but the Badgers had a slight edge in time of possession.  A closer look at the total yardage, though, shows that PSU gained about 8 yards per play while the Badgers averaged 5.4 yards per play.

INTANGIBLES:

The attendance at Camp-Randall was 78,064.

Bill O'Brien has not lost to Wisconsin.  The Badgers lead the series 9-8.


B1G PICTURE:

The Suckeyes "beat" THEM 42-41 as Hoke chose to go for two but came up short.  I like his call to go for it.  I don't like the play he called.  It is what it is.

Nebraska looked like crap (how did we lose to them?) against Iowa, falling 38-17.

Sparty struggled offensively, but nearly blanked the gophers, winning 14-3.

Northwestern finally won a conference game, beating Illinois 37-34.

Indiana beat Purdue 56-36. 

Future members:  Maryland beat NC State 41-21 while Rutgers lost to UConn 28-17.

Michigan State will face the Buckeyes for the conference title.  Pray that MSU carries the day.

SHEDDING TEARS:

1.  Alabama--lost to Auburn on the final play of the game as the Tigers ran back a missed field goal--yes, you read that correctly--to break the tie and probably send Urban F-in Meyer to the title game.

2.  For Brady Hoke--big balls, but a little bat.

3.  For Duke--the good news--you won your division. The bad--now you have to face F$U.

4.  Oregon State--one point short of Oregon in the Civil War.

5.  Georgia Tech--lost to Georgia in 2OT

LOOKING AHEAD:

The Blue-White Game in April.

BALL Controlled

This team would not quit.  This team didn't want to quit.  While the NCAA seems to think that punishing these kids somehow helps the victims of Jerry Sandusky, or will change a culture of football when none of those decision makers are even at the University anymore, this team just wanted to play football.  And play they did.  They were having so much fun, they took this thing to over time.

I debated on the title of this recap for quite a while.  The alternative was Ficken Kicken Good, a play on the KFC 'finger lickin good' slogan.  And while Mr. Ficken deserves a lot of credit for slipping his 37-yarder inside the upright to seal Penn State's OT victory, I think the key to this win was the defense adjusting after two early scores, including a record breaking 17-yard touchdown run by Monte Ball to put the Badgers up 14-7.  Ball was held to 111 yards on 17 carries, which I believe is well below his average.

In the meantime, Zach Zwinak rushed for 179 yards (and exactly 1000 for the season) against the nation's 9th best rushing defense.

Unlike past games, Penn State did not perform well in the first half, but then dominated the second.  Adjustments were made on both sides of the ball.  O'Brien noted after the game that perhaps he should have rushed the ball even more.

But despite the emotion, and despite the punishing attack of Zwinak, the Badgers fought back.  The score board shows fours across the bottom: fourth down, four to go, fourth quarter, ball on the four yard line.  And with just 18 ticks left on the clock, the Wisconsin Badgers were still poised to disappoint this emotional and scrappy Penn State team.

Fans in the stadium were grumbling about the previous Penn State possession which opened with an incomplete short pass.  Penn State went three and out and failed to milk valuable time off the clock, allowing the Badgers a chance to tie up the game.  Personally, I like the call.  It was a short, safe pass--almost but not a lateral.  Ninety eight times out of a hundred, you complete that pass.  If the receiver makes the first guy miss, you get some good yardage.  Unfortunately, on this cold blustery night, the pass fell incomplete.  Clock stopped.  Hearts stopped.

My feet were frozen, and the night seemed to be growing colder with each passing second.  Penn State clung to a three point lead in the first OT.  But the defense rose to the occasion stifling the first run for a yard by Monte Ball.  They sacked and forced a fumble on the next play, but we were unable to recover the fumble.  On third down, Glenn Carson should have intercepted the pass and secured the win, but dropped the ball.

Things looked bleak as Wisconsin lined up to kick the field goal.    A time out to ice the kicker gave the frozen fans in the stadium the opportunity to reflect on the missed opportunities.  A dropped pass and three and out.  A field goal in OT.  An unrecovered fumble.  An un-intercepted pass.  How many more chances would the Badgers get to send PSU into the off season on a sour note?

The answer was none.  Kyle French yanked his 44-yarder wide worse than me hooking a drive into the trees.

And this team prevailed.  The story lines are well known.  The walk-on QB that many said would never be able to play for any marquee division I team played lights out all season with 17 TDs and five INTs.  He suddenly looked like a D-I QB.  Sam Ficken, missing four field goals and an extra point in a one point loss to Virginia, came back to hit his last 10 and the game winner over the Badgers in OT.  There was Michael Mauti, outspoken leader of this team and key instrument to keeping this team together when many were heading for what they thought were greener pastures, now sitting on the sideline with a knee injury on Senior Day.  And of course, there are those annoying little details like the ignominious firing and subsequent death of a legendary coach, the hiring of Bill O'Brien, and the NCAA over stepping it's charter to severely punish a school, when none of the administrators have yet to be found guilty of any wrong doing.  There is no dearth of plot lines in this season.

And although there is no bowl game, perhaps in this final, exciting victory, these student-athletes can find some redemption for their dedication and hard work.

Congratulations, Class of 2012!



BY THE NUMBERS:

There was one turn over in the game, a key interception when Wisconsin was driving just one possession before they tied the game.

Penn State won time of possession 31:45 to 28:15.  If you read my pregame statistics, I said it would be crucial for PSU to win this.  The Badgers were 6th in the nation in TOP.

Penn State out gained the Badgers 363 to 349 yards, and out-rushed them by 5. 

INTANGIBLES:

The Blue Band Drum Major had trouble sticking both flips, and I think he injured himself on the first one as he seemed to limp a bit after that.  Hopefully he will heal up before the NCAA Drum Major Flipping Combine.

Penn State won the toss and elected to defer in regulation.  The Badgers won the toss in OT.  I thought it odd that PSU chose to play in the North Endzone, but let's face it, the student section was rather empty (they didn't even have enough people for the card ceremony which otherwise looked really good) and the bowl of the North end was full and loud.  I know.  I was there.  Of course, it might have had something to do with the wind or other factors.  It's just odd that the home team didn't choose to play into its own student section.

The attendance figure of 93,505 obviously reflected tickets sold and not actual bodies in the stadium.  I blame STEP for this.  I think they even counted the ghost of Joe Paterno, but Rodney Erickson apologized afterward.  There were very few empty $100 seats in the lower bowl.  I think STEP needs to readjust it's pricing to demand, unless the University is satisfied just having a lot of empty seats on game day.

I actually had trouble giving away 6 tickets.  My brother-in-law had two on the 45-yard line that he couldn't give away.  So STEP isn't the only culprit here.   I don't know what the solution is, but apparently the University doesn't care.  But if I were in charge, there would be open admission for any students (no ticket or cost required) to fill in any available seats AFTER the FIRST QUARTER in the student section, providing of course that the section was sold out.  Upper decks are $50.  I don't care if they have chair backs.  Who would want to sit up there, when there are $100 seats in the bowl below?  The upper sections at mid field should be half--if on the 50, then $300 instead of $600, $200 instead of $400.  At least it would be a start.  But silly me . . . it isn't about the fans or the game.  It's about money.

Did O'Brien refer to his team as F%&KERS or FIGHTERS?  Come on.  Why would he call them that?  It was cold, his voice cracked.  Move on people.  Move on.

O'Brien's favorite band?

THE BIG (TEN) PICTURE:

What is the real cost of a FREE TATTOO?  Apparently one national championship.  The Buckeyes finish undefeated after a 26-21 win over their arch nemesis from Up North, but they will sit at home with Penn State for the bowl season.  Happy Holidays!

Nebraska punched their ticket to Indy with an uninspired 13-7 win over Iowa, who isn't even bowl eligible.

Northwestern put up 50 to Illinois' 14.  Nice season there, Illini.  Go ahead.  make our day.  Try to poach some more athletes.  Losers.  I don't carry a grudge.  I wear it with pride.

Purdue steamrolled Indiana 56-35.  The Spartans managed to get to bowl eligibility with a 26-10 win over the 6-6 Gophers.

Both future Big Ten teams lost:  Rutgers fell to Pitt 27-6 and Marlyand lost to UNC 45-38.

SHEDDING TEARS:

1.  For college football, as ND continues to pretend to be relevant.
2.  For Oregon--no title game for you!
3.  For Auburn--3-9 and pounded 49-0 by Bama.
4.  For Championship games--Stanford beat UCLA, setting up a title game between, um, Stanford and UCLA.  Nebraska has to play Wisconsin again.  Woo Hoo!  Why?  Oh yeah, I forgot again.  It's about the money.

LOOKING AHEAD:

Blue White Game. 

Statistically Speaking: Don't Badger Me Edition

Here are the NCAA rankings for Penn State and Wisconsin:

NCAA Stats Comparison
Category:	Penn St.	Wisconsin
Rushing	83	17
Passing Offense	34	110
Total Offense	48	83
Scoring Offense	56	67
Rushing Defense	23	9
Turnovers Gained	40	107
Passes Had Intercepted	18	9
Pass Defense	52	25
Net Punting	110	68
Punt Returns	87	52
Kickoff Returns	110	77
Turnover Margin	21	48
Fumbles Recovered	21	93
Passes Intercepted	64	97
Fumbles Lost	43	17
Turnovers Lost	16	6
Passing Efficiency	49	61
Pass Efficiency Defense	26	25
Total Defense	30	11
Scoring Defense	22	14
Fewest Penalties Per Game	46	5
Fewest Yards Penalized Per Game	58	9
Punt Return Yardage Defense	105	59
Kickoff Return Yardage Defense	72	28
Offense Third-down Efficiency	50	103
Offense Fourth-down Efficiency	48	56
Defense Third-down Efficiency	52	16
Defense Fourth-down Efficiency	22	92
Tackles for Loss	60	67
Offense Tackles for Loss	3	101
Pass Sacks	13	53
Pass Sacks Allowed	53	80
Time of Possession	30	6
First Downs	38	96
First Downs Allowed	27	7
Red Zone Efficiency	87	53
Red Zone Efficiency - Defense	10	113
Average NCAA Rank:	46.68	52.43
Weighted Avg. Rank:	46.17	44.83

The two teams are pretty evenly matched, but PSU has an edge straight up in all categories.  When you weight those categories (more emphasis for things like total defense and less emphasis for fewest penalties) then the Badgers emerge with a slight edge.  If the two teams play "their game" PSU will need to rely on some intangibles to win the game.

Both teams have good rushing defenses.  Penn State will need to keep Monte Ball from running down hill all day, and in particular, the fourth quarter.  Notice that Wisconsin is ranked higher nationally in time of possession.  The Lions will probably need to win that stat . . . if our defense is on the field a long time, the Wisconsin O-line will likely prevail late in the game.

Unfortunately for Penn State, Wisconsin leads just about every defensive category.  Their passing offense is 110th, but if the weather turns out to be as treacherous (cold, rainy, snowy) as I have heard predicted, this will favor the running game.

I do like the Red Zone defense numbers, with PSU ranked 10th and the Badgers at 113. If we can get the ball to the red zone, I think we prevail. Keep in mind that our red zone offensive performance includes the early games like Virginia where we really struggled to put any points on the board. I think we are actually better in the red zone now than the stats would show.

Penn State is between a 2.5 and 3 point favorite depending on the time of day you look.  Most odds makers and pundits claim a three point advantage for the home team.  Looks like Vegas thinks these two teams are pretty closely matched up. 

So what are the intangibles?  Neither team NEEDS to win.  If the Lions lose, the season is over.  The season is over if they win.  Win or lose, Wisconsin has already punched their tickets to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Title game and a possible Rose Bowl Berth.

Penn State's season is over regardless of the outcome.  They can play like there is no to,morrow, because, well, there isn't.  Wisconsin on the other hand, can't afford an injury to a quarterback or Monte Ball.  This isn't pro ball.  Those key players won't sit out because the playoff spot is assured.  And if Wisconsin loses the Title game, their record will determine how good of a consolation bowl they land in.

But this is senior day for a very special group of senior players.  Michael Mauti, the very special leader of that special group, will be side-lined with a knee injury.  Emotion will be running high.  That can be good and bad.  Emotion ran high in the opening game against the Bobcats, but spent itself out too quickly and wilted in the heat of a hot afternoon.  We don't need to worry about heat being a factor, but we don't want to crash and burn late in the afternoon on too much intensity too quickly.

This is where O'Brien needs help from his coordinators and assistants who have played the college game.  Motivating 18-22 year olds who are not being paid a salary in the millions is different than motivating an NFL team.  I have no doubt that creepy old Bret Bielema will have his team fired up.  Can we match and exceed -- and sustain --  that emotion?

The answer to that may determine the outcome of the game.

Let's go with PENN STATE 31 - WISCONSIN 27.

GO STATE!  BEAT BADGERS!

Upon Further Review

Did you watch the end of the Nebraska-Wisconsin game on Saturday night?

Nebraska took the lead 30-27 in the fourth quarter.  On their last possession, the Badgers were driving and came up with a 3rd and 11.  O'Brien (the QB, not the coach) completed a pass to Frederick but on camera he appeared to be short of the first down by a good yard.  The refs--those near and dear and lovable Big Ten zebras of honor--spotted the ball a yard further.  The spot was so clearly botched I was having flashbacks to Ann Arbor in 2005.

Now this may seem innocuous, but the circumstances were really more bizarre and nefarious than that.  The line judge, who improperly spotted the ball, signalled to move the chains without a measurement and without the head referee signalling for a first down.  No one else even looked at the spot as the chain gang moved on.  Remember, they can't see the unofficial yellow line on the field that we see.

It was only after a review, that it was confirmed that the ball had not been spotted properly, and this brought up a fourth and one situation.  Late in the game with time running out, the Badgers elected to go for it, fumbled, and the rest, shall we say, is history.

But I ask you?  How is that these competent referees mis-spot a ball by a yard?

And why, in a crucial situation, even with the added yardage, when the spot was still close enough to demand a measurement, would you move the flags before such a measurement?  Obviously, the Badgers wanted to save time because the clock was running down (1:11 when Nebraska took over after the fumble). . . so why not stop the clock and check the measurement?

It truly appeared as if the refs, or at least the one spotting the ball and moving the chains in a damned big hurry, was intent on helping Wisconsin.  Why else would you not measure if your real desire is to get the correct call?

Even more astonishing to me, though, is that the ref in the video replay booth chose to stop play and review it.  (He probably had to at that point since the spot was so ridiculously wrong.)  Had he not done that, the Badgers would have had a first down, and the next play likely wouldn't have been a handoff, botched or otherwise, to Montee Ball.  The outcome of that game could have been different without replay.  If the fix was on to help the Badgers, the replay booth botched the opportunity, so that argues against a conspiracy.  But how many refs does it take to conspire???  If I were in charge of officiating, I think punitive action against the ref on the field moving the chains prematurely would be in order.

I bring this up because of that 2005 debacle in Ann Arbor.  I'm sure I still have the tape around here somewhere collecting dust.  While everyone remembers the heel-toe controversy and the infamous two seconds, most people don't recall the multiple favorable spots the wolverines got all game long.  And for the record, the heel-toe should have been reviewed, but perhaps not over turned.  You might wonder why that is important, but it would have stopped play and allowed our defense to rest and regroup while a legitimately close play was re-evaluated.  Lord, we added four extra minutes to Saturday's game to review QB sneaks where you couldn't even see the ball on the replay!

Reviewing a play, even if it stands, can have unforeseen effects on the outcome of a game.  In this game in Lincoln, one blogger felt that reviewing a potential scoring play for the Badgers, gave Bielema time to rethink his strategy:

Bad break: On third-and-goal in the first quarter, Nebraska’s defense stopped Montee Ball one foot shy of the end zone. Bret Bielema sent his kicking team on to the field. But officials interrupted action to review the third-down play. That allowed Bielema to re-think his fourth-down strategy. Officials confirmed the call and Ball scored on fourth down. If officials don’t review the call, Wisconsin settles for three points.

And, if Ficken were kicken, there might be no points!  But I digress.

Getting back to spotting the ball in 2005, there were at least two times I recall watching the line judge come running in from the sideline to mark the ball, and drifting forward like a drunken sailor as he did so, adding almost two yards onto the final spot of the ball and assuring that the wolverines made a first down.

And as Wisconsin proved on Saturday night, spotting the ball properly is important.  The game just might hinge on those precious inches of turf.

And what if they hadn't stopped play to review it? 

We will never know.  But at least the correct call was made in 2012, if not in 2005.

Wrecking Ball

Lions have "CHEESE TOUCH!"

Monte Ball rolled all over Penn State en route to scoring 4 touchdowns and leading the Badgers to a 45-7 victory over the Nittany Lions in Madison.  Ball brought his season TD total to 34, five behind all-time leader Barry Sanders.  And while the offensive output against this Penn State defense was impressive, the key to the Badgers success was four turn-overs.  Three fumbles--two on punts--and an interception gave the Badger offense great field position and kept our defense on the field a long time.  The Badgers had the ball almost twice as long as Penn State and they ran 36 more offensive plays.

I don't need to tell you how big this game was.  Although the Lions can claim a "share" of the Leaders Division title, the claim is hollow and meaningless, as Wisconsin will head to Indy to face Michigan State again.  But don't worry, football fans.  Rematches are in this season as it appears we will have to endure another LSU-Bama bore fest for all the marbles.

I could dissect this game in detail, but you probably watched it and you don't want to hear about it again.  In a capsule, we played sloppy and unfocused.  We lost time of possession by the largest margin since probably 1994, when Penn State's average scoring drive was around two minutes on the season.  Throw in a few turnovers and we never stood a chance.

It was a whine and cheese party in Madison.  They brought the cheese, and I will provide the whine.  Yes.  I'm going to say it.  I am going to go there.  The officiating sucked.  IT DID NOT COST US THE GAME--Wisconsin was too good for that.  But that makes the piss-poor officiating all that more egregious.

The night before the game I was talking with a friend about this.  I knew that Penn State could not hope to blow-out Wisconsin.  Our only hope was a close game.  But in a close game, the referee can make the critical call that swings things.  I told my friend that the Big Ten had already decided that Penn State could not be in this title game.  They did not want that kind of publicity.  Who am I kidding?  They never wanted us in any title race.  But the point I made to him was that the referees would favor the Badgers at all costs.

Not even half way through the game--at 4:30 PM--he texted me saying I was right about the referees and he bows to my greatnesss.  There are times when I hate to be right.

Seriously.  Wisconsin did not need the help.  And the bad calls--like the blatant PI on Haplea that wasn't called and the unsportsmanlike penalty on McGloin for throwing the ball incomplete after the play was whistled dead for a penalty--only kept Penn State from ever having a chance to climb back into this game.  Again, the calls did not keep us from winning--we weren't good enough to win this game.  But they made an uncompetitive game even more lopsided.

And why was Russell Wilson still taking snaps in the fourth quarter?  You never want to see a player injured, but there would have been some poetic justice to watch Bielema's face if his star QB suffered an injury slipping on the wet field when he didn't need to be out there.

In the end, the game was disappointing beyond words.

And now the fate of this program is in the hands of the Board of Trustees and David Joyner (who was on the board!)  The list of potential candidates has shrunk due to circumstances beyond the football field.  Will they rush to fill the position, perhaps making a bad choice just to make a choice?  The precedent has been set:  they rushed to fire Paterno before they even investigated the situation.

My how the tables have turned.  At the beginning of this season, a large number of PSU fans were hoping Paterno would retire and that Penn State would direct a national search for a replacement instead of staying in house like Paterno wanted to do.  Now, just months later, we miss Paterno and would prefer to see Tom Bradley take the helm, rather than a second-rate coach with no proven ability.

Think about it.  Who do you want to coach this team?  Al Golden does not have the experience.  London at Virginia?  Did you see that Virginia team against Va Tech?  Meyer might be a good temporary choice, but it doesn't look likely that will happen.  He's either a liar and he is going to Ohio State, or he's not going there.  I've heard rumors of Tony Dungy, and of all the candidates I've heard so far, that might be the best.

Unfortunately, the buffoons on the BOT either don't realize how importnat this football program is to the University--or they don't care.  Either way, I fear a knee jerk move to erase Paterno completely from the picture and anyone ever associated with him.  They will act too quickly in the name of wanting to do something, to start the healing, and to move forward.  But making a bad decision is worse than making no decision in this case.

Say what you will about Paterno.  Maybe he knew more about Sandusky than we know.  Maybe he should have done more.  But he still built this program to what it is today--or at least to what it was before November 5th.  He graduated students.  He cared about the athletes under his supervision.  He spurned changing uniform designs to make a buck or show off.  He benched players for celebration.  He did football the way it was meant to be done, even if he didn't always win and didn't always make us armchair quarterbacks happy.

But in its time of need, Penn State has seen fit to expel the strongest moral compass in collegiate football--EVER--just when we need morality the most. 

We can only pray that his replacement is a fraction as noble and successful as Paterno, while still doing football the right way.

BY THE NUMBERS:

From the GoPSUsports site:

Team Totals	PSU	WIS
FIRST DOWNS	12	27
Rushing	6	13
Passing	4	13
Penalty	2	1
NET YARDS RUSHING	114	264
Rushing Attempts	27	49
Average Per Rush	4.2	5.4
Rushing Touchdowns	0	4
Yards Gained Rushing	114	279
Yards Lost Rushing	0	15
NET YARDS PASSING	119	186
Completions-Attempts-Int	11-25-1	19-29-0
Average Per Attempt	4.8	6.4
Average Per Completion	10.8	9.8
Passing Touchdowns	1	2
TOTAL OFFENSE YARDS	233	450
Total offense plays	52	78
Average Gain Per Play	4.5	5.8
Fumbles: Number-Lost	4-3	1-1
Penalties: Number-Yards	7-58	4-35
PUNTS-YARDS	5-231	5-203
Average Yards Per Punt	46.2	40.6
Net Yards Per Punt	41.4	29.8
Inside 20	3	1
50+ Yards	2	1
Touchbacks	0	1
Fair catch	1	0
KICKOFFS-YARDS	2-127	8-457
Average Yards Per Kickoff	63.5	57.1
Net Yards Per Kickoff	39.5	41.1
Touchbacks	0	0
Punt returns: Number-Yards-TD	4-34-0	2-24-0
Average Per Return	8.5	12
Kickoff returns: Number-Yds-TD	6-128-0	2-48-0
Average Per Return	21.3	24
Interceptions: Number-Yds-TD	0-0-0	1-0-0
Fumble Returns: Number-Yds-TD	1-6-0	0-0-0
Miscellaneous Yards	0	0
Possession Time	21:43	38:47
1st Quarter	3:37	11:23
2nd Quarter	4:29	10:31
3rd Quarter	7:44	7:16
4th Quarter	5:53	9:07
Third-Down Conversions	4 of 13	9 of 16
Fourth-Down Conversions	0 of 2	0 of 0
Red-Zone Scores-Chances	0-1	6-6
Touchdowns	0-1	5-6
Field goals	0-1	1-6
Sacks By: Number-Yards	2-12	0-0
PAT Kicks	1-1	6-6
Field Goals	0-0	1-1

Again, time of possession and turnovers absolutely killed us.  The interception by McGloin occurred right after the Badgers had kicked out of bounds and we had good field position at the forty.  Bad pass.  Killed us.  The fumble by Redd on the opening drive of the second half was a killer too.  No chance to get back in the game.

INTANGIBLES:

The only thing we won on Saturday was the coin toss.  We deferred.

A wet crowd of 79,708 jumped around Camp Randall Stadium.

Wisconsin leads the all-time series 6-9.

THE BIG (TEN) PICTURE:

Michigan State and Wisconsin will square off AGAIN for the Big Ten title.  Personally, I think the tie breaker system sucks.  Why send Wisconsin back to face the Spartans.  Been there done that.  Head to head competition ought to play a rule in who they face, not just in the division.  Wisconsin had their shot and blew it.  The next ranked team in the division should have shot.  Otherwise, why did they even play the first game in the first place?

Illinois has fired Ron Zook, after becoming the first school to win their first six games, and then lose the last six.

SHEDDING TEARS:

1.  For college football fans--who will be forced to watch a rematch between LSU and Alabama in all likelihood.  See BIG PICTURE above. Oh yeah, like Georgia might win.
2.  Arkansas--pounded by LSU
3.  Pitt--WVU wins the backyard brawl by one point
4.  Notre Dame--LUCK is with Stanford, not the Irish
5.  Clemson - lost to South Carolina; must face Va Tech in the ACC championship

LOOKING AHEAD:

I'm not going to speculate on the bowl here.  We'll preview that after the picks are made.

Microphone Man #2

Hey!  It worked last week. . .

All right, Penn State!

This half of the Internet yells BEAT. The other half yells WISCONSIN.

BEAT.

WISCONSIN.

BEAT.

WISCONSIN.

I can't hear you!


BEAT . . . . WISCONSIN!



BEAT . . . . WISCONSIN!

Statistically Speaking: Monte Ball Edition

What IS behind curtain number 3?

The NCAA rankings don't favor Penn State well this week in the match-up with Wisconsin.

NCAA Stats Comparison
Category:	Penn St.	Wisconsin	Delta
Rushing	45	10	-35
Passing Offense	95	57	-38
Total Offense	89	12	-77
Scoring Offense	106	5	-101
Rushing Defense	34	44	10
Turnovers Gained	14	61	47
Passes Had Intercepted	36	2	-34
Pass Defense	6	3	-3
Net Punting	92	70	-22
Punt Returns	80	5	-75
Kickoff Returns	26	91	65
Turnover Margin	23	7	-16
Fumbles Recovered	27	108	81
Passes Intercepted	14	19	5
Fumbles Lost	70	1	-69
Turnovers Lost	49	2	-47
Passing Efficiency	110	2	-108
Pass Efficiency Defense	4	10	6
Total Defense	8	6	-2
Scoring Defense	3	6	3
Fewest Penalties Per Game	20	32	12
Fewest Yards Penalized Per Game	23	25	2
Punt Return Yardage Defense	61	55	-6
Kickoff Return Yardage Defense	66	80	14
Offense Third-down Efficiency	92	3	-89
Offense Fourth-down Efficiency	17	10	-7
Defense Third-down Efficiency	41	39	-2
Defense Fourth-down Efficiency	35	69	34
Tackles for Loss	22	29	7
Offense Tackles for Loss	5	16	11
Pass Sacks	25	42	17
Pass Sacks Allowed	21	47	26
Time of Possession	40	27	-13
First Downs	83	22	-61
First Downs Allowed	12	4	-8
Red Zone Efficiency	86	3	-83
Red Zone Efficiency - Defense	115	69	-46
Average NCAA Rank:	45.81	29.54	-16.27
Weighted Avg. Rank:	51.25	19.33	-31.92

The Badgers are better than Penn State in almost every category.  Wisconsin's 29.54 average NCAA rank is good for FOURTH in the nation, behind LSU, Alabama and Stanford in that order.  In case you are wondering, PSU's 45.81 is ranked 20th in the Nation.

Even in the categories where PSU has an "edge", that edge is thin.  Kickoff returns and fumbles recovered is where it is at.  We need to recover fumbles and run back kicks to win this game.

Penn State is a 15 point underdog.

Well, throw out those stats.  Stifle Edith.  Come on Eileen.  Good Night Irene.

This game is going to come down to the team that wants it the most.  Penn State has overcome incredible tragedy and odds to even be in this position.  Yeah, they've won a lot of close ugly games against less than marquee opponents.  In fact, the two marquee opponents to date--Nebraska and Alabama--beat us.

But Ohio State beat the Badgers (in Ohio Stadium.)  And in case you forgot, Penn State beat those same Buckeyes (actually a better Buckeye team because they had Posey back) last Saturday in Ohio Stadium.  Michigan State needed a Hail Mary pass to beat the Badgers, but again, that was not in Madison.  The guys with a W on their helmet are averaging about 52 points per home game.

Make no mistake about it.  Penn State will be lucky if they are still in this game going into the fourth quarter.  But if they are still in the game--watch out.  This team is on a mission, and that mission is not to lose.

In my preseason assessment, I ranked this game as the second most difficult game to win behind the Alabama game.  It still is.  Here's what I said:

After I put this list together, I found out that Jon Budmayr, who was supposed to start for the Badgers at Quarterback, has been injured. NC State transfer Russell Wilson is going to be thrust into the job early on, according to the ESPN Big 10 Blog. Of course, he may be back by the last game of the season, but who knows if he can win his job back (ala Bolden last year) or if he will mentally and physically be able to manage the team.

Had I known this, I might have dropped the Badgers down to 4th. But maybe not. Does it really matter who is the quarterback? They are going to line up a herd of cattle across the field and pound the ball at you come hell or high water. They have depth at running back--Montee Ball (are you kidding me!), James White and Zach Brown. Despite losing two all-Americans on the line, the Badgers are expected to reload. That's what they do. Big. Offensive. Linemen.

Prediction: We lose. We might win, but I just don't have the confidence (stupidity) that I used to have. I think a lot will come down to how banged up these teams are after the Big Ten season. It should be an interesting finale, and hopefully will have some championship implications.

Well, well, well.  I wasn't far off.  But who knew a reject from NC State would end up being a star QB for the Badgers?  And while I'm not sure there's enough Kool Aid to really make me think we can or will win this game, I just can't shake the feeling that this team, these players, these coaches--won't find some way to pull this out and head to Indy for the Big Ten Championship.

And perhaps the stars are aligning.  Apparently, the starting center for Wisconsin is out due to an injury.

The Badgers are known for their outstanding offensive lines, but they are dealing with a key injury as center Peter Konz is out with a bad ankle. That has led to some shuffling on the line, which could be a break for Penn State's defensive front.

Tom Bradley has gone on record saying he wants the PSU head coaching job.  This is a big test, but if he brings home a win--and perhaps a Big Ten Title--can the Board of Trustees really look past him?

GO STATE!  BEAT BADGERS!

Badgers Win Big

Michigan State started slow but pulled away from Youngstown State, 28-6, but the Big Bad Badgers crushed the UNLV Rebels 51-17 last night.  UNLV seemed to run the ball fairly well, and moved the ball for short spells, but couldn't complete drives and convert yardage to points.  But the Badgers, led by NC State transfer QB Wilson amassed 499 total yards including 258 passing (more than they totalled rushing!)

Lord Vader will provide us with the location of the Rebel playbook.
We will then crush UNLV with one swift stroke!

Pre-Season Countdown: #2

The post you knew was coming before it got here.  So much for suspense.

12. Indiana State University
11. Eastern Michigan University
10. Temple
9.   Indiana
8.   Purdue
7.   Illinois
6.   Northwestern
5.   Iowa
4.  Ohio State
3.  Nebraska

And the #2, second most difficult game is . . .

WISCONSIN.

On Wisconsin.  Off Wisconsin.  Wax on.  Wax off. 

Wisconsin came out second on this list for a variety of reasons.  It is the final game of the season and the third of a brutal November that features back-to-back-to-back games with Nebraska, Ohio State and the Cheeseheads.

What can you say about a fan base where cheddar is a fashion statement, not a food?

The Badgers went 10-2 last year with losses to co-Big Ten Champ MSU and a heart-breaking, two-point loss to TCU in the Rose Bowl.  They return 13 starters but not the QB.  In fact, the top two teams on this list will be breaking in new signal callers.  Yet both are ranked and expected to do great things.  Let's see how that works out for them.

After I put this list together, I found out that Jon Budmayr, who was supposed to start for the Badgers at Quarterback, has been injured.  NC State transfer Russell Wilson is going to be thrust into the job early on, according to the ESPN Big 10 Blog.  Of course, he may be back by the last game of the season, but who knows if he can win his job back (ala Bolden last year) or if he will mentally and physically be able to manage the team.

Had I known this, I might have dropped the Badgers down to 4th.  But maybe not.  Does it really matter who is the quarterback?  They are going to line up a herd of cattle across the field and pound the ball at you come hell or high water.  They have depth at running back--Montee Ball (are you kidding me!), James White and Zach Brown.  Despite losing two all-Americans on the line, the Badgers are expected to reload.  That's what they do.  Big.  Offensive.  Linemen.

Defensively, the Badgers were 20th in the nation overall last season, and don't appear to have any glaring weaknesses.

The Badgers have won 9 or more games 6 of the last 7 years.  Can they sustain that kind of success?  The experts say yes.  The final outcome might be shaky, with the injury to their projected starting QB.  But we can expect physical football from the Land of Cheese.

Prediction:  We lose.  We might win, but I just don't have the confidence (stupidity) that I used to have.  I think a lot will come down to how banged up these teams are after the Big Ten season.  It should be an interesting finale, and hopefully will have some championship implications.

Nature Channel

Here's a documentary . . .

Badgers Like Beaver Stadium

According to Badger Beat, players at Wisconsin like to play at Beaver Stadium.

"It might be my most horrible memory, but Penn State was the best stadium I’ve played in. It’s 100,000 people and it rises over you. It’s crazy there." — receiver David Gilreath

Conversely: "The toughest stadium to play in is Beaver Stadium, Penn State -- by far. That was the loudest I’ve ever heard. Worst stadium, I’d have to say, is Minnesota (Metrodome). That was crappy." — offensive tackle Gabe Carimi

Rowdy place: "We don’t get to play them this year, but definitely Penn State. Their crowd is definitely the rowdiest crowd that I’ve ever played against, and it’s just fun to play there -- and I’d love to get an upset there." — linebacker Culmer St. Jean

The players are also in favor of adding a 12th team (preferrably Notre Dame), think Bret Bielema is honest and nice, think that celebration is the worst NCAA penalty, and Minnesota is their biggest rival.