Matt LaPorta to head Olympic baseball team
Favre is scheduled to present Frank Winters at this weekend's Packer Hall of Fame introduction. Frankly, I think he's better off staying home, since he'll just become the main event and take all the attention from the men who are there to be honored. Though being an attention whore does seem to be high on Brett's list of things to do this week... And he has no definite plans to apply for reinstatement
The Miller Park infield got a new kind of grass this week
Some Badger football game times have been set - of course the 1st two games are on Big Ten Network...
Not sure why this W. Va. paper is writing an article entitled "Badgers among college football elite" but I like it.
A look at the NL Central in the second half
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Also, ESPN's Blue Ribbon Insider Previews are up for the new football season. Here's Wisconsin's:
Team preview: Wisconsin Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook Editor's Note: ESPN Insider has teamed with Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook to provide a comprehensive look at all Division I-A teams. To order the complete 2008 edition of Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook, visit <www.blueribbonyearbook.com or call 1-866-805-BALL (2255). (All information as of June 20, 2008) COACH AND PROGRAM There's only one Big Ten school that has played in a bowl game on New Year's Day or later four seasons running. That's a good thing. A mark of consistency. A coach can stamp that statement on every page of a recruiting guide and sell the heck out of it. But for Wisconsin, earning nine regular-season wins and ringing in 2008 at the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Fla., just didn't cut it. Not after ringing in 2007... and 2006 ... and 2005 ... in Florida at either the Capital One or Outback Bowl. Not after starting the 2007 season as the nation's No. 7 team in the Associated Press poll and moving up to No. 5 with a 5-0 start -- only to fall so hard and so fast that Wisconsin wasn't included in the original Bowl Championship Series Top 25 two weeks later. Not even after factoring in a legitimate alibi: Starter after starter went down with injuries -- many of them of the season-ending variety. So while many programs would have been content to be playing in Florida on New Year's Day against Tennessee, the Badgers' 21-17 loss seemed to encapsulate their autumn of discontent. With Wisconsin on the march for the winning score, senior quarterback Tyler Donovan's jump-ball pass to senior Paul Hubbard was intercepted at the goal line with 28 seconds to go. "It was a frustrating year," said coach Bret Bielema, who embarks upon his third year. "But we had interviews with all of our players in January and February and got it out of our system. We're eager to get back on track." Here's where the irony comes in: Getting back on track might require the Badgers to ring in another New Year in Florida. With the 2009 BCS title game being played on Jan. 8 at Dolphin Stadium, there's a legitimate chance the nation's No. 1 and No. 2 teams will get to Miami by New Year's Eve. And, yes, there's a legitimate chance Wisconsin could turn out to be one of those two teams. The Badgers retain 17 starters from their 9-4 team, including all of the pieces necessary to boast a merciless rushing attack. In addition to welcoming back four offensive linemen -- including one four-year starter and two three-year starters -- the Badgers feature a bottomless well of running backs. Prized redshirt freshman John Clay has the size, speed and resume to challenge for a starting job at many schools, but he starts the fall in Madison as the fourth-stringer. That's how it goes when junior P.J. Hill (1,212 yards, 14 touchdowns), sophomore Zach Brown (568 yards, five touchdowns) and junior Lance Smith-Williams (429 yards, three touchdowns) are also on your side. As for the other side of the ball at Wisconsin, six members of the front seven are back. So is safety Shane Carter, whose seven interceptions led the Big Ten last fall. But Bielema showed shortly after the Outback Bowl that he wouldn't be content with his eight returning defensive starters making the normal amount of offseason improvement. He fired co-defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz, who had been in charge of play calling, other game day responsibilities and addressing the defense during the week, and gave co-coordinator Dave Doeren the whole job. "Dave had been in more of a secondary role," Bielema said. "I just really felt Dave was in a position to take us another step forward." Bielema and Doeren also shuffled the coaching responsibilities on defense, which ultimately concluded with former Pittsburgh assistant Charles Partridge taking Hankwitz' spot on staff and taking on the defensive linemen. The newly re-jiggered defensive staff then spent a good part of the offseason scattered across the country learning some new tricks. "We felt we really needed to get better against the spread," Bielema said. "College coaches are a lot more willing to share with each other [than pro coaches]. Our defensive staff probably visited with about 12 defensive staffs. "You can't solve everything because everybody's spread is different. Purdue doesn't run the same kind of spread as Indiana, which doesn't run the same kind as Northwestern, which is different than Illinois. But there are things you can do from game to game no matter who you're playing." QUARTERBACKS For the second year in a row, Bielema and offensive coordinator Paul Chryst have elected not to anoint their starting quarterback until the Badgers wade hip-deep into fall practice. Fifth-year senior Allan Evridge (6-2, 212) and redshirt junior Dustin Sherer (6-4, 213) are the finalists in the competition to replace the graduated Tyler Donovan. "The big thing for me is, when you've got a guy who's going to be starting for the first time ever, it's good to have competition as long as possible," said Bielema, who would like to choose the starter two weeks before the Aug. 30 opener against Akron. Technically, one of the finalists wouldn't be starting for the first time. Evridge, shortly before transferring to Wisconsin, started six games for Kansas State in 2005. The left-hander completed 102-of-213 passes for 1,365 yards, six touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also rushed for 203 yards and four scores. After serving his redshirt year in 2006, Evridge finished runner-up to Donovan in last year's derby. He got to throw just 12 passes last fall, completing five for 66 yards. If someone has an edge going into fall ball, it's Evridge. "Evridge has shown at times to be the No. 1 guy," Bielema said. "But at times, he regresses." "Allan has moments where he's good," Chryst said. "He has a good level of football awareness. He's played in games. That counts for something. He has plenty of arm strength, and he's athletic enough to do some of the same things we did with Tyler. His biggest thing is consistency." That last statement is important because here's Chryst's overall take on the competition: "The biggest thing that will decide it is consistent play." Sherer hasn't had a chance to prove his consistency in games. He took one snap last fall and went 0-for-3 with an interception in 2006. "[Evridge and Sherer] are different guys, but what you'd do with them is very similar," Chryst said. "Both got a ton of work with the first group in the spring, so though Dustin is limited in game experience, he's been involved with the offense and taken a lot of reps." There are three other scholarship quarterbacks in the program trying to move up the charts and get in the picture with the top two. Redshirt sophomore Scott Tolzien (6-3, 200) is closest to getting into the mix. "He's a little less mobile than Allan and Dustin," Chryst said. "He's more along the lines of John Stocco. The thing I like about him, in some ways he's the most consistent. This spring was when he truly got some work. We saw some progress." Redshirt freshman James Stallons (6-5, 172) has his selling points as well. "He's kind of like a Jim Sorgi. Taller, lankier, a pro-style quarterback. In many ways, he's our purest thrower. I'm excited to see him develop." Then there's freshman Curt Phillips (6-3, 215), a Kingsport, Tenn., native who caused a stir by finishing high school early and enrolling at Wisconsin in January. That enabled him to take part in spring ball. Phillips piled up 2,263 passing yards, 1,885 rushing yards and 57 touchdowns in his senior year. "He'll be the first to admit he has a long way to go," Chryst said. "He realizes what a guy has to do. I thought he did a really good job of adjusting." "It was really good for him to get in here," Bielema said. "The first two weeks, it was just an overload of football. The last two weeks, he really settled in." RUNNING BACKS In his first two seasons at Wisconsin, junior tailback P.J. Hill (5-11, 236) piled up 2,805 yards and 29 touchdowns on the ground. In his spare time, he caught 32 passes for 286 yards and two more scores. He's on pace to become the second-leading rusher in UW history, which isn't too shabby considering he has to share the same record book as NCAA career leader Ron Dayne. But Wisconsin has so many thoroughbreds in its stable, there's no guarantee Hill will be the starter when the Badgers line up against Akron on Aug. 30. "We have four very, very capable running backs," Bielema said. "Everyone knows P.J.'s name, but a guy I've been impressed with is Zach Brown." In fact, Brown and Hill finished spring ball as co-starters on Bielema's depth chart. Brown (5-11, 207), a sophomore, started the final four games after Hill injured his leg against Ohio State. He rushed for 450 yards and four scores in those games and finished with 568 yards and five touchdowns overall. "I'm extremely impressed with him," Chryst said. "He's serious about it. He's a heck of a complete back, and he's just finishing his first lap. If he can make a good jump, just like any first-year guy to his second year. ..." Then it might be harder for junior Lance Smith-Williams (5-10, 208) and redshirt freshman John Clay (6-2, 237) to get as many touches as they deserve. The speedy Smith-Williams rushed for 429 yards and three touchdowns last fall despite being limited to home games because of a court order that's no longer in effect. Perhaps because of the on-again, off-again nature of his season, Smith-Williams has yet to show his coaches the consistency they'd prefer. "He's an incredibly talented back," Chryst said. "He provides a real good changeup. Athletically, you want him on the field against the best teams." Clay, one of the finer schoolboy runners the state of Wisconsin has turned out, received lots of reps in the spring. "He's a heck of a big-guy changeup," Chryst said. With Brown, Smith-Williams and Clay chasing his tail, Hill kicked it up a notch during the spring. Apparently he's not ready to give up the No. 1 spot. "P.J.'s our most complete back," Bielema said. "He had his best spring." "You've gotta start with P.J.," Chryst said. "But I think there's enough football there for everyone." Or at least for three guys. Because Brown and Smith-Williams still have their redshirt years, Bielema hinted one could sit out this season to save them for a bigger role down the road. "If it comes to that," Chryst said, "we're lucky to have that problem." The Badgers, who employ a fullback more often than most teams these days, boast a pair of fifth-year seniors at the position in returning starter Chris Pressley (6-1, 259) and Bill Rentmeester (6-1, 248). "For us to have a good season, we need them to play their best," Chryst said. "They're similar guys -- big thumpers. We ask them to be physical, but we want to broaden their job description a little bit. We did some stuff in the spring; we wanted to look at them in the throwing game.'' WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS The Badgers don't have any seniors to lead their wide receiving corps. Their 12 returning receivers (counting redshirt freshmen) caught a grand total of 30 passes for 461 yards and a touchown last year. In short, Wisconsin has several big questions at wideout. But they'll be easier to answer them with help from the exclamation points that are the Badgers' tight ends. "I like to think there's flexibility within the offensive system," Chryst said. "We're not reinventing the wheel. But obviously, a lot of what we do revolves around the tight ends." In senior Travis Beckum (6-4, 231) and junior Garrett Graham (6-4, 237), Wisconsin boasts the best set of tight ends in the country. Beckum, who briefly contemplated turning pro a year early, was a finalist for the John Mackey Award that goes to the nation's best tight end after catching 75 passes for 982 yards and six scores. If Beckum snags 67 passes this fall -- one less than his average over the last two seasons -- then he'll become the most-prolific pass catcher in Wisconsin history. Graham, meanwhile, served as Wisconsin's No. 2 receiver last year with 30 catches for 328 yards and four scores. "At first glance, Garrett plays more on the line and Travis is more of a guy who moves around," Chryst said. "But Travis lines up at tight end about two-thirds of the time while Garrett has lined up everywhere except quarterback and O-line. Everyone here knows Garrett's worth. He's a really good football player." Junior Mickey Turner (6-4, 240) is a versatile tight end who earned crucial reps during the spring while Beckum and Graham sat out with injuries that won't affect them in the fall. Sophomore Lance Kendricks (6-4, 227) switched from receiver to tight end last fall, which suggests he could be the next Badger on the Beckum track. Redshirt freshman Rob Korslin (6-5, 247) is more of a traditional tight end while freshman Jake Byrne (6-5, 254) came to school a semester early to get a jump on fulfilling his potential. "He's got a chance to be a good player,' Chryst said. Meanwhile, though the Badgers don't have much experience at receiver, two guys jumped to the forefront during spring ball. Sophomore Kyle Jefferson (6-5, 175), who became a starter at midseason after senior Luke Swan suffered a career-ending hamstring injury, finished with 26 catches for 412 yards and two touchdowns. He'll probably be joined in the starting lineup by sophomore David Gilreath (5-11, 158), who caught just one pass last fall but made a name for himself as the Badgers' punt and kick returner. "If we're going to be good, we need them to be good," Chryst said. "Gilreath is probably our fastest receiver. He has good ball skills. Jefferson just kept coming on last fall." Sophomore Isaac Anderson (5-11, 176) redshirted last year due to hamstring problems, but he caught five passes as a freshman. If bloodlines count for anything, his father, Melvin, caught passes worth 1,265 yards at Minnesota and his mother, Lisa, ran track for the Gophers. Speaking of bloodlines, redshirt freshman Nick Toon (6-3, 214) should be someone to watch this fall. His father, Al, caught 19 touchdown passes during his years at Wisconsin before becoming a first-round pick in the 1985 NFL draft. Nick Toon spent his redshirt year adding 20 pounds of muscle. After catching six passes as a freshman and showing promise, junior Xavier Harris (5-11, 182) caught two passes for 30 yards last year, though he was hampered by lingering injuries. Sophomore Daven Jones (6-1, 200), who caught one pass last year, showed progress during the spring. Junior Elijah "T.J." Theus (6-2, 184) and sophomore Maurice Moore (5-11, 167) are the only other scholarship recruits among the returning receivers. OFFENSIVE LINE Here's an indication of how experienced and how strong Wisconsin's line expects to be this fall. The Badgers boast the nation's No. 1 line recruit from 2007 in redshirt freshman Josh Oglesby (6-7, 328) and a 2005 USA Today All-American in junior Jake Bscherer (6-7, 294) -- and they have to wait their turn to get on the field. "I think the beauty of this group is their strength in numbers," offensive coordinator Paul Chryst said. "The fun thing about this group? They know who they are and know what they're doing." Fifth-year senior Kraig Urbik (6-6, 332) is receiving the most preseason acclaim. Urbik, who has started 39 straight games, returns to right guard after finishing last season at right tackle for injured Eric Vanden Heuvel (6-7, 324). Vanden Heuvel, who had made 23 straight starts at right tackle before hurting his foot, has healed and is ready to roll. So is senior left guard Andy Kemp (6-6, 315), who owned a streak of 20 straight starts before breaking his hand and missing three games. Bielema believes Urbik, Vanden Heuvel and Kemp are too equally skilled to proclaim one better than another, a good sign when you consider since Urbik has reaped consistent preseason All-Big Ten recognition. Chryst acknowledges Urbik as the line's leader in one breath, but uses the next one to suggest his younger starters are the superior athletes. Sophomore left tackle Gabe Carimi (6-8, 301) started all 13 games last year and made big strides throughout. "He may be our best prospect down the road," Chryst said. "He's extremely athletic. I love the way he goes about his business." Sophomore John Moffitt (6-4, 323) will be the only new starter of this crew, but Marcus Coleman's successor at center gained valuable experience during the latter half of 2007. Moffitt started the final six games, albeit at left guard, to fill the gaps created when Kemp and Vanden Heuvel suffered their injuries. "He's got a lot of ability," Chryst said. If there's any downside to Wisconsin's line, it's the lack of depth. The Badgers finished spring ball with just nine O-linemen, two of which have never played a collegiate snap. Oglesby, pegged as the nation's top lineman coming out of Milwaukee, and Bscherer are regarded as up-and-coming tackles. "They're getting better. There's so much to the position," Chryst said. "Josh has a ton of ability. For us, he's doing well. He's right where you'd want him to be." Redshirt sophomore Bill Nagy (6-4, 300) is the top sub inside. He appeared in five games last fall and Chryst says he wouldn't hesitate to play him. Jake Current (6-4, 278) skipped his final high school semester in order to get a start on practice. He's also viewed as a future center or guard. KICKERS Just in case anyone wasn't clear on Taylor Mehlhaff's skill as a kicker, the New Orleans Saints clarified matters by making Mehlhaff the first kicker picked in the 2008 NFL draft. Mehlhaff, a three-year starter who went in the sixth round to the Saints, finished his career as Wisconsin's No. 2 all-time scorer with 295 points. Anticipating Mehlhaff's graduation, Bielema brought in three-star kicker Philip Welch (6-3, 190) last year. Welch redshirted in the fall, then began his competition against junior walk on Matt Fischer (5-11, 179). Their competition resumes in the fall with Welch owning the edge. Welch was a second-team USA Today All-American after his senior season at Fort Collins (Colo.) High School in 2006. He set a state record with 19 field goals, connecting on 17-of-20 inside 50 yards and two others from 56 and 51. Eighty-five percent of his kickoffs resulted in touchbacks. DEFENSIVE LINE Wisconsin's training room was filled to bursting during the first six months of 2008 -- and that would have been the case if only defensive linemen were allowed in for treatment. To put another way, it'd be far easier to list the defensive linemen who managed to stay healthy throughout the spring. Senior defensive end Matt Shaughnessy (6-6, 253), a second-team All-Big Ten pick and Wisconsin's defensive MVP last year, thought he would be among the few and the proud. But in the waning moments of Wisconsin's final practice before its spring game, as if to prove no defensive linemen was immune from the injury bug, Shaughnessy broke his leg. The good news? The young man who piled up 18 tackles for loss and five sacks in 2007 should be cleared to play in time for fall camp. Barring any summertime calamities, Shaughnessy should be the last lineman to round back into shape. Fifth-year defensive tackle Jason Chapman (6-4, 285), who missed the final three games last year after tearing up his knee, was on a rehabilitation pace that would allow him to take part in summer workouts. The same for fifth-year senior Mike Newkirk (6-3, 264), who started all 13 games last year but went out early in spring ball with a shoulder injury. The fourth projected starter, junior defensive end O'Brien Schofield (6-3, 232), broke his hand but taped it up so he could keep practicing. If all four of these show up on Aug. 30 in good health and ill temper, the Badgers should have one of the Big Ten's best lines. Chapman, who has 31 career starts and 7.5 sacks on his resume, and Newkirk, who owns six career sacks, make Wisconsin strong up the middle. "Jason has one of the quickest first steps I've ever seen," Bielema said. "He's hungry, very serious. And Mike, we did a disservice to him last year starting him at defensive end. They're both going to have great years." Because of injury and other issues, Newkirk started the first 10 games at defensive end last fall before moving inside when Chapman injured his knee. When Newkirk moved inside, that gave precocious pass-rusher Kirk DeCremer (6-5, 230) a chance to play more. The redshirt sophomore, who started the Badgers' final two games, wound up with a team-high 5.5 sacks. Of course, in keeping with the line's theme, DeCremer missed spring ball after undergoing back surgery. DeCremer was listed behind Shaughnessy on Wisconsin's post-spring depth chart, while junior-college transfer Dan Moore (6-2, 270) owned the spot behind Schofield at the other end. Moore injured his knee midway through spring ball, but he should be ready for the fall. Junior Jeff Stehle (6-6, 290) and red-hirt freshman Patrick Butrym (6-4, 264) head into fall practices as the top backups at tackle. Junior Dan Cascone (6-3, 288) missed spring ball with a bad shoulder, while sophomore tackle Brandon Hoey (6-5, 278) sat with a back injury and sophomore Ricky Garner (6-5, 232) also spent some time on the sidelines. These woes forced Wisconsin to turn sophomore offensive lineman Kenny Jones (6-2, 265) into a defensive tackle. Redshirt freshmen Jasper Grimes (6-2, 285) and Louis Nzegwu (6-3, 228) also earned extra reps because of all the injuries. LINEBACKERS It only seems like Wisconsin's linebackers have been around since the turn of the century. Senior weak-side linebacker Jonathan Casillas (6-2, 226) has started the last 26 games and piled up some solid numbers. After leading the Badgers in tackles for loss as a sophomore (12.5), he paced them in total tackles with 96 last fall. Senior strong-side linebacker DeAndre Levy (6-3, 228), perhaps best known for crashing into Penn State legend Joe Paterno on the sideline in 2006, also owns 26 consecutive starts. Levy posted perhaps the team's most versatile stat line last fall -- 70 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two passes de-fended. Casillas and Levy are both All-Big Ten candidates, though Bielema was especially impressed by Levy's spring performance. "He played his best ball," Bielema said. "He has seen the light going into his senior year." Junior Elijah Hodge (6-1, 227) is the incumbent at middle linebacker after making 11 starts and posting 67 tackles, but he won't have an easy time keeping his job. When Hodge missed some spring ball with knee trouble, redshirt sophomore Culmer St. Jean (6-1, 228) performed well enough to make it an even competition going into the fall. St. Jean started twice last fall (Illinois and Minnesota) and posted 11 of his 17 tackles in those games. Even redshirt junior Jaevery McFadden (6-3, 220), ostensibly listed as Casillas' backup, is making a job at becoming the Mike linebacker. He has caused two fumbles in limited playing time. "We'll play the best three guys," Bielema said. Sophomore Blake Sorensen (6-1, 217) begins fall ball as Levy's top backup. He posted 14 tackles last season, nearly all of them on special teams. Redshirt freshman Kevin Rouse (6-0, 227) is yet another blossoming prospect who could turn up in the middle. The rest of the linebacking corps focuses on special teams: Fifth-year seniors Joshua Neal (5-10, 245) and Ryan Flasch (6-1, 220), junior Erik Prather (6-3, 212) and redshirt freshman Tony Megna (6-0, 199). DEFENSIVE BACKS When the 2007 season came to a close, Wisconsin had a chance to retain all of its starters in the secondary. Then All-Big Ten cornerback Jack Ikegwuonu decided to leave for the NFL a year early, which wound up backfiring when he wrecked his knee shortly after the deadline to return to school. By injuring his knee, though, Ikegwuonu merely maintained solidarity with several of his ex-teammates. Fellow cornerback Allen Langford (5-11, 189), who enters this season with 31 career starts, had his season cut three games short because of a torn ACL. Then Langford's replacement, sophomore Aaron Henry (6-0, 190), started the final two regular-season games only to tear his ACL during practice leading up to the Outback Bowl. Langford and Henry should be ready to go this fall, but there's no guarantee they'll be the starters. Because both missed spring ball, redshirt freshman Mario Goins (6-1, 186) took advantage of the extra reps to claim the right corner job ahead of Langford going into fall practices. Meanwhile, there also appears to be an unanticipated shakeup at the safeties. While ball-hawking junior Shane Carter (6-2, 202) has switched from free safety to strong, even though he led the Big Ten with seven interceptions last year, redshirt sophomore Jay Valai (5-9, 197) took over the top spot at free safety despite seeing brief action in just three games last fall. Valai's ascension puts junior Aubrey Pleasant (6-1, 198), who started all 13 games at strong safety last year but struggled with his tackling, with the second string going into the fall. "I think [Jay] and Aubrey both, they've improved quite a bit," Bielema told the Badger Herald. "I think Aubrey from a year ago to where he is right now and Jay with the momentum of the way he played in the bowl game, it's a classic case [of good competition]." Redshirt sophomore Niles Brinkley (5-10, 177), who played so little last fall he posted no tackles, heads into the fall as Henry's top backup, while redshirt junior Chris Maragos (6-0, 189) backs up Carter at strong safety. Maragos sat out last year after transferring from Western Michigan, where he started his career as a walk on wideout. Junior Josh Nettles (5-10, 175) posted an interception last year against Indiana. Redshirt junior Prince Moody (5-11, 190) has yet to make a collegiate tackle, while classmate Wil-liam Hartmann (5-11, 197) owns one career stop. Redshirt freshman Otis Merrill (5-11, 175) had the prep resume to play immediately, but he redshirted because of a shoulder injury. Freshman Adam Hampton (5-11, 184) also redshirted. PUNTERS Just as the Badgers lost a long-time valued starter at kicker, they must replace four-year veteran Ken DeBauche at punter. While DeBauche had to move along (he signed a free-agent contract with Green Bay), his name might live on. Redshirt freshman Brad DeBauche (6-2, 218), a walk on and Ken's brother, was the team's unopposed punter during spring drills. However, that won't remain the case this fall. Incoming freshman Bradley Nortman (6-3, 210), who committed initially to Minnesota, will compete immediately for the job. As a senior, he punted 24 times for a 39-yard average, including 13 inside the 20. SPECIAL TEAMS In sophomore David Gilreath, the Badgers boast a game-breaker who will return kicks and punts again this year. Gilreath earned preseason acclaim after finishing 14th in the country last fall with a 14.0 average on punt returns. Gilreath also averaged 23.0 yards per kick return. "He's pretty special," Bielema said. Fifth-year senior Dave Peck (6-5, 249), who served as the Badgers' short snapper the last two years, will add long-snapping duties this year as he replaces three-year vet Steve Johnson. BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS Grading the Wisconsin Badgers Unit Grade Offense B+ Special teams B Defense B+ Intangibles A- Wisconsin enters Bret Bielema's third season riding a 14-game winning streak at Camp Randall Stadium. Only Oklahoma boasts a longer active streak. Why does that matter? Because each of the three teams that figure to be Wisconsin's top challengers for the Big Ten title -- Ohio State, Penn State and Illinois -- must play on the Badgers' home field in October. But first, Wisconsin must hurdle a tricky nonconference road trip to Fresno State. The Bulldogs went 9-4 last year and could well be a preseason Top 25 squad. If Wisconsin negotiates that trap successfully, it has a bye week before launching into the Big Ten schedule with a trip to Michigan. That's an opportune time for a bye. For the most comprehensive previews available on all Division I-A teams, order the "Bible" of college football, the 2008 Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook, at www.blueribbonyearbook.com or call 1-866-805-BALL (2255). |
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