Jump Around: When Russ got Madison hoppin
Wisconsin football is no stranger to success. From Big Ten championships to a punishing run game, the Badgers have been a contender year in and year out. Success tends to stay in Madison even when there may be a hiccup. Consecutive losing seasons is something Badgers fans haven't had to endure since 1991-1992. Focused on stout defense and using seemingly every lineman on the roster to run the ball offensively, the Badgers identity is heavily rooted in old-school football. Quarterbacks that come to Madison typically are labeled as game managers, and the evidence statistically is astounding. Looking at the school's record holders, Darrell Bevell holds the record for most passing yards in a career at 7,686 yards, while the school's rushing leader for a career (Ron Dayne) finished with 7,125 rushing yards. Fair or unfair, college football seems to be left wondering how good the Badgers could be if they had a quarterback who was a threat passing. That all changed in 2011.
Scott Tolzein just finished throwing for 2,459 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2010, but he exhausted his eligibility and moved on to the NFL. With little experience returning, the offense figured to be turned over to sophomore Jon Budmayr. This didn't cause anyone in Madison to bat an eye, as their returning running backs (Montee Ball and James White) were coming off a season in which they combined for 2,048 yards and 32 touchdowns.......as back ups. With John Clay (1,012 yards and 14 touchdowns) gone, there figured to be more touches in store for Ball and White. With the Badgers looking to take the next step in winning a conference championship, a quarterback needed to step up. A blessing in the form of Russell Wilson arrived on campus after forgoing an opportunity in Major League Baseball. Wilson graduated from North Carolina State and was granted a full release to transfer anywhere in the country to play immediately. Wisconsin would get a quarterback with tremendous upside to give Badger fans excitement heading to the season, but it wasn't always that way for Wilson.
Success seemed easy for Russell Wilson on the outside, but those close to him knew that it was earned, not given. His father, Harisson B. Wilson III, made sure that Russell worked hard to get his success, and taught him how to be humble throughout his successes. Wilson was coming off of a 2009 sophomore campaign in which he threw for 3,027 yards and 31 touchdowns at NC State. In the summer after the season, even better news came: on June 9, 2010, Russell was drafted in the fourth round of the MLB Draft by the Colorado Rockies. Life could not get much better, but it definitely got worse. The day after Russell was drafted by the Rockies, his father passed away from complications from diabetes. He was 55. While it was tough to endure the loss of his dad, he would be presented with exciting opportunities after the 2010 season. Wilson ultimately would finish that year with 3,563 yards and 28 touchdowns, and after the season decided to forgo his senior year to play baseball. He thought he made the right choice, but decided he wanted to return to football. After being granted a full release, Wilson took his talents to the Madison, Wisconsin and the excitement was only beginning.
With Wilson at QB, Wisconsin raced to a 6-0 start by averaging 41.2 points per game. That start earned them the #4 ranking heading into a match up at #15 Michigan State. The Badgers jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, but unraveled in the second quarter. Michigan State used a 23 point second quarter to take the lead, including a blocked punt with little time remaining that was recovered in the endzone for a touchdown. The game remained a battle and was tied with :04 seconds left and the ball was on Wisconsin's 44 yard line. In one of the most spectacular plays in college football history, Spartans QB Kirk Cousins threw a Hail Mary to the enzone which bounce of Spartans WR BJ Cunningham's facemask into the hands of his teammate, Keith Nichol, who fought two defenders to score and win the game.
Wisconsin was stunned, and would go on to lose the next week to Ohio State in another closely contested game. Even with the two losses, Wilson was still playing at an elite level and gaining national attention along with his team. Ball and White had much bigger holes to run through with Wilson's threat as a passer, and the receivers didn't have to worry about if a pass would get to them or not. Four wins later, including a beatdown of rival Minnesota (42-13) and #20 Penn State (45-7), and the Badgers positioned themselves into the Big Ten championship for a shot at revenge against the Spartans. Postseason play started out well for Wisconsin, with the championship battle going the Badgers way, their 2nd conference championship in a row (Ohio State vacated their wins in 2010, making MSU and Wisconsin co-champs). The win provided the Badgers with an opportunity to play in the Rose Bowl against the Pac 12 champ, the Oregon Ducks. Wilson played well against the Ducks, by throwing for 296 yards and two scores while rushing for another score. His top receivers, Nick Toon and Jared Abbrederis, were torching the Ducks secondary, and the Ball/White combo racked up 194 yards on the ground. Ultimately, a gaffe by Wilson ended the game with the Badgers on the Ducks 25 yards line. After getting a first down with :02 on the clock, Wilson decided to try and spike the ball which would stop the clock. There is controversy with this play as an official reportedly told Wilson he would have enough time to spike it and run another play, but instead, the play ended the game when Wilson spiked the ball. While many fans can (and still do) blame Wilson for costing them the game, they need to remember how important he was to that team and their success. Without him, the Hail Mary never would have happened because the Badgers wouldn't have been in the game. Without him, they certainly don't win the Big Ten and don't make it to the Rose Bowl. Wilson took that team to a place where no other quarterback on that roster could, and he made that team special. While the final game didn't go the way they wanted, the Badgers would finish the year 11-3 and 10th in the rankings, but the legacy of this team will always be remembered.
PRESENT DAY
Wilson: Russell Wilson is the best quarterback to ever put on the red and white. Period. Not many graduate transfers can be named captain before even playing a snap of football with his new team. Wilson put up an astounding 3,175 yards with 33 touchdowns (both school records for a season) while only throwing four interceptions. He used his 2011 campaign to get drafted by the Seattle Seahawks, though he fell to the third round due to concerns about his height. Those concerns were erased immediately, and the Seahawks have been to two Super Bowls with Wilson, winning one. You have to wonder what may have happened if he stayed at North Carolina State, and if that success he had at Wisconsin would have translated in ACC play. Wilson was clearly the best option for the Badgers and they will be hard pressed to find another talent like him. A college football trend also erupted thanks to Wilson: the graduate transfer recruitment aka rent-a-quarterback. The big news in the college football offseason is where certain graduate transfers will decide to play in the fall. Not every one of them will work out at their new school, but Wilson showed that the ceiling can be very high.
Wisconsin: Since 2011, the Badgers have endured two coaching changes (Bret Bielema went to Arkansas and Gary Andersen went to Oregon State), and now has the local man in Paul Chryst. In that time period, they have gone 38-16 and added another Big Ten championship. The Badgers still endure the struggle of finding a quarterback who is more than a game manager, but that hasn't prevented them from having success. Joel Stave graduated last year after becoming the winningest quarterback in Wisconsin history, but many are glad he is gone. Stave got a bad reputation because he couldn't elevate his game, and often got booed in games against quality teams. This year, Bart Houston came in and won the job, but many were still skeptical. To ease any concerns, he helped the Badgers beat LSU in the opener and crushed Akron in week 2. Wisconsin was moved up to #9 in the rankings, and should compete for the Big Ten West.
GROUP OF 5 TOP 4
#1 Houston Cougars (3-0)----Week 2 result: W, 56-0 vs Lamar. Week 3 result: W, 40-13 vs Cincinnati. Up next: at Texas State
#2 San Diego State Aztecs (2-0)----Last week: W, 45-40 vs Cal. RB Donnel Pumphrey is the real deal. Defense forced six turnovers. Up next: at Northern Illinois
#3 South Florida Bulls (2-0)----W, 48-17 vs Northern Illinois. QB Quinton Flowers accounted for 5 of the Bulls' 7 touchdowns. Up next: at Syracuse
#4 Boise State Broncos (2-0)----W, 31-28 vs Washington State. Defense was torched through the air, but Broncos still managed to pull out the win. Up next: Utah State
Other 4: Southern Mississippi (2-0), Appalachian State (1-1), Toledo (2-0), Air Force (2-0)
TPO TOP 4
#1 Alabama Crimson Tide (2-0)----Last week: W, 38-10 vs Western Kentucky. Might as well be the default ranking for the Tide. Up next: at Ole Miss.
#2 Florida State Seminoles (2-0)----Last week: W, 52-8 vs Charleston Southern. Big early test this week for the 'Noles. Up next: at Louisville.
#3 Houston Cougars (3-0)----See above. Cougars probably will get jumped regardless of their result, but ranking is deserved. Up next: at Texas State.
#4 Louisville Cardinals (2-0)----Last week: W, 62-28 at Syracuse. Might keep this spot for my knee-jerk ranking each week. Up next: vs Florida State.
Other 4: Ohio State (2-0), Michigan (2-0), Stanford (1-0), Clemson (2-0)
GOPHERS UPDATE
Record: 2-0 Last week: W, 58-28 vs Indiana StateThis week's opponent: BYE WEEK
Opponent Record: N/A
Site: N/A
Win probability: N/A
Player to shut down: N/A
Outlook: Gophers offense has given fans some optimism this year, which hasn't been the case in previous seasons. It's weird having a week off this early in the season, but sometimes the scheduling just works that way. Minnesota will have two weeks to prepare for Colorado State. Until next week, stay tuned.
GAMES OF THE WEEK
Overall: 42-28 Season: 6-4 Last week: 3-1Other games: #25 Miami at Appalchian State, Colorado at #4 Michigan, #22 Oregon at Nebraska, #17 Texas A&M at Auburn, USC at #7 Stanford, #11 Texas at Cal
#2 Florida State (2-0) at #10 Louisville (2-0)
Louisville QB Lamar Jackson is well on his way to becoming a superstar, but he hasn't faced any stiff competition yet. His performances have been spectacular and he has the attention of defenses around the ACC, including Florida State. Jackson will need help this week against a talented Seminoles defense, and the three J's (Jamari Staples, James Quick, and Jaylen Smith) will need to continue to get open downfield. Defensively, the Cardinals are scary LB's Devontae Fields and Keith Kelsey are tough to block and keep away from the play. In the secondary, Chucky Williams flies around the field making tackles while his partner is also hard to miss. Josh Harvey-Clemons may be the biggest safety in the history of football at 6'5" and 228 pounds. Name ring a bell? He, unfortunately, was one of the Georgia defenders that tipped a pass in 2014 against Auburn that landed in Ricardo Louis' hands to help the Tigers move on the the SEC championship.
Florida State figured out its quarterback dilemma by default. Senior Sean Maguire got hurt in the preseason, and Deondre Francois was the only option left. Many were concerned about Francois heading into the first game, but the redshirt freshman eased those concerns by picking apart a talented Ole Miss defense. His receivers have given him space to throw but the O-line could tighten up a bit. RB Dalvin Cook has proved he can run and catch as well, making him even more dangerous. Bottom line, Lamar Jackson is the best dual threat QB the Seminoles have seen, but the 'Noles defense is the best Jackson has faced too (even with the loss of superstart safety Derwin James). Jackson exploded onto the Heisman scene with stellar performances, but should come back down to earth a bit. Louisville is good, and should be an exciting atmosphere, but Florida State is too talented. I hope I'm wrong and Jackson shocks the world, but he has made some questionable decisions in the first two games. The difference in this game is those decisions will lead to turnovers and not second chances
My pick: Florida State 42 Louisville 35
#1 Alabama (2-0) at #19 Ole Miss (1-1)
Here's the bottom line: if Nick Saban loses to Ole Miss for a third straight year, something has to be wrong. I would be extremely concerned if the Tide loses this one, although it didn't exactly ruin their 2015 season. How Ole Miss has figured out the Saban riddle is beyond me, but they've done it (and I've picked against them each time....oops). Kirby Smart is no longer the D-coordinator at Alabama, but Jeremy Pruitt is a great second option. Bo Scarbrough was once thought to be the next Derrick Henry, but is only the third leading rusher on the team. Damien Harris has taken over the workload while the quarterback situation was solved. QB Jalen Hurts has gelled with WR's Ardarius Steward and Calvin Ridley, while also proving he's a threat running the ball too. And the defense is, well, it's Alabama so I think you already know. Ole Miss is looking to shake off a disappointing loss in week 1, but they will need to elevate their game against the Tide. Beating a team twice in a row is tough, beating them three times requires a special group. The Rebels have the talent at QB (Chad Kelly) and at most other positions, but will they be able to work as a team? I pick the Tide twice and lost....third time's the charm?
My pick: Alabama 38 Ole Miss 31
#12 Michigan State (1-0) at #18 Notre Dame (1-1)
Notre Dame's season did not start out how it was supposed to. Their quarterback-sharing situation backfired until they stuck with one, the defense couldn't make a stop late in the game, and they let Texas get back into and win the game. They rebounded with a steady performance against Nevada and Deshone Kizer has taken control of the offense at quarterback. Notre Dame still has a chance to get into the College Football Playoff, but needs to beat the Spartans if they want to keep those hopes alive. Michigan State was very rusty in its first post-Connor Cook contest, as they struggled to beat Furman 28-13. Coach Mark Dantonio has his work cut out for him as the Irish have numerous weapons to defend. His teams haven't been known for putting up a lot of points, so they could be in trouble if they can't keep up.
My pick: UPSET SPECIAL: Notre Dame 42 Michigan State 21
#3 Ohio State (2-0) at #14 Oklahoma (1-1)
With how Oklahoma's contest against Houston went, this one may be alarming. Tom Herman, an Urban Meyer disciple, and his Houston Cougars offense made OU's defense look lost and overwhelmed. Now they face an offense that, compared to Houston's, is bigger, faster, and stronger and has put up 125 points in two games. Ohio State no longer has a quarterback controversy to deal with or players complaining they don't get the ball enough (cough, Ezekiel, cough). They also are recovering from a massive loss of talent with over half of the starters moving on to the NFL. Still some big names remain as QB JT Barrett is looking like his Heisman-worthy self. LB Raekown McMillan is a stud on defense and will be difficult to stop. Now to something that makes me shake my head: bulletin board material. When a team hears something negative said about their team, they label it as bulletin board material. Most of the time a player or coach says something that they regret but mistake it as confidence. Backup, yes backup quarterback Austin Kendall was being interviewed (why? no one even knew who he was before then) and labeled Ohio State's defense as "basic" and proceed to say that Sooners QB Baker Mayfield "will light them up." He also mentioned, "if my number is called, I'll go do the same." First of all, dude, you're a backup and nobody should be interviewing you in the first place. Ohio State's defense is the best defense you will see all year and is far from basic. If this were Baker Mayfield, I would be fine with it because HE'S ACTUALLY GOING TO PLAY! The only time you will see the field is if they're down 40, which may happen now that you disrespected one of the top teams in the country. Lastly, believe it or not Austin, Ohio State doesn't need anymore help getting ready for the game. They're doing just fine with out your "basic" description of their defense. Ok rant over, the Sooners do have their work cut out for them. Mayfield, Joe Mixon, and Samaje Perine will have to get going early, and the defense will need to find a way to stop Barrett. Urban Meyer's teams are 17-1 in nonconference regular season games, but this may be the most difficult he's had at Ohio State. That history makes me confident in their chances without any external help. Basic.....come on dude.....stick to your clipboard and headset on the sidelines.
My pick: Ohio State 44 Oklahoma 27
