badgers007

Per Evan Flood: Badger247 is told to be expected for an announcement around 12:15 p.m. CST. ETA: Also, if you go to his 247 profile, there is a banner with a countdown. Currently 45 minutes from now.

Wisconsin got three commits last week, two of which made their announcements public after the recruiting coordinators/director tweeted their "bat signal." The third is, likely, TJ Bollers and Evan Flood wrote on Wisconsin's 247 board that Bollers' commitment video was done. Though Flood did not say the video was for Wisconsin, think it has been known where this one will go. ETA: This is just my prevailing thought based on what's been happening over the last week. Nothing definitive, of course.

Iowa is a competitive program - I wasn't trying to diminish that. Under Kirk Ferentz, they are a consistent eight-win team with a double-digit win season every four years, on average. Those numbers make Iowa an annual B1G West threat, but have just one title appearance to Wisconsin's six. Though Wisconsin can't beat Ohio State, the Badgers take care of business everywhere else. Iowa, save 2015, finds ways to slip and fall short of B1G appearances. The 'gap' between Iowa and Wisconsin may be smaller than numbers suggest, but put me in the boat that thinks an Iowa win is more of a program-changer than Wisconsin, whose margin-for-error is larger (currently, of course) than every program in the West. Again, I am only an outsider. You all have better-perspective than me of ways Nebraska can make a 180.

As an outsider, thought I would provide some remarks... Wisconsin has established itself as the dominant program in the B1G West. They rank Top-10 nationally in wins over the last decade and been to the B1G Championship six times; Iowa, Nebraska and Northwestern have one appearance each. If you're Nebraska, and trying to move the program in the right direction, beating Wisconsin is nice, but I don't think it has the same significance as beating a rival. Nebraska beats Wisconsin, and Wisconsin still has a good chance to reach Indianapolis. Nebraska beats Iowa, and starts doing it consistently, the Huskers become a mainstay near the top of the West with Wisconsin. That's when you begin looking at taking the next step against Wisconsin. Just my .02.

Candidly, Wisconsin is not your rival and it has nothing to do with H2H results. Posted in another thread several months ago, so I'll copy and paste below... Without meaning any sort of disrespect to games between Nebraska/Wisconsin, I don't think you'll find many Wisconsin fans that consider Nebraska a rival - most say Iowa and Minnesota. However, a larger-percentage consider Minnesota the primary rival and it extends beyond football, and athletics, in general. Few examples below: Tuition reciprocity allows for HS students in each state to attend Minnesota and Wisconsin at the cost of an in-state student. Kids, naturally, want to get away and this one way of doing so. For as many kids within each state going to their flagship university, many of their peers will cross state lines for university. Folks from each state find work in the other state after college in the major metropolitan areas (i.e. Minneapolis / St. Paul, Madison, Milwaukee). Both states have strong German and Scandinavian roots. Both states are similar in culture (i.e. recreation in the North Woods, access to 10,000+ lakes, etc.). The two states border each other, almost entirely, north/south. Plenty of crossover between the two states with residents working in the other (i.e. commuting from Hudson to MSP, Winona <-> La Crosse, etc). Minnesota and Wisconsin sports, not including CFB, are more-closely tied when you consider strong college hockey traditions (both men and women) and Packers/Vikings. The rivalry between the two schools, for as lopsided as its been in football, is about as natural as it gets.

It's all good - didn't mean to call anyone out, but Paul Chryst and Joe Rudolph have taken advantage of an offense chalked with experience at the skill positions. On another note, I do find the Barry Alavarez and Nebraska connection interesting because Iowa fans are convinced that Wisconsin has borrowed from Hayden Fry.

Out of curiosity, has anyone seen Wisconsin's offense this season? Getting the sense not many have. Of course, power run-game reigns supreme, but it has not been uncommon, in the least, for Paul Chryst to take advantage of a deep, experienced receiving corps and run out of the pistol / RPO.

No one will mistake Greg Gard for Bo Ryan when you're looking at Ryan's entire 15-year tenure (took him 12 to reach his first Final Four), especially when Gard has coached... 3.5 seasons? To start their careers, Greg Gard is 80-47 with three NCAATs and two Sweet 16 appearances and Ryan was 87-49 with four NCAATs, one Sweet 16 and one Elite 8. The results are, relatively, comparable and, looking ahead, Gard has put together the three best recruiting classes (2017, 2020, 2021) in program history. Such was life under Ryan, Wisconsin will still be a consistent NCAAT team. ETA: Whatever your thoughts may be, as an outsider, it's an exciting time for Wisconsin's basketball program. Between 2020 and 2021, Wisconsin has seven of its 25 best commits in the rankings era.

What makes you say Wisconsin is on the downward trend? Greg Gard has just put together two of the best classes in program history between 2020 and 2021, including a month of September that landed Wisconsin four four-star players per 247. To go further, seven of those commits are among the top-25 players Wisconsin has ever landed. After a good 2017 class, Gard had a disastrous 2018 (sort of hard to place blame on Tyler Herro de-committing for Kentucky) and needed to push a scholarship ahead in 2019 after landing Tyler Wahl (four-star out of the Minneapolis suburbs). Worked out to many's surprise, especially since Jalen Johnson was always going elsewhere and it was believed the Badgers were playing catch-up in Ben Carlson's recruitment. On-court coaching is something no one has ever questioned Gard. He's very good, and the recruiting is quickly catching-up.

Sevion Morrison did say that Wisconsin would "for sure" get an OV, but there is nothing to cancel right now. Hell, there is an outside chance that Morrison nixes the idea completely. However, because of Wisconsin's smaller class this cycle, the coaching staff is being extremely selective with offers. As such, they received assurance from Morrison of mutual interest before extending the offer, especially knowing they wouldn't be the pick today. Of course, Wisconsin's involvement, likely, becomes irrelevant if Oklahoma decides to offer.

Despite the upcoming decision, and very recent offer, Morrison has said he still plans to OV to Wisconsin this fall.

Without meaning any sort of disrespect to games between Nebraska/Wisconsin, I don't think you'll find many Wisconsin fans that consider Nebraska a rival - most say Iowa and Minnesota. However, a larger-percentage consider Minnesota the primary rival and it extends beyond football, and athletics, in general. Few examples below: Tuition reciprocity allows for HS students in each state to attend Minnesota and Wisconsin at the cost of an in-state student. Kids, naturally, want to get away and this one way of doing so. For as many kids within each state going to their flagship university, many of their peers will cross state lines for university. Folks from each state find work in the other state after college in the major metropolitan areas (i.e. Minneapolis / St. Paul, Madison, Milwaukee). Both states have strong German and Scandinavian roots. Both states are similar in culture (i.e. recreation in the North Woods, access to 10,000+ lakes, etc.). The two states border each other, almost entirely, north/south. Plenty of crossover between the two states with residents working in the other (i.e. commuting from Hudson to MSP, Winona <-> La Crosse, etc). Minnesota and Wisconsin sports, not including CFB, are more-closely tied when you consider strong college hockey traditions (both men and women) and Packers/Vikings. The rivalry between the two schools, for as lopsided as its been in football, is about as natural as it gets.

Said it on Page 2 and I'll say it again: David Hookstead is a running joke at Wisconsin. Dude was not liked during his time on campus. If you're looking for a rivalry driver, this ain't it.

Gary Andersen was doing his best to alter the direction of the Wisconsin program, which did not sit well with fans or the Athletic Department, including Barry Alvarez. The in-state walk-on program was starting to dry (HS coaches were vocal about their displeasure of the way Andersen maintained relationships in-state), he was accepting commits that would never be admitted (part of the reason he left for Oregon State), and the structure of the roster (i.e. lighter OL, dual-threat QB) would never work long-term. There is a reason that Alvarez, explicitly, said "Paul saved our program..." Sure, there is hyperbole at play, but there is little-doubt the direction that Alvarez knew the program needed to go and Andersen wasn't the best fit. He's talked about this at length. Simply, Chryst is a coach that understands the foundation that has made Wisconsin successful and has rebuilt the walk-on program (i.e. securing PWO commits with offers from MAC programs), replenished OL depth, and recruited kids that he can get into school. The only one that was ever denied admission was Jordan Stevenson, an Andersen commit. Last season was total dysfunction at Wisconsin. Injuries decimated the Wisconsin defense (i.e. Garrett Rand, Isaiahh Loudermilk, D'Cota Dixon), Quintez Cephus and Danny Davis were caught in legal trouble, and there were rumors about Alex Hornibrook that helped contribute to his departure. These types of circumstances are, often, out of the coach's control, but can be fixable. Still, the Badgers somehow won eight games. Don't think you're a hater, at all. Simply, as an outsider, you see everything from the macro-level.

This seems like an informed, rational post. There is no comparison between Paul Chryst at Pittsburgh and Paul Chryst at Wisconsin. Chryst grew up in Madison, went to college in Madison, and has coached in Madison on two separate occasions. He understands the foundation of which the program has built (i.e. resurrecting walk-on program that was being ignored by Gary Andersen), which has resulted in wins and an uptick in recruiting successes (i.e. average class rating has never been higher). I don't disagree that Nebraska is on the rise, and I have never contended that claim.

1. To clarify, Wisconsin runs a 3-4. Been that way since 2013. 2. Rankings matter, of course, but how much does it matter for many three-star players? Most experts are grasping at straws after ranking the four- and five-star athletes. Two of the three other mentioned targets are in the same breath of Malik Reed.

More times than not, rankings are relative. Wisconsin has had seven LBs drafted since Paul Chryst became HC in 2015 - these dudes know who they're looking for. Malik Reed had plenty of P5 opportunities, especially from the Pac-12.

Twitter is a funny place. Wisconsin received a commitment from Jordan Turner yesterday, which led to Malik Reed tweeting 30 minutes later that his "mind" is made up. Reed's mom responded to Turner's commit tweet, which received likes from Bobby April (Wisconsin OLB coach) and Jensen Gebhardt, who is a Recruiting Assistant at Wisconsin and sends out cryptic tweets (i.e. #BadgerBoiz20) before a commit happens. As it stands, and after the Turner commitment, Wisconsin is waiting on two more 2020 commits, one of which was on an OV this weekend and a 2021 commit. Should be an interesting week.

Lol. This article should not be driver for any sort of rivalry with Wisconsin. The author, David Hookstead, is a clown - always has been. He's an alumnus, but was not liked during his time on campus. Had plenty of controversial moments, including a written article that claimed rape culture did not exist. No one at the university cares for what he has to say.

Lining up a Wisconsin OV in June and the Badgers are now recruiting him as a DL, which isn't an issue since he told their staff that he was open to it.

Iowa has been to one B1G Championship Game. This does not constitute the West "[going] through Iowa." Iowa is what it is, which is an above-average program (7.5 wins per season under Kirk Ferentz) that strings together a double-digit win season every several years.

- Jake Ferguson is Wisconsin's best TE, but Zander Neuville was reliable as a run blocker. Unfortunately, this is the second year in a row that a knee injury has ended his season. - One of the CBs, Faion Hicks, is expected to play, per Jim Leonhard. Not worried about his availability. Not sure about Caesar Williams' status...

Zander Neuville hurt his leg in practice and is out for the rest of this year. Jake Ferguson and Kyle Penniston are the two primary pass catchers at TE, but Neuville was a reliable run blocker. He's had difficulty staying healthy since an ACL tear versus Minnesota last November.

My Madison recommendations... Capitol Square Dane County Farmer's Market: Runs until 1:45pm every Saturday through 11/10 around the State Capitol. Might be worth walking after waking up, since kickoff is not until 6:30pm. Most-popular item there is Hot & Spicy Cheese Bread from Stella's. Restaurants/Bars: Tipsy Cow, Old Fashioned, Graze, L'Etoile, Cento, Coopers Tavern, Tornado Steak House, Marigold Kitchen, Casetta Kitchen, Lucille, Natt Spil, Merchant, Madison's, Maduro, Argus, Great Dane, Ivory Room, and Silver Dollar Though technically on State Street, most would consider Paul's Club, Ian's Pizza (late night), Cask & Ale, and Fresco to be part of the "Capitol Square" area. State Street (on & around) No Uber, taxi or bicycle needed to get from Capitol Square onto State Street. You can walk straight down state towards campus and hit a number of Undergraduate bars along the way... Bars: KK, Chasers, Brats, Double U, Wando's, Mondays, City, Red Shed, Church Key, Danny's, Vintage, Gritty, Plaza, and HopCat. Wouldn't totally place HopCat into the category of "Undergraduate bars," though. Brats is, likely, most-popular hangout for opposing fans. This rings true each time Nebraska fans have come into town. In terms of late night food, there's plenty to go-around, but my favorite is Ian's (second location) and Paul Pel'Meni. Campus There are two student unions at UW-Madison. The one closest to Camp Randall is Union South, which was completed in 2011. The well-known, more-popular is Memorial Union along Lake Mendota. For every UW alumni, sitting on the Terrace with a pitcher of beer and listening to live music is a favorite memory. Alumni Park was completed last year, helping to the make the Terrace even more-aesthetically-pleasing. Bascom Hill is worth walking. Right next to Memorial Union, if you stop there first, and Abe Lincoln statue at the top is situated in front of Bascom Hall. Gives you a beautiful view of downtown. Some might remember this setting for College Gameday. Observatory Hill, a few minute walk past Bascom Hill, overlooks Lake Mendota. Henry Mall received quite the makeover and should be within sight when walking towards Camp Randall via Johnson and/or University. Willy Street About a mile of east of downtown, but quick-growing area with a number of bars/restaurants. My three favorite places are A Pig In A Fur Coat, Weary Traveler, and Umami Ramen & Dumpling Bar. Breweries Madison: Karben4, Working Draft, Funk Factory, Ale Asylum, Next Door, One Barrel, Great Dane and Vintage (brewpubs), and Giant Jones Outside of Madison: Octopi, Capital, Lone Girl, Sprecher, Wisconsin Brewing If you want to go a bit further, New Glarus is about 30 miles and one of Wisconsin's well-known breweries. People go nuts for Spotted Cow. It's nostalgic for me, but I don't think it is any better than above average. Gameday Personally find Madison's gameday to be unique. Camp Randall's setting in the middle of a neighborhood limits immediate parking, though there are small lots and plenty of lawn space. Off-campus student housing turns into house parties around the stadium and bars/businesses along Regent Street become beer gardens. Few student section "traditions" are Jump Around, 5th Quarter, Wave, Build Me Up, Sweet Caroline, and Shout. Downtown and campus very much intertwine with one another. You won't have issue starting somewhere on State Street and working your way down to Regent Street. Hope everyone has a great time in Madison. I was in Lincoln last season and loved it. Plenty of bars, easy to navigate and clean.

Jim Leonhard said that he expects Faion Hicks to be "fine" and play through the thumb injury. That said, I would disagree, slightly, about Hicks' performance. Hasn't been much more than average, and he was lesser against Iowa. Will be interesting to see Andrew Van Ginkel's status. He was used as a 3rd down pass-rusher against Iowa and it would be encouraging to see him used in other situations, too. He brings another gear to a group of OLBs that have struggled to generate pressure. Of course, part of this can be attributed to an unimpressive DL. Wisconsin ranks No. 126 in Sacks and No. 82 in yards per carry. Personally, I see Taiwan Deal as the second-best RB on Wisconsin. John Settle has always had great things to say about Deal, but injuries have plagued his career. At the least, Deal is healthy in his last season and has been a valuable second-option for the Badgers.