BigAppleBucky

That was called for by fans in the Badger chatroom during the game. The team has only run it a few times this season. It could be the coaches are wary of Mertz's tendency to fumble. The Badger offense really started clicking when Allen started getting more carries. Part of the reason he wasn't getting more carries is that he had some early season fumbles.

Stroud will almost certainly be on the first team all Big Ten at the end of the season, but off yesterday's performance I'd vote for Martinez as second team. He was the best, most effective, QB the Badgers have faced all season.

https://scout.com/college/wisconsin/Article/Badgers-Football-Notes-Rafael-Gaglianone-has-strong-performance--108606654

In the recruiting guru ratings, yes. But, perhaps not in reality. Take, for example, Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin's true freshman running back. He was rated a three star. Yet he supassed Cory Clement's New Jersey rushing records and also was the fastest New Jersey sprinter last year. Had he been recruited by Michigan, he probably would be a four or five star. Ran an electronic-timed 10.49 100m dash at 214 pounds. (Michigan's Peppers ran it in 10.53) Article Recruiting in-state kids, who make their decisions early, reduces their value to the recruiting gurus. Obviously the walk-on program helps, as only Nebraska fans would understand, and there is good coaching. But mostly it's because Wisconsin isn't a helmit school.

Jim Leonhard was the defensive captain on three NFL teams. He did very well with the secondary last year. It remains to be seen how well he does as a coordinator, but Chryst has been making good staff calls so I'm optimistic.

Nice win. Enjoy it. Never bad to beat a Tom Crean team. More Crean foolery.

Tonight's game was an elimination game for Wisconsin, but not for Nebraska. I wonder if that factored into the result. (Not likely) At Ohio State is a tall order, but the Nerds almost won there today, so it's possible.

Generally speaking, I'd rather be cheering for the worst 7-0 team than the best 5-2 team.

Yep. We basically conceded the punt. We did realize we HAD to get a first down, right? Badger fans still complain about Barry Alvarez going for a first down against Northwestern in 1996 instead of taking a knee. Dayne fumbled and the Nerds scored on two pass plays to win the game.

If he's as good as Badger fans hoped he would be, he won't be playing his senior season, he'll be playing on Sundays. I wish we could have kept him. He would have come in handy with our top two running backs out.

Last possession won the game. Glad there wasn't another minute. I will predict both offenses will improve the rest of the season and both will be better next year. ** Very frustrating game for both teams. But at least it wasn't sloppy in the sense of having a bunch of turnovers (0) and penalties (14). ** On a side note I was amused to realize your Joshua Kalu will be covering Leonte Carroo of Rutgers on November 14.

That Husker team showed some excellent resilience last night. I give Nebraska credit for not packing it in when things looked grim in the third quarter. Husker fans have to be somewhat encouraged, even if it was a loss.

Mike Riley mentored Paul Chryst, the very successful Wisconsin offensive coordinator who went on to become the head coach at Pitt. Oregon State also beat Wisconsin out there in 2012. If he picks some strong assistants, your program should be in good hands. All I got.

The really funny thing is he immigrated to the USA from Brazil to play soccer.

Here here. Agreed 100%. No way Gurley wins the Doak Walker. One of these two Big Ten guys should. One odd thing I've seen lately, that probably is meaningless, but if it comes true you can be sure I'll quote myself and bump this thread, is that in recent weeks Gordon and Clement seem to be trading off big games. For example, Clement had the big game at Rutgers two weeks ago and Gordon the big last week at Purdue.

Hi there! I wrote that! I can assure you, 'typical' is not a word used to describe me. I would, however, like to thank you all for a little traffic boost. And also for all the glorious content here. This place is a gold mine, Jerry. GOLD! Oh good, thanks for identifying yourself, this should end well. 37-4, yeah right.............. I don't know WHY I'm explaining myself here, but I will because I don't feel like working right this second: I usually make 'serious' predictions (including correctly predicting that we'd lose to Northwestern - not a homer!). But ever since we bunduru'd Maryland and Rutgers, I've decided to assume that we're going to win EVERY game via blowout. It's more a nod to how well our defense is performing than anything else. In short, if you think that I seriously believe that you will only score points via 2 safeties, then you're not as bright as you think you are. PS - It's entertainment, man. Smile a little. It's Friday. Please enlighten us why you thought that the Badgers would lose to NW, but will blow out Nebraska? Have you watched any Nebraska games this year besides the MSU game? There is a very high possibility of 2 more losses before the bowl for you guys. I was "officially concerned" about the Northwestern game. 1. Historically, Wisconsin has played badly in Evanston. 2. At that time, it was clear to all Badger fans (and maybe even the coaches) that Tanner McEvoy was not the answer at quarterback for Wisconsin. 3. Even if Joel Stave were to see action, he'd be rusty. He wound up playing the second half and managed to throw three picks. Some of you may recall that when Nebraska lost to the Nerds in 2011 I posted here saying something like, you sometimes get weird results when playing those guys.

Not a bad observation. Wisconsin hasn't won a close game against a BCS conference team since beating Michigan State in the 2011 Big Ten Championship game.

Typical Badger fan's game prediction

LOL Lewis Black - Drinking in Wisconsin.

Gordon has only run a couple of jet sweeps this season and the team uses the play only about once or twice a game, usually with a wide receiver. We're kind of thin on running backs this season as our two freshmen recruits were both hurt in August and are redshirting.

Not at all. But a rivalry trophy has to have a rivalry first. Wisconsin and Nebraska have played a total of 8 times. Contrast that to the axe game that has been played every year, but one, since 1890. Wait a couple of decades. If things get heated, then "thinking up" a trophy won't be necessary, it will just be mutually agreed upon. Wisconsin and Iowa have played 80 or 90 times in a very even series. A few years ago a trophy (the name totally escapes me) was "thought up". It's pretty meaningless. However, the Wisconsin and Iowa managers square off in a game the Friday night before the varsity football game. They compete for the rusty tool box. Now that trophy has meaning (at least to the managers) and certainly has character.

Yahoo Sports chimes in and mocks the idea. But they also said this which makes a lot of sense: They both have great programs and now that they are in the same division, perhaps it will get intense. Can't the league wait for something organic to just come up, a farm animal wager or a stolen cannon or a suspected poisoning or the mocking of Runza meat pies or a mean-spirited joke about the great G. Heileman that simply can't be tolerated?

The money incentive for the refs would favor Nebraska. The Big Ten gets more money by having a playoff team and if Nebraska wins the Big Ten Championship game will have a chance at being between two 11-1 teams. I'm not saying anything like that would happen, just that the incentive is the other way. (If the W-L records were the other way around, so would my supposition.) Who ever said they were not afraid of the UW QBs and WRs is probably correct. But that poster said there was also no fear of the UW defense. We'll see, but this year's is entirely different than the 2012 or '13 versions. The front seven is decidedly smaller and quicker. Not sure how that will stand up to three straight power running games, but this game is the first of three and that defense did very well against LSU until two of three D-linemen were injured.

One Buckyville suggestion: I suggested Obie, which is a statue on display at the Southwest corner of Camp Randall. Or maybe a minny Obie. Loser has to keep it. We have had fun photoshopping it over the years: