SEC Network host on Wisconsin: 'They'd be a top 3 ranked team' in Alabama's jerseys
College football often faces branding problems, especially for teams that aren’t necessarily the premier school in their conference or part of the country. SEC Network host Peter Burns centered on one Big 10 team this season that fits that mold.
“If Wisconsin wore Alabama or Ohio State jerseys they’d be a top 3 ranked team in the country,” Burns tweeted.
The Badgers on Saturday dispatched of Michigan State 38-0 and moved to No. 6 in this week’s AP poll. The Badgers are 6-0 and face Illinois this week. The big game on the schedule, though, is in two weeks when they play at Ohio State.
The team is more than just Heisman Trophy candidate RB Jonathan Taylor, who leads the country with 18 touchdowns. However, with 4,996 career rushing yards Taylor needs just 4 more rushing yards to join Georgia’s Herschel Walker (5,596), Wisconsin’s Ron Dayne (5,091) and Oregon’s LaMichael James (5,082) as the only FBS players to rush for 5,000 yards through their junior season.
The Badgers scored their fourth defensive touchdown of the season on a 34-yard interception return by OLB Zack Baun in the fourth quarter. UW’s defense has allowed just 4 touchdowns this year.
UW is also the only FBS team that has not trailed in a game this season, and the Badgers are 8-for-8 on the season on fourth down conversions after they went 2-for-2 on Saturday.
They are real deal. Taylor might even break record for Junior. I’ve watched them play and they are relentless.
Very true statement. In previous years we’ve seen them in this situation while barely squeaking by in a bunch of games. Not this year. This team is legitimately national championship caliber.
That guy doesn’t know what he is talking about. Wisconsin has never beaten Ohio State, Penn State or Michigan when those programs are good. And even when those programs are down and Wisconsin wins the Big 10 and makes the Rose Bowl, they generally lose.
The Russell Wilson year notwithstanding – when the weak link was an uncharacteristcally bad defense – Wisconsin’s achilles heel has been subpar QB play. This has been a longtime problem of theirs that has spanned several different coaches. This year, while I haven’t seen him play, their QB Jack Coan has decent numbers and has even had some highlights. So maybe they have a shot to get it done this year. But because of their LONG record of failure against other legit top 5/10 teams, no one is going to believe that they can get it done until they actually do.
Consider them the Clemson of the upper midwest. They never got over the “Clemsoning” thing until they actually won the 2016 title. (Or possibly the year before when they pushed Alabama to their limit.)
“That guy doesn’t know what he is talking about.”
One paragraph later:
“This year, while I haven’t seen him play, their QB . . .”