2011 Wisconsin Badgers Additional Information

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2011 Wisconsin Badgers Additional Information​

Coaching Staff

Head Coach:
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Official School Bio - [FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Bret Bielemahttp://onlyfans.cstv.com/schools/wis/sports/m-footbl/mtt/bielema_bret00.html[/FONT]

Assistant Coaches Official School Bios

[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Chris Ash[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica] - Defensive Coordinator/Defensive backs[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Paul Chryst[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica] - Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Charlie Partridge[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica] - Associate head coach/Co-Defensive Coordinator/D-line[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]DelVaughn Alexander[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica] - Wide Receivers[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Bob Bostad[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica] - Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]DeMontie Cross[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica] - Special Teams Coordinator/Safeties[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Thomas Hammock[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica] - Running Backs[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Dave Huxtable[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica] - Linebackers[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Joe Rudolph[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica] - Tight Ends/Recruiting Coordinator[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Terrance Jamison[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica] - Quality Control - Defense[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Bart Miller[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica] - Quality Control - Offense[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Ben Strickland[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica] - Graduate Assistant - Defense[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Luke Swan[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica] - Graduate Assistant - Offense[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Mark Taurisani[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica] - Director of Football Operations[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Sharon Betlach[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica] - Program Assistant[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Sandy Freye[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica] - Program Assistant[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Lisa Powell[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica] - Program Assistant[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]
http://onlyfans.cstv.com/schools/wis/sports/m-footbl/mtt/chryst_paul00.html[/FONT]​

Recruiting

Name Pos Height Weight - Hometown - Scout/Rivals rating
​

2012 Verbal Commitments

Scout.com - #32 overall class - 7-4*, 2-3*, 2-2* - 3.45* average
Rivals.com - #28 overall class - 6-4*, 4-3*, 1-2* - 3.45* average

Vince Biegel LB 6-3 205 Wisconsin Rapids, WI - 4*/4*
JJ Denman OT 6-6 310 Fairless Hills, PA - 4*/4*
Kyle Dodson OT 6-6 310 University Heights, OH - 4*/4*
Hugs Etienne CB 5-10 175 Plantation, FL - 2*/3*
Arthur Goldberg DT 6-4 270 Pittsburgh, PA - 3*/3*
Bart Houston QB 6-4 201 Concord, CA - 4*/4*
Vonte Jackson RB 5-10 185 Kenosha, WI - 4*/4*
Reggie Mitchell CB 6-0 170 Pittsburgh, PA - 2*/2*
DJ Singleton S 6-3 195 Jersey City, NJ - 4*/3*
Dan Voltz OG 6-4 290 Barrington, IL - 4*/4*
Walker Williams OT 6-7 321 Tacoma, WA - 3*/3*

2011 Recruiting Class

Scout.com - #36 overall class - 1-4*, 16-3*, 4-2* - 2.86* average
Rivals.com - #40 overall class - 3-4*, 16-3*, 2-2* - 3.05* average

James Adeyanju DE 6-2 240 Chicago, IL - 3*/3*
Sam Arneson TE 6-4 225 Merrill, WI - 3*/3*
Ray Ball OT 6-7 325 Westerville, OH - 3*/3*
Michael Caputo LB 6-1 195 Imperial, PA - 3*/3*
Kenzel Doe WR 5-8 171 Oak Ridge, NC - 3*/2*
Terrance Floyd CB 5-10 175 Lantana, FL- 2*/3*
Jordan Frederick LB 6-3 210 Madison, WI - 3*/3*
Davin Gaulden CB 5-10 177 Fort Lauderdale, FL - 3*/3*
Melvin Gordon RB 6-1 185 Kenosha, WI - 3*/4*
Nate Hammon QB 6-2 210 Milton, WI - 2*/2* - Greyshirt
Jesse Hayes DE 6-4 230 Cincinnati, OH - 3*/3*
Darius Hillary CB 5-10 171 Cincinnati, OH - 3*/3*
AJ Jordan WR 6-2.5 170 Trotwood, OH - 3*/3*
Jake Keefer LB 6-4 200 Baldwin, WI - 4*/4*
Derek Landsich LB 6-0 215 Hartland, WI - 3*/3*
Austin Maly TE 6-5 200 Waunakee, WI - 3*/3*
Tyler Marz OT 6-8 280 Springfield, MN - 2*/3*
Eric Steffes TE 6-5 225 Fond du Lac, WI - 3*/3* - Greyshirt
Austin Traylor DE 6-4 211 Columbus, OH - 3*/4*
Derek Watt LB 6-2 215 Pewaukee, WI - 3*/3*
Frederick Willis WR 6-3 195 Brookfield, WI - 2*/3*

2010 Recruiting Class

Scout.com - #33 overall class - 1-4*, 17-3*, 7-2*, 0-N/R - 2.76* average
Rivals.com - class unranked - 0-4*, 20-3*, 4-2*, 1-N/R - 2.76* average

Beau Allen DT 6-3 292 Minnetonka, MN - 4*/3*
Joe Brennan QB 6-4 195 Cherry Hill, NJ - 3*/3*
Cody Byers OLB 6-3 205 Kettering, OH - 3*/3*
Sharard Cadogen DE 6-3 230 Cherry Hill, NJ - 3*/3*
Kyle Costigan DT 6-5 265 Muskego, WI - 2*/2*
Kyle French K 6-1 165 Menomonee Falls, WI - 2*/N-R
Manasseh Garner OLB 6-2 201 Pittsburgh, PA - 3*/3*
Bryce Gilbert DT 6-2 277 Brookfield, WI - 3*/3*
Chase Hammond WR 6-4 200 Youngstown, OH - 3*/3*
Josh Harrison MLB 6-1 220 Huber Hieghts, OH - 3*/3*
Robby Havenstein OT 6-8 340 Frederick, MD - 3*/3*
Warren Herring TE 6-3 230 Belleville, IL - 3*/3*
Jake Irwin DE 6-5 255 Waunakee, WI - 3*/3*
Peniel Jean CB 5-11 182 Wellington, FL - 2*/3*
Dallas Lewallen OT 6-6 295 Berlin, WI - 2*/3*
Jeff Lewis RB 6-2 200 Brookfield, WI - 3*/2*
Marquis Mason WR 6-5 215 Madison, WI - 3*/3*
Joe McNamara OG 6-2 270 Weston, FL - 3*/2*
Cameron Ontko OLB 6-0 210 Cuyahoga Falls, OH - 2*/2*
Frank Tamakloe S 6-3 190 Olney, MD - 3*/3*
Michael Trotter S 6-0 200 Milwaukee, WI - 3*/3*
James White RB 5-10 200 Ft. Lauderdale, FL - 3*/3*
Isaiah Williams WR 6-1 193 Miami, FL - 2*/3*
Jameson Wright S 6-1 175 Fort Pierce, FL - 2*/3*
Konrad Zagzebski DE 6-3 225 Schofield, WI - 3*/3*

2009 Recruiting Class

Scout.com - #51 class - 2-4*, 11-3*, 8-2* - 2.71* average
Rivals.com - #43 class - 5-4*, 11-3*, 5-2* - 3.00* average

[strike]Kraig Appleton WR 6-4 200 E. St. Louis, IL - 4*/4*[/strike]
Montee Ball RB 5-11 205 Wentzville, MO - 3*/4*
Chris Borland ATH 6-0 213 Kettering, OH - 2*/3*
Jon Budmayr QB 6-0 194 Woodstock, IL - 3*/3*
Casey Dehn OL 6-6 265 Owatonna, MN - 2*/2*
Tyler Dippel DE 6-4 248 Hartford, WI - 2*/3*
Jeff Duckworth WR 6-0 194 Cincinnati, OH - 3*/3*
A.J. Fenton ATH 6-1 215 Erie, PA - 3*/3*
Travis Frederick OL 6-5 310 Walworth, WI - 2*/3*
David Gilbert DE 6-4 220 Oakland Park, FL - 3*/4*
Ryan Groy OL 6-5 285 Middleton, WI - 3*/3*[strike]
Shelby Harris DE 6-3 235 Mequon, WI - 3*/4*[/strike]
Jordan Kohout DT 6-4 265 Waupun, WI - 4*/4*
Zac Matthias OT 6-4 297 Hemlock, MI - 3*/3*
Pat Muldoon DE 6-4 255 Cincinnati, OH - 3*/3*
Conor O'Neill LB 6-1 195 Fort Lauderdale, FL - 3*/3*
Jacob Pedersen TE 6-5 213 Menominee, MI - 2*/2*
Josh Peprah S 6-0 195 Plano, TX - 2*/2*
Dezmen Southward S 6-1 200 Fort Lauderdale, FL - 2*/2*
[strike]Darious Thomas DB 6-0 175 Cedar Hill, TX - 2*/2*[/strike]
Brian Wozniak TE 6-4 223 Loveland, OH - 3*/3*

2008 Recruiting Class

Scout.com - #26 class - 1-4*, 17-3*, 5-2*, 1-1* - 2.75* average
Rivals.com - #41 class - 3-4*, 14-3*, 7-2*, 0-1* - 2.92* average

Eriks Briedis DT 6-5 263 Miami, FL - 2*/3*
Jake Byrne TE 6-5 240 Rogers, AR - 3*/3*
Kevin Claxton DB 6-2 192 Lauderdale Lakes, FL - 3*/3*
Marcus Cromartie DB 6-0 159 Mansfield, TX - 3*/3*
Jake Current OL 6-3 270 Troy, OH - 3*/3*
[strike]Zach Davison DE 6-4 219 Waukee, IA -1*/2*[/strike]
Antonio Fenelus DB 5-9 170 Boca Raton, FL - 2*/2*
[strike]Christopher Garner OL 6-5 315 Augusta, WI - 2*/2*[/strike]
[strike]Leonard Hubbard LB 6-2 225 Springfield, IL - 3*/3*[/strike]
Shelton Johnson DB 6-0 167 Carrollton, TX - 2*/2*
[strike]Dex Jones RB 6-1 215 Lombard, IL -3*/3*[/strike]
Brendan Kelly DE 6-6 225 Eden Prairie, MN - 3*/3*
Peter Konz OL 6-6 285 Neenah, WI - 3*/4*
[strike]Anthony Mains DE 6-7 225 Naples, FL -3*/3*[/strike]
[strike]Daniel Moore DT 6-2 290 Joliet, IL -3*/3*[/strike]
Bradley Nortman K 6-3 210 Brookfield, WI - 2*/3*
Curt Phillips QB 6-3 212 Kingsport, TN - 3*/4*
[strike]Joe Schafer OL 6-5 265 St. Paul, MN - 3*/3*[/strike]
Devin Smith DB 5-11 179 Coppell, TX - 3*/3*
[strike]Erik Smith RB 5-11 185 Bolingbrook, IL - 3*/2*[/strike]
Michael Taylor LB 6-2 195 Ashwaubenon, WI - 3*/2*
[strike]Tyler Westphal DE 6-6 230 Menasha, WI - 4*/4*[/strike]
[strike]T.J. Williams WR 6-0 180 Kenosha, WI - 3*/2*[/strike]
Kevin Zeitler OL 6-4 279 Milwaukee, WI - 3*/3*

2007 Recruiting Class

Scout.com - #41 class - 1-5*, 2-4*, 9-3*, 6-2* - 2.89* average
Rivals.com - #34 class - 1-5*, 3-4*, 10-3*, 4-2* - 3.06* average

[strike]Zach Brown RB 5-10 198 Royal Palm Beach, FL - 2*/3*[/strike]
Patrick Butrym TE 6-4 245 Waukesha, WI - 3*/2*
[strike]John Clay RB 6-0 222 Racine, WI - 4*/4*[/strike]
[strike]David Gilreath WR 5-9 150 Robbinsdale, MN - 3*/3*[/strike]
[strike]Mario Goins DB 6-0 173 Copperas Cove, TX - 3*/3*[/strike]
[strike]Jasper Grimes DT 6-2 280 Palm Beach Gardens, FL - 2*/2*[/strike]
Aaron Henry DB 5-11 169 Immokalee, FL - 3*/3*
[strike]Kyle Jefferson WR 6-5 195 Cleveland, OH - 3*/3*[/strike]
[strike]Daven Jones WR 6-0 185 Cleveland, OH - 2*/2*[/strike]
[strike]Quincy Landingham DB 5-10 202 Bloomfield Hills, MI - 3*/4*[/strike]
[strike]Otis Merrill DB 5-11 170 Cleveland, OH - 2*/3*[/strike]
Louis Nzegwu RB 6-2 230 Platteville, WI - 3*/3*
Josh Oglesby OL 6-7 315 Milwaukee, WI - 5*/5*
[strike]Kevin Rouse LB 6-0 217 Joliet, IL - 4*/3*[/strike]
[strike]Blake Sorensen LB 6-2 204 Eden Prairie, MN - 3*/3*[/strike]
[strike]James Stallons QB 6-6 171 Macomb, MI - 2*/3*[/strike]
Nick Toon WR 6-3 200 Madison, WI - 3*/4*
Phil Welch K 6-3 185 Fort Collins, CO - 2*/2*

Name Ht Wt - Hometown - Scout/Rivals rating
Bold indicates starter
No longer on roster​

Behind the Numbers

The 2011 season marks the 7th in which differential statistics have been used to analyze Ohio State football. The use of differential numbers began in 2005 in an attempt to properly describe the dominance of the Silver Bullet rushing defense. In all of those seasons, all of those games, Ohio State has never faced as big a mismatch, as defined by differential analysis, as they face Saturday night.

Differential numbers are a simple way of comparing a team's statistics to those that are posted by other teams on their opponents' schedules. For example: Wisconsin scores 65.2% more points than their opponents usually give up; so their Differential Scoring Offense (DSO) is 1.652. It really is that simple, but it should be noted that all games against FCS competition are factored out for all FBS teams, so the Badgers' game against South Dakota is not reflected in the numbers below. As for those numbers, let's not sugar coat it. Here they are:

Where:

SO ≡ Scoring Offense
DSO ≡ Differential Scoring Offense
TO ≡ Total Offense
DTO ≡ Differential Total Offense
SD ≡ Scoring Defense
DSD ≡ Differential Scoring Defense
TD ≡ Total Defense
DTD ≡ Differential Total Defense
​

The good news: When the game against FCS South Dakota is factored out, Ohio State leads Wisconsin in Total Defense.

The bad news: The Badgers still lead in Differential Total Defense, and every other category for that matter.

There are two convenient and concise analyses that are afforded us by differential analysis. The first is to simply divide DSO by DSD to produce a single number to indicate how good a team is at scoring and preventing the other team from doing the same. This number is called Differential Scoring Composite (DSC). Dividing DTO by DTD gives the Differential Yardage Composite (DYC).

While these numbers are simply a more concise way of depicting the same truth; it is precisely because of this that the composite numbers look so much uglier than the other differential numbers. There are, unfortunately, numbers that look even uglier.

The second convenient, concise and ugly analysis that is afforded by the differential method is to provide a pair of predictions for each team for both points and yards. The first prediction comes from taking each team's Scoring Offense (or Total Offense) and multiplying by the other team's Differential Scoring Defense (or Differential Total Defense). The other set of predictions come from taking each team's Scoring Defense (or Total Defense) and multiplying by the other team's Differential Scoring Offense (or Differential Total Offense). The results are below. We'll give you some space in case you want to hit the back button on your browser before you look at what comes next:

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Here we go:

Ohio State: 11-12 points and 235-249 yards
Wisconsin: 27 points and 394-402 yards

You can't say I didn't warn you.


This game is personal to me. Not the game of football. Not the Buckeyes, though I do take the Bucks pretty seriously. I mean the game against Wisconsin ... any game against Wisconsin.

Perhaps this will make more sense if I start by telling you why today, the day that I write this, is special to me. The number that makes today special is 106.

You see, today is my grandfather's 106th birthday. He always said he would live to 120, but alas I'm sure he was high-fiving Woody back in January of 2003 as Jim Tressel hoisted the crystal football.

He never talked about it, but he was abandoned as a child. He raised himself on the streets. Imagine the type of man you would expect such a child to become. Now imagine someone just that tough, but the opposite in every other way and you have my grandfather.

Blue collar to the core, he was the ironworkers' union president (though I never heard that from him). He did not smoke or drink and I never heard him swear, and yet he was the most popular man in his union (though I never heard that from him). He worked with his hands all his life, yet managed his affairs well enough that he drove a Cadillac in his retirement years.

I tell you this only so that you will know he was a great man; because what I want you to know is that he was a great Buckeye. I became a Buckeye at his knee:

First, sitting on the floor in front of him, watching his old black-and-white TV while he taught me names like Kern, Stillwagon and Brockington;

Later, sitting next to him in the 'Shoe, watching Griffin, Greene, Colzie, Cusick, Myers, Middleton and my so many others including my hero, Randy Gradishar.

It is because of my grandfather that the ramp entrance raises the hair on the back of my neck. It is because of him that Script Ohio brings a tear to my eye.

I always think about him this time of year; not just because he made me a Buckeye, not just because 10/27 is his birthday, but also because of the events of this month in 1984.

On October 13, 1984, my younger brother and I sat in the South Stands and watched Keith Byars and an awesome offensive line crush Illinois and a 24-0 deficit for a 45-38 win. That was the last game I ever attended at the 'Shoe while the man who first took me there was alive.

A week and a half later we got the news that he'd had a heart attack. It wasn't his first, and he was the toughest man I'd ever known. I wasn't all that concerned.

I was sure he would be out in a few days, just like before. But he meant the world to me, so in spite of a full-time job and a full load of classes at OSU; I made time to see him in the hospital.

That Saturday, my thoughts were with my grandfather as I watched the Buckeyes play. I was concerned about the game too, as it was an opponent that had beaten us in 2 of our last 3 meetings. An opponent that had utterly no business getting the better of us for more than a series of downs. It was Wisconsin.

As I watched Lachey and Lowdermilk and other future NFL linemen struggle with boys that shouldn't have been on the field with them, I wondered if my grandfather was watching the game too. I would find out later that he was. I would find out later that, as I sat watching the final seconds, as the camera zoomed out with Keith Byars lying dejected on the Camp Randall field, my grandfather was lying in his hospital bed, his heart literally ... literally breaking for his Buckeyes.

To my own dying day I will believe that it was the heart attack he had that day that killed him. He hung on for two more days, long enough for my sister to fly across the continent to say goodbye, and died on Monday, October 29th, 1984. I wrote this on his 106th birthday. The Buckeyes play Wisconsin on the 27th anniversary of the day he died.

So pardon me for being a little irrational about the Wisconsin game.

If I could have picked one team to NOT have the Buckeyes struggle against since his death, it would be them.

OSU is only 13-9-1against Wisconsin since my grandfather died. That record may well get worse on Saturday. But I will nevertheless be smiling. I'll smile as I sit in front of my Hi-Def Plasma and think about that little black-and-white that first showed me the Buckeyes. I'll smile as I remember the man who introduced me to them. And I want the team that ruined my grandfather's last Buckeye game to feel one millionth of the pain that they caused me. It is by far the cruelest thought I have ever had.

The most important numbers of this week, to me:

10/27/1905 -- 10/29/1984

SWC
​

The Lighter Side

Those of us at The Lighter Side would like to express our most sincere sympathies to the recent difficulties encountered by the Wisconsin Badger football team and its generous fan base.

After all, last year the Badgers were kind enough to foster a welcoming environment in Madison. Their fans continued their tradition of giving generously to opposing fans in need. A few years ago, I was hoping to listen to the radio broadcast of the Buckeye game as I sat in Camp Randall, but listening to that radio during tailgating had caused the batteries to run down, and I had foolishly forgotten to bring any extras. Fortunately for me, on my way to the stadium some very giving Badger fans provided me with a couple of batteries that were just the right size, with enough juice in them for that radio to go all game long. How those fans knew that I needed them without asking me was truly amazing.

And when that game ended, watching Michael Jenkins make some clutch catches to keep the Buckeyes unbeaten had made me very hungry, and I knew that it would take some time before traffic thinned out, so I decided to eat something before leaving my tailgating lot. On the way back to the car, I realized that there wasn't any food left in the car, and I had spent the last of my cash on a game program. Once again, despite just losing the game, the Badger fans were very giving to Buckeye fans as they walked away from the stadium. I found enough nickels inside the marshmallows that were graciously tossed my way to buy a chocolate bar, so I made smores!

The very next year the Buckeyes were lucky enough to be scheduled into Madison once again, and a long winning streak was broken by the karma of having Lee Evans burn Chris Gamble on an out-and-up from the backup QB, who was in the game because Jim Sorgi had been knocked out of the game by an action that resulted in Robert Reynolds being suspended.

Leaving the stadium that night, I was thirsty; and once again some perceptive and generous Wisconsin fans helped out. They tossed some almost-empty beer cans my way as they were holding their other hand on their throats, clearly indicating that they knew I was parched. But by giving me nearly empty beer cans, they knew I could quench my thirst while staying under the legal limit to drive. They were considerate enough to know that the Wisconsin state troopers tend to be very strict with out-of-state drivers, and wanted to keep me out of serious trouble, so I once again was grateful for their thoughtfulness.

In 2011, those kind-hearted Wisconsin fans are truly suffering. Last year, they won the Big Ten's 3-way tie-breaker due to having the highest BCS rankings (scoring 70 on Austin Peay and 83 on Indiana impressed the voters), earning their first Rose Bowl trip since the days of Ron Dayne. But New Year's day in 2011 game ended up being a little embarrassing for them, losing to TCU from a non-AQ conference. I did recently contact some folks in Pasadena, who confirmed that after 10 months the shouts of "Run the ball, you @!#$!&$#! moron!" are no longer echoing among the San Gabriel Mountains.

Those Badger fans thought they had a chance to win their first ever recognized National Championship this season, but the B1G was very mean to them: they had to travel to Spartyland for the second straight year - which just isn't fair, really - can anybody recall a team ever having to go to Madison a second straight year?

And then after blowing a 14-0 lead, they have a 4th quarter comeback to tie things up, and are sure to carry momentum into OT, when a couple of timeouts called by their coach ended up giving Sparty a chance at a Hail Mary on the last play of the game. And the poor Wisconsin fans had to live through this: A-Sparty-guy-that-transferred-in-to-play-QB/got-beat-out/switched-to-WR//hadn't-caught-a-pass-all-game/catches-a-ball-that-bounced-off-a-couple-of-guys-while-standing-just-outside-the-end-zone/gets-wrapped-up-by-a-couple-of-Wiscy-players-to-keep-him-from-scoring/two-refs-on-the-goal-line-signal-no-TD/the-replay-camera-is-shaking-from-the-stadium-rocking/conclusive-video-evidence-makes-it-a-TD/GAME-OVER-SPARTY-WINS! And after the game, any mentions of Nichol's catch surely weren't about buying candy bars for smores, and the Badgers weren't interested in kissin' Cousins.

And then somehow, Wisconsin is scheduled to play a second straight road game AT NIGHT!!!! It's simply not fair, knowing how loud the Horseshoe can get after the Buckeye students and fans have been tailgating all day.

So Buckeye fans, be sympathetic to the plight of the suffering Wisconsin fans. But please remember, before trying to return the favor of giving then anything in the way of power-supply/food/drink/cash/whatever, just ask them first if it's something they'd like to receive, and then gently hand it to them if you truly want to be generous. Because we should be better than that.

However, if you overhear any Badger fans complaining about anything related to their team having to play in the 'Shoe at night, here's what they should hear:

Traditions & Opponent Perspective

The Wisconsin Badgers are a team rich with traditions.

The team's nickname, 'Badgers,' was borrowed from the state of Wisconsin. The territory was dubbed the 'Badger State,' not because of animals in the region, but rather an association with lead miners in the 1820s. Prospectors came to the state looking for minerals. Without shelter in the winter, the miners had to 'live like badgers' in tunnels burrowed into hillsides.

When a Badger team wins an athletic contest, members of the band turn their hats around and wear them backwards. The practice started in the 1920s to symbolize the band looking back at the victory in days when they marched out with the departing crowd.

Badgers in various forms have been recognized as the school mascot for decades. The version currently known as Bucky, sporting a cardinal and white letter sweater, was first drawn in 1940 by artist Art Evans. At that time, the badger went by names like Benny, Buddy, Bernie, Bobby and Bouncey. Art Lentz, the department's publicity director, had the idea to bring the mascot to life. The original badger mascot was too vicious to control. On more than one occasion, the live badger escaped handlers before a sideline hero recaptured the animal with a flying tackle. It was decided in the interest of fan and player safety that Wisconsin's mascot be retired to the Madison Zoo. The Badger Yearbook replaced the live badger with a small raccoon named Regdab (badger backwards) and passed it off as a 'badger in a raccoon coat.' In 1949, a student in the university's art department, Connie Conrad, was commissioned to mold a paper-mache badger head. Gymnast and cheerleader, Bill Sagal, of Plymouth, Wis., was directed by homecoming chair Bill Sachse, to wear the outfit at the homecoming game. A contest was staged to name the popular mascot. The winner was Buckingham U. Badger, or Bucky. The name apparently came from the lyrics in a song which encouraged the football team to 'buck right through that line.'

An integral part of any Wisconsin band performance is the playing of the Bud song. The tune is a spinoff of the song 'You've Said It All,' a jingle with words and music originally written by Steve Karmen for Budweiser beer commercials. Copyrighted by Sandlee Publishing Corporation in 1970, the song has become legendary at the University because of its polka-like rhythm. The song became a football tradition after a 1978 victory over Oregon. "Wisconsin was behind by three touchdowns, and the crowd was really dead. I played the song to get everyone pepped up. About 20 seconds after that, Wisconsin scored a TD. I played it again, and Wisconsin scored another touchdown. From then on, the band could never play enough 'Bud,'" said Leckrone.

History of the Camp Randall Arch

The Camp Randall Memorial Arch commemorates one of the most turbulent times in our nation's history: the Civil War. At that time, Camp Randall was not a football stadium - it was a training camp for 70,000 Wisconsin troops, representing nearly all of the state's military might.

Named for Gov. Alexander W. Randall, the encampment also served as a stockade and hospital for 1,400 Confederate soldiers captured at the Battle of Shiloh in 1862. Many of them died at Camp Randall and were buried at "soldiers' rest" at a cemetery on Madison's west side (Forest Hills) - the northernmost Confederate cemetery in the United States. Union soldiers who died at Camp Randall are also buried at soldiers' rest, in a separate section of the cemetery.

The Camp Randall Memorial Arch on Monroe Street was dedicated in 1912, and it serves as the entrance to the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Park. It's also the entrance to Camp Randall Stadium for the UW Marching Band on football Saturdays.

The two statues that flank the arch - an enlisted solider and an officer - do not have names, because they represent all of Wisconsin's Civil War soldiers. The "1912" inscription on the officer's pedestal refers to the dedication date of the arch, and the "1861-1865" inscription on the enlisted soldier's pedestal marks the years our country fought the Civil War.

The University of Wisconsin Athletic Department's official colors are Cardinal and White. PMS 200 is the designated color of the cardinal.

Fifth Quarter
The Wisconsin Band is nationally famous for its post-game celebration called the Fifth Quarter. Win or lose, fans sing, dance and cheer with the band as they play traditional favorites. Originally, the post-game concert was designed to give the fans something to listen to on their way out of the stadium, but it developed into a post-game party as the band built in audience participation activities.

Graduating Law Students
At the homecoming game, graduating law students throw canes over the crossbar of the goal post in a pre-game ceremony. If students catch their cane, legend claims they will win their first case. If the cane is dropped, the case will be lost. The custom originated at Harvard and came to the UW-Madison in 1910.

Paul Bunyan Axe
The most-played rivalry in Division I football occurs when Wisconsin and Minnesota meet. The UW-UM series is the nation's oldest and has been played continuously for since 1890 (except for 1906). The game has alternated sites between the university campuses since 1946. Much prestige was always associated with the game, and the significance was emphasized with its place on the schedule. Between 1933 and 1982, the Wisconsin-Minnesota game was always the final regular-season contest for each school.

The series took an added twist in 1948 when more than state bragging rights were on the line. After a 16-0 setback that season, the Wisconsin lettermen's group, the National 'W' Club, presented Minnesota with an axe wielded by Paul Bunyan. He was the mythical giant of Midwestern lumber camps. Each year since, the winner of the annual battle between the Big Ten rivals is presented with the axe, complete with scores inscribed on the handle, for display on its campus.

Slab of Bacon
The Slab of Bacon trophy was the precursor to Paul Bunyan's Axe as the prize in the Wisconsin-Minnesota football series. Apparently, the trophy was presented to the winning school by a sorority from the losing institution. The trophy was discontinued in the 1940s and was discovered in a storage room at the UW Department of Athletics in 1994. It is currently housed in the football office at Wisconsin. 'We took home the bacon,' Coach Barry Alvarez said, 'and kept it.'

"Varsity"
The traditional arm-waving at the end of the song, 'Varsity,' was the 1934 brainstorm of band leader Ray Dvorak. He saw Pennsylvania students wave their caps after losing a game. Dvorak later instructed Wisconsin students to salute UW President Glenn Frank after each game.

Var-sity! Var-sity! U-rah-rah! Wisconsin!
Praise to thee we sing
Praise to thee our Alma Mater
U-rah-rah, Wisconsin

Before each home game, the UW cheerleaders and the Red Squad help spread Badger Spirit around Madison. The day begins with a trip to the chancellor's house on the official Bucky Wagon. The Wagon Crew drives around downtown Madison, the Capitol, and around campus. The trip ends at Camp Randall, where the cheerleaders chant, "Let's Go Red Peppers," and each eat a red hot chili pepper.

The time honored "Jump Around" could possibly be the most amazing tradition on any college campus for its students. Just before the fourth quarter 10,500 energy-shocked students literally jump up, down, and around for three minutes preparing the team for fourth quarter battle. The "Jump Around" will get all fans out of their seats unless they don't mind their seat vibrating. The "Jump Around" is so powerful the stadium starts to shake.
​

Historical Data

University of Wisconsin-Madison (Madison, WI) Founded in 1849

Football 1st Season: 1889​

Stadium: Camp Randall Stadium (Renovated 2005)
Constructed: 1917
Seating Capacity: 80,321
Playing Surface: FieldTurf (since 2003)
Conference: Big Ten Conference since 1896 (Independent in previous years)
Colors: Cardinal & White
Mascot: Badgers - Buckingham U. Badger, a.k.a. "Bucky Badger"
College Classification: D-IA (or equivalent) since 1937 (first year of NCAA classification)
Conference Championships: 12 Big Ten Titles: 1896, 1897, 1901*, 1906*, 1912, 1952*, 1959, 1962, 1993*, 1998*, 1999, and 2010* (* = Co-Champions)
Consensus All-Americans: 22
College Hall-of-Famers: 10
Pro Hall-of-Famers: 3 (Arnie Herber, Elroy (Crazylegs) Hirsch, Mike Webster)
Award Winners: 1 COY (AFCA), 1 COY (Bobby Dodd), 1 Doak Walker, 2 Heismans, 1 Jim Thorpe, 1 Maxwell, 2 Outlands, 2 Walter Camp POY, 1 AP POY, 1 Ray Guy, 1 Lott, 1 Unitas Golden Arm, and 1 Sammy Baugh
National Championships: 5 non-Recognized Championships
Number of AP/Coaches final rankings: AP-19 years, Coaches-20 years​

Records

All Time: 631-469-53 (.570)
Bowl Games: 11-11 (.500), most recently a 21-19 loss to TCU in the 2011 Rose Bowl
All Time vs the BigTen: 328-358-38 (.479)
All Time vs the Ohio State Buckeyes: 18-53-5 (.270), most recently a 31-18 win over #1 tOSU in Madison last year
Coach's Record: Bret Bielema, 2006-current, 55-17 (.764)

2010 Season: 11-2-0 (.846)
Sep 04 - W at UNLV, 41-21
Sep 11 - W vs San Jose State, 20-13
Sep 18 - W vs Arizona State, 20-19
Sep 25 - W vs Austin Peay, 70-3
Oct 02 - L at Michigan State, 24-34
Oct 09 - W vs Minnesota, 41-23
Oct 16 - W vs Ohio State, 31-18
Oct 23 - W at Iowa, 31-30
Oct 30 - BYE
Nov 06 - W at Purdue. 34-13
Nov 13 - W vs Indiana, 83-20
Nov 20 - W at Michigan, 48-28
Nov 27 - W vs Northwestern, 70-23
Jan 01 - L vs TCU (Rose Bowl), 19-21

2011 Schedule
Sep 03 - W vs UNLV, 51-17
Sep 10 - Oregon State, 35-0
Sep 17 W vs Northern Illinois (at Soldier Field), 49-7
Sep 24 W vs South Dakota, 59-10
Oct 01 W vs Nebraska. 48-17
Oct 08 BYE
Oct 15 W vs Indiana. 59-7
Oct 22 L at Michigan State, 31-37
Oct 29 at Ohio State
Nov 05 Purdue
Nov 12 at Minnesota
Nov 19 at Illinois
Nov 26 Penn State
​

Links

Official Sites:

Official School Site - University of Wisconsin-Madison
Official Alumni Site - Wisconsin Alumni Association
Student Newspaper - The Daily Cardinal
Student Newspaper - Badger Herald
Official Athletic Site - UW Badgers
Official Conference Site - Big Ten Conference

Message Boards & Team Pages:
Message Boards - Badger Nation (Scout)
Message Boards - Badger Blitz (Rivals)
Message Boards - Wisconsin (Sports-Boards)

Team Page - NCAA
Team Page - ESPN
Team Page - USA Today
Team Page - Fox Sports
Team Page - CNN/SI
Team Page - CFN
Team Page - CBS Sports
Team Page - Yahoo Sports
Team Page - Sporting News
Team Page - CSTV
Team Page - Covers

Blog - Badger Sports Fan
Blog - The Ciskie Blog
Blog - Cute Sports
Blog - I'm A Badger Fan
Blog - Bucky's Faithful
Blog - Bucky's 5th Quarter
Blog - FansBlog
Blog - BlogTenFootball

Local News Sources:
The Capital Times - Local News
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Local News
State Journal - Local News
Green Bay Press Gazette - Local News
WKOW - ABC Madison
WISC - CBS Madison
WITI - Fox Milwaukee
WMTV - NBC Madison
​

Note: Statistical data was complied using a variety of sources, including:
Stassen (Chris Stassen) - Data
College Football Data Warehouse - Data
American College Football-RSFC (Dave Wilson) - Data
D1A Football (Formerly WALJ 10 College Football) - Data
National Champs.net - Data

Link to 2011 Wisconsin Badgers Game Preview​

 

[LitlBuck]

And when that game ended, watching Michael Jenkins make some clutch catches to keep the Buckeyes unbeaten had made me very hungry, and I knew that it would take some time before traffic thinned out, so I decided to eat something before leaving my tailgating lot. On the way back to the car, I realized that there wasn't any food left in the car, and I had spent the last of my cash on a game program. Once again, despite just losing the game, the Badger fans were very giving to Buckeye fans as they walked away from the stadium. I found enough nickels inside the marshmallows that were graciously tossed my way to buy a chocolate bar, so I made smores!

The very next year the Buckeyes were lucky enough to be scheduled into Madison once again, and a long winning streak was broken by the karma of having Lee Evans burn Chris Gamble on an out-and-up from the backup QB, who was in the game because Jim Sorgi had been knocked out of the game by an action that resulted in Robert Reynolds being suspended.

Leaving the stadium that night, I was thirsty; and once again some perceptive and generous Wisconsin fans helped out. They tossed some almost-empty beer cans my way as they were holding their other hand on their throats, clearly indicating that they knew I was parched. But by giving me nearly empty beer cans, they knew I could quench my thirst while staying under the legal limit to drive. They were considerate enough to know that the Wisconsin state troopers tend to be very strict with out-of-state drivers, and wanted to keep me out of serious trouble, so I once again was grateful for their thoughtfulness.

Much better reading than the actual game review and crappy predictions.