2018 Season Stream of Completely Off-Topic Unconsciousness

[847badgerfan]

Nobody ever said BB ever had good special teams play. That day was evident of this.

[bayareabadger]

Nobody ever said BB ever had good special teams play. That day was evident of this.

Dangit Badge, now I fell down a rabbit hole of advanced stats to see how good it was. 
The answer was, it was strange.
UW's specialists have been, by and large, pretty good. You've got Gilreath, Mehlhaff, Debauche, Welch, Nortman, Abbrederis, White (it got a little hairy in 12). 
I don't recall the coverage being consistently bad, and the comprehensive advanced stat that kind of tracks it shows UW was usually average and occasionally top-20. Net field position was usually solid. 
But man, when stuff went wrong, it had a habit of blowing up sideways all at once. 

[SFBadger96]

There were consistent problems on special teams--particularly on coverage. I don't argue that the numbers were consistently above average, but--as with other big plays against top tier teams--the mistakes always seemed to cost the Badger big games.

The consistency with which the Badgers have lost games against helmet schools on those big plays after playing otherwise solid games is sometimes too much to bear.

Speaking of rabbit holes...

Just against Ohio State:
In the 25 seasons since I started my freshman year, Wisconsin is 6-14-1 against the Buckeyes. And this is how the misery plays out...

1993: Wisconsin is up 14-7 late in the fourth quarter--Ohio State's offense has done nothing. Then...Ohio State goes 99 yards on four passing plays to tie it, then blocks Wisconsin's 22-yard FG attempt in the waning seconds. Game ends in a 14-14 tie.
1996: down 14-10 in the 4th quarter, OSU scores the winning TD on a 48-yard passing TD (final score: 17-14).
2002: OSU wins 19-14. Scores on a 47-yard TD pass, sets up a field goal with a 48-yard pass, scores another FG after recovering a Wisconsin fumble at the WIS-32, and completes a 45-yard pass on its only other scoring drive.
2007: Game is 17-17 going into the 4th quarter; OSU scores 21 unanswered in the 4th. In the 4th, OSU has a 30-TD yard run, Wisconsin fumbles twice inside its own 30, and fails on a fake punt.  
2008: down 17-13 with 5 minutes to play, OSU's drive includes passes of 19 and 27 yards--and recovering its own fumble--to score the winning touchdown with 1:08 to play.
2009: as noted, two pick-6s and a kickoff return for a touchdown on a day the Badger defense played brilliantly.
2011: Braxton Miller runs around the pocket for a while then heaves a bomb downfield. Beats the best offensive team Wisconsin has ever had (this was the same year Michigan State beat the Badgers on the prayer chucked downfield).
2012: Ohio State scores on a 68-yard punt return; has 236 total yard of offense to the Badgers' 360. OSU wins in OT.
2013: in this one Wisconsin's comeback bid came up short, but...OSU threw for three touchdowns of over 25 yards or more (25, 26, 40). OSU by 7.
2016: down 23-20 in the waning minutes of the 4th quarter, Barrett completes a 43-yard pass to put OSU in field goal range. OSU wins in OT.
2017 BTCG: OSU scores on 57- and 84-yard touchdown passes, and a 77-yard run set up a third (1st down from the 1); a 53-yard run sets up a field goal. Ohio State's only sustained drive without a play of over 50 yards that resulted in points got the Buckeyes a field goal. And Wisconsin threw a pick (on first down) at the OSU 4. OSU wins by 6.

Nonetheless, the fake FG worked at a time when it was needed in that 2009 game. And yeah, there was the Gilreath return that started that 2010 win--the last one.

[Brutus Buckeye]

Barry did. If y'all could please trade Urbs for Cooper, that could start up again.

King Barry fared a lot better vs Jim Tressel than Bert did.

[847badgerfan]

WTF Rutgers?

https://www.nj.com/rutgersfootball/index.ssf/2018/07/rutgers_players_under_investigation.html

More good news from the State University of New Jersey.

[bayareabadger]

There were consistent problems on special teams--particularly on coverage. I don't argue that the numbers were consistently above average, but--as with other big plays against top tier teams--the mistakes always seemed to cost the Badger big games.

The consistency with which the Badgers have lost games against helmet schools on those big plays after playing otherwise solid games is sometimes too much to bear.

Speaking of rabbit holes...

Just against Ohio State:
In the 25 seasons since I started my freshman year, Wisconsin is 6-14-1 against the Buckeyes. And this is how the misery plays out...

1993: Wisconsin is up 14-7 late in the fourth quarter--Ohio State's offense has done nothing. Then...Ohio State goes 99 yards on four passing plays to tie it, then blocks Wisconsin's 22-yard FG attempt in the waning seconds. Game ends in a 14-14 tie.
1996: down 14-10 in the 4th quarter, OSU scores the winning TD on a 48-yard passing TD (final score: 17-14).
2002: OSU wins 19-14. Scores on a 47-yard TD pass, sets up a field goal with a 48-yard pass, scores another FG after recovering a Wisconsin fumble at the WIS-32, and completes a 45-yard pass on its only other scoring drive.
2007: Game is 17-17 going into the 4th quarter; OSU scores 21 unanswered in the 4th. In the 4th, OSU has a 30-TD yard run, Wisconsin fumbles twice inside its own 30, and fails on a fake punt.  
2008: down 17-13 with 5 minutes to play, OSU's drive includes passes of 19 and 27 yards--and recovering its own fumble--to score the winning touchdown with 1:08 to play.
2009: as noted, two pick-6s and a kickoff return for a touchdown on a day the Badger defense played brilliantly.
2011: Braxton Miller runs around the pocket for a while then heaves a bomb downfield. Beats the best offensive team Wisconsin has ever had (this was the same year Michigan State beat the Badgers on the prayer chucked downfield).
2012: Ohio State scores on a 68-yard punt return; has 236 total yard of offense to the Badgers' 360. OSU wins in OT.
2013: in this one Wisconsin's comeback bid came up short, but...OSU threw for three touchdowns of over 25 yards or more (25, 26, 40). OSU by 7.
2016: down 23-20 in the waning minutes of the 4th quarter, Barrett completes a 43-yard pass to put OSU in field goal range. OSU wins in OT.
2017 BTCG: OSU scores on 57- and 84-yard touchdown passes, and a 77-yard run set up a third (1st down from the 1); a 53-yard run sets up a field goal. Ohio State's only sustained drive without a play of over 50 yards that resulted in points got the Buckeyes a field goal. And Wisconsin threw a pick (on first down) at the OSU 4. OSU wins by 6.

Nonetheless, the fake FG worked at a time when it was needed in that 2009 game. And yeah, there was the Gilreath return that started that 2010 win--the last one.

The 2011 and 2012 games were two of the dumbest games I’ve watched. I rewatched them a bit ago, and just wow. (2011 OSU and MSU also fits that discription. 
At some point I’ll rally together the overall ST numbers. They seem to be sort of noisy, but I guess that’s expected. 

[MarqHusker]

1993: Wisconsin is up 14-7 late in the fourth quarter--Ohio State's offense has done nothing. Then...Ohio State goes 99 yards on four passing plays to tie it, then blocks Wisconsin's 22-yard FG attempt in the waning seconds. Game ends in a 14-14 tie.

My memory of this game was that Barry botched some clock management during that final drive, which ultimately led to the blocked FGA.   I'd like to see that final drive sequence.

[MarqHusker]

Perhaps this belongs in the I hate it thread on XII, but why are people exiting a car wash while riding the brakes?  The extra two seconds near the drying vaccuum isn't worth it if I hit your car.

[Brutus Buckeye]

Nobody ever said BB ever had good special teams play. That day was evident of this.

Plenty of people said that when he outfoxed JoePa.

[MarqHusker]

1993: Wisconsin is up 14-7 late in the fourth quarter--Ohio State's offense has done nothing. Then...Ohio State goes 99 yards on four passing plays to tie it, then blocks Wisconsin's 22-yard FG attempt in the waning seconds. Game ends in a 14-14 tie.

My memory of this game was that Barry botched some clock management during that final drive, which ultimately led to the blocked FGA.   I'd like to see that final drive sequence.

The game is on YouTube thanks to the FSU guy who has done the grunt work.  I was right.   UW has 3 timeouts, and after a 3rd and 10 conversion by Brent Moss to inside 30 yard line, with 40 some seconds  Alvarez lets the clock run, they run the fullback to the 15 yd line and then use only 1 timeout with seven seconds.  32 yd fga is blocked from an outside gunner.  The walk on hockey player was hardly some lock from any distance.  I felt UW could've done better than that.  Ohio st. Also had 3 time outs.

[bayareabadger]

The game is on YouTube thanks to the FSU guy who has done the grunt work.  I was right.   UW has 3 timeouts, and after a 3rd and 10 conversion by Brent Moss to inside 30 yard line, with 40 some seconds  Alvarez lets the clock run, they run the fullback to the 15 yd line and then use only 1 timeout with seven seconds.  32 yd fga is blocked from an outside gunner.  The walk on hockey player was hardly some lock from any distance.  I felt UW could've done better than that.  Ohio st. Also had 3 time outs.

Not sure if it’s bad clock management or Barry being Barry. He was conservative even by coaching standards. 
The drive before was interesting, Galloway catches three of four passes. He’s matched up against a CB whose name I couldn’t quickly find and kills him twice. (The first pass looks like just a tight window shot) Granted, at least three of the passes are pretty perfect.  It sure what UW’s safeties got caught in on the TD. 

[FearlessF]

College football's 10 potential upsets in September

https://247sports.com/ContentGallery/College-footballs-10-potential-upsets-in-September-119862790/#119862790_1


5) NEBRASKA AT MICHIGAN, SEPT. 22

4) WISCONSIN AT IOWA, SEPT 22

2) TCU VS. OHIO STATE, SEPT. 15

[Hoss]

There is no way on earth that we are going into Ann Arbor with our shitty OL and a quarterback reeking of new-car-smell, and beating Michigan. 

[FearlessF]

agreed, wholeheartedly