University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Wisconsin vs. Alabama
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Exemplifying a legacy, his own way By Jake Powers The daily cardinal
Corey Clement’s relationship with time is a funny thing. Recruited out of Glassboro, N.J., the nowjunior running back didn’t commit to Wisconsin until November of his senior year in high school. Once he sorted through offers from 15 schools and arrived in Madison in 2013, Clement found himself sealed at the bottom of a log jammed depth chart. Operating in the shadows of James White and Melvin Gordon, Clement has shown sparks of the back he can become in his limited time on the field. Now, after two long years of biding his time on the sidelines, it’s Clement’s show in the Wisconsin backfield, and it’s like someone has hit the fast forward button on a remote. “It’s starting to feel very real, it’s creeping up on us very fast,” Clement said at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago. “It was just spring time, it was just winter. Time is really
creeping up on us, you know Sept. 5 is going to be here for us before we know it… time is really against us, I would say.” Clement’s perception of time speeding up is in sharp contrast with his plodding rise to the starting running back position for the Badgers. And that’s why it’s not a stretch to believe he is poised to join the fraternity of successful backs in what has been dubbed “Running Back U.” Clement knew coming out of high school that he wouldn’t walk into a starting role at Wisconsin, but he was still eager to find the field as a freshman. Those expectations were quickly tapered when he caught sight of how White and Gordon practiced. “It was 110 miles an hour, it’s ridiculous,” Clement said. “As a freshman I had to keep up with that. And I was like, ‘maybe I’m not really fit for this game right now. Maybe I’ve just got to chill out and reset my mind and actually go out
there and say ‘I’m going to compete no matter what.’” While it was frustrating waiting behind two backs who clearly possessed next-level talent, Clement learned to draw positives from his less-than-ideal slot on the depth chart. That learning process involved closely watching the idiosyncrasies which made White and Gordon two of the best backs in the nation. White’s work ethic in practice and Gordon’s 3 a.m. workouts resonated with Clement and opened his eyes in a way that couldn’t have been taught through coaching. With the exception of the witching hour workouts — Clement prefers to hit the practice facility a few hours later — he mirrors Gordon’s preparation habits. “There’s a lot that goes into it, there’s a lot that Melvin did behind the scenes that nobody saw, but I saw because I was next to him,” Clement said. “He performed the way he did because of what he did when nobody
thought he was doing it.” Clement put on 3 pounds in the offseason and “can’t shed it for nothing,” but his gains extend beyond bicep girth and bench press reps. He’s now the face of the Wisconsin football program and, as such, has had to learn the intricacies of handling the media, embracing the growth of his teammates and catalyzing a frustratingly inconsistent offense, all while honing his arsenal of talent that put him in that spot in the first place. The transition thus far has been smooth, in part because he’s long foreseen himself in this position, starting when he caught word that the athletic department locked up a series with Alabama. “I knew from the first day on campus, they had announced just previously before I got here that we were playing Alabama in 2015,” Clement said at fall camp. “I couldn’t worry about that yet. I was like ‘damn, that’s my junior year, I feel like I should be the man
that year,’ and it’s here. Very surreal and I’m happy to be in the position I pictured.” As Wisconsin’s date with the Crimson Tide drawing near, the fact remains that following in the footsteps of some of the greatest running backs in program history has been taxing. While Clement handled himself with elegant composure, it was clear when asked repeatedly to draw comparisons between himself and the Wisconsin running backs of old at Big Ten Media Days that such parallels have grown stale. Clement doesn’t want to be defined as the replacement for a Wisconsin football legend; he wants to make his own mark. “My coaches are allowing for me to excel at and perfect my craft and there’s a lot of things I can do on a daily basis,” Clement said. “[When] I’m not working out, I’m in the film room and I’m just trying to be the best I can be. I’m not going to be Melvin Gordon, I’m going to be Corey Clement.”
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”
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Kaitlyn Veto/Cardinal File Photo
Five things to watch By Matt Tragesser The Daily Cardinal
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Filling the running back void
Last season, the Badgers had the luxury of an exceptional running game. Led by Heisman runner-up Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin totaled 4,482 yards on the ground, which ranked third overall in the entire country. Now that Gordon has left
Madison, junior Corey Clement will be handed the keys to spearhead the rushing attack this season. So far in his two-year career, Clement has proven that he is more than capable of being an excellent back, rushing for 1,496 yards and 16 touchdowns. While it may be hard to replicate Gordon’s remarkable statistics, Clement is prepared for the starting role and should carry the Badger offense this season.
2
Third coming of Paul Chryst
Despite being on their third head coach (plus a couple Barry Alvarez cameos) since 2012, Wisconsin believes it has finally found its long-term solution with new head coach Paul Chryst. Growing up in Madison, playing quarterback for the Badgers in the late ’80s, and serving as the offensive coordinator of the team
from 2006-’11, Chryst has deep ties with the city and university. Before landing back in Madison, Chryst was the head coach of the University of Pittsburgh for three seasons, but only accumulated a 19-19 overall record. This mediocre record has made fans wary of his coaching ability, but with a more talented roster and further experience with running a team, Chryst will look to rejuvenate his coaching career.
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Receivers making the jump
Almost any Badger fan can agree that last season’s receiving game was adequate at best. Without a receiver topping 1,000 yards and none scoring more than five touchdowns, the Badgers were forced to utilize their rushing attack more often. This season, the Badgers will look to balance their offense more with a consistent and reliable receiving game. Redshirt senior Alex Erickson will be the No. 1 receiver this season after leading the team with 772 receiving yards last year. However, the No. 2 receiver is not as clear. This summer redshirt senior Tanner McEvoy has taken many reps with the first-team offense, but junior Robert Wheelwright, despite being banged up, has also looked impressive and more experienced. Whether it be McEvoy or Wheelright, the wide receiver game must improve this season for the Badgers to have a more balanced offensive attack.
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Exploiting raw Bama roster
For the past half century, Alabama football has arguably been the most dominant powerhouse football program in the nation. Led by head coach Nick Saban, Alabama comes into the first week of the college football season ranked No. 3 in the country, but is simply not the same type of team
it has been in the past five years. Having lost prolific players such as Amari Cooper, T.J. Yeldon and Landon Collins, Alabama will look to younger, inexperienced players to take on many starting roles. At the same time, the Crimson Tide has had a very ambiguous quarterback situation this offseason. In fact, Alabama has had a five-way quarterback battle this summer and as of right now there is no clear starter. Recent reports have said that Jake Coker, Cooper Bateman and Alec Morris are taking most of the reps, but nonetheless, Alabama has no clear cut starter. The inexperience and uncertainty of many new starters could give the Badgers an edge in their season opener.
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Clash in the trenches
Simply put, the matchup between the Badger offensive line and the Alabama defensive line will be a crucial factor in the outcome of this game. Over the past few decades, Wisconsin has always had a suitable offensive line, but will need to be at their best come Saturday, as Alabama’s defensive line is arguably the best front in the entire nation. Wisconsin brings back redshirt senior Tyler Marz and redshirt junior Dan Voltz on the line, but the rest of the line remains a mystery due to injuries, inexperience and inconsistent play. The Crimson Tide will look to exploit this weakness, as they return nine of 10 defensive linemen from last season. Linemen A’Shawn Robinson, Jarran Reed, and Jonathan Allen are all potential NFL first-round picks this year and are simply a strong force once again. Last season, the Tide defense was a top-five unit against the run, and this can be attributed to their defensive line. If the Badger offensive line cannot win the matchup against the Bama defensive front and cannot get a passing game going, it could be a long day for Wisconsin.
gameday Crimson Tide poised to return to Playoff dailycardinal.com
Wisconsin vs. Alabama
By Andrew Tucker the daily cardinal
In the 2014 season, Alabama was one of the four best teams in the country. They made the inaugural College Football Playoff, and lost to the team that would go on to be the National Champion. Even so, last year’s Alabama team was one of the least successful Crimson Tide squads of the last decade. Alabama lost a significant amount of talent from last year, with seven players drafted into the NFL, tying them for fourth-most lost by a school this season. That being said, they still have a collection of highly touted players behind last year’s starters that will fill in and cause havoc for the Badgers. On offense, Alabama returns one starter from last year, sophomore left tackle Cam Robinson. That doesn’t tell the full story
though, as their two running backs, junior Derrick Henry and senior Kenyan Drake, both got carries last year backing up T.J. Yeldon. Senior quarterback Jake Coker was in a battle to start last season with Blake Sims, so he is still a quality replacement behind center. Two seniors, center Ryan Kelly and tackle Dominick Jackson, will be slotted into starting offensive line roles, further adding to the experience among this year’s starters. In terms of scheme, the Crimson Tide will look similar to last year’s squad. The clash between head coach Nick Saban’s pro-style, runheavy offensive scheme and offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin’s West Coast spread creates an unparalleled multi-look system. The playcalling alternates between screen passes that stretch the field and formations that overload the line of
Betsy Osterberger/Cardinal File Photo
Darius Hillary and the rest of the Wisconsin defense will have their hands full with Alabama’s deep, unpredictable playbook.
scrimmage with tight ends and fullbacks. Last year’s team would favor whichever pole of their spectrum best took into account the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. For this reason, it would be safe to expect a run-heavy gameplan to capitalize on UW’s relative inexperience in the front seven. Defensively, Bama returns six of their front seven, as well as two of their four defensive backs. The returns to the front seven will be the key for the Crimson Tide all season due to their reputation as a run-stopping defense that stifles the traditionally run-heavy SEC. In a matchup with Wisconsin, their run-stopping ability will be equally important due to UW’s fondness for running the ball, as well as their inexperienced offensive line that might have growing pains in the first few games of the season. The Tide also brings back both junior kicker Adam Griffith and sophomore punter J.K. Scott, which seems insignificant at first glance without knowing that Scott was a freshman All-American last year, and will help Alabama win the field position battle. The Crimson Tide match up incredibly well against the strengths and weaknesses of the Badgers, and it would take an otherwordly performance for Wisconsin to come out on top.
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Gameday is a publication of The Daily Cardinal. Any additional copies can be picked up at the Cardinal offices, 2142 Vilas Communication Hall. The Cardinal is a nonprofit organization run by its staff members and elected editors. It receives no funds from the university. Operating revenue is generated from advertising and subscription sales. The Daily Cardinal thanks Hometown News Group for their generous contribution in the production of Gameday. Its members help in sales, printing and publishing of each Gameday issue. The Cardinal is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press and the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. All copy, photographs and graphics appearing in The Daily Cardinal are the sole property of the Cardinal and may not be reproduced without specific written permission of the editor-in-chief. © 2015, The Daily Cardinal Media Corporation ISSN 0011-5398
Rapid ‘preactions’ to Wisconsin’s showdown in Dallas Alabama shakes, breaks, falls to far superior Badgers By Bobby Ehrlich The Daily Cardinal
HOLY $%^&, THE #$%*#$% BADGERS WON. THIS DIDN’T ACTUALLY HAPPEN. UW BEAT BAMA. *chugs rest of Miller Lite* *slams on ground.* I can’t really even think right now because I’m so hammered from this all-day rager, but my editor said I have to write about the game, I guess because Wisconsin football beat another SEC team so suck it you NASCAR-loving hillbillies. Not only do we have these things up here called books that make us smart, we can also whoop you on the gridiron these days. So much for the SEC being the best football conference in the nation. You ain’t seen power football ’til you’ve played a Big Ten school! Going back to last year, the Big Ten was considered a weaker football conference, no match for the
big, bad SEC. Of course in bowl season, Ohio State would go on to win the National Championship after beating Bama, the SEC champion, in the semifinal game. Wisconsin drew Auburn, a middle-of-the-road SEC West squad and came out on top after a back and forth barnburner. Now, those meddling Badgers, who are too slow and unathletic to compete with the SEC, have yet again knocked off an opponent from football’s premier conference. The victory largely goes to the success of the offensive line, led by redshirt senior Tyler Marz and redshirt junior Dan Voltz. These two combined with redshirt sophomore Hayden Biegel, redshirt junior Walker Williams and redshirt freshman Michael Deiter to build a devastating front that created plenty of holes for Corey Clement. Once Clement got the space he needed, he ran all over the field, bruising the secondary one
run after another. Even though Clement was probably the MVP of the game, rushing for two scores and 150 yards, much can be said about Joel Stave’s play. He avoided throwing an interception into the talented Alabama secondary and took pressure off Clement with effective playaction passes. He may have had the biggest play of the game on his deep ball to junior Robert Wheelwright, which set up the go-ahead field goal. All in all, this was a huge and impressive win for the Badgers and bodes well for the rest of the season. If the offensive line can continue its strong play, despite the inexperience, Wisconsin could be in for a special year. Add successful passing from Stave and the possibility of a regular deep ball threat in Wheelwright and the Badgers may have a legitimate shot at running away with a conference title.
Betsy Osterberger/Cardinal File Photo
It might be time to party like its March Madness 2015. If Wisconsin shocks everyone, plays a perfect game on both sides of the ball and topples Alabama, Madison might just lose its mind.
Easing your elephant-sized woes By Jack Baer The Daily Cardinal
So… yeah. Wisconsin lost to Alabama. Probably in convincing fashion. As most in the college football world predicted. As it turned out, the new UW offensive line just wasn’t up to the level of its predecessors, especially when slammed by a Crimson tidal wave. Or the front seven didn’t have enough push to really disrupt Alabama’s new quarterback. Or Joel Stave did something bad, even though he looked excellent in fall camp. Maybe a combination of those reasons. Maybe something else entirely. Winning would have been amazing. It would have established Wisconsin as a nationally competitive team and a playoff contender. Instead, it seems clear that the three or four best teams in the Big Ten reside in the East Division. Pretty bleak. But now, the good news: Wisconsin’s schedule. As it turns out, the Alabama game was the football scheduling equivalent of eating your broccoli before the rest of a nice homemade dinner. The unpleasant part is over, it probably made you stronger longterm and now you get to dig into mom’s chewy mac and cheese. The Badgers will be favored to win every remaining game of their non-conference schedule by at least two touchdowns, and then they’ll be walking into quite possibly the easiest conference schedule in the Power 5. No Ohio State. No Michigan State. No Penn State. No Michigan.
And again, no Ohio State. The toughest opponents on Wisconsin’s remaining schedule at this moment are Nebraska, the team the Badgers have made a habit of gratuitously humiliating, and Minnesota, who the Badgers haven’t lost to since “Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” hit theaters. Wisconsin still figures to be a strong team, and a strong team finishes 9-3 at worst in the regular season with this schedule. Wisconsin lost to Alabama. Lots of team do that. Lots of good teams do that. If you say losing to the Crimson Tide is a season-ruiner for the Badgers, you probably had unrealistic expectations from the beginning. This team still has a lot to offer, especially when you consider that UW is coupling a Paul Chryst offense with a Dave Aranda defense, which is basically a dream scenario of past UW coordinators. So lighten up, and get ready to enjoy the season thanks to both a soft schedule and a promising new head coach leading a UW team that still holds an enviable amount of talent. The hard part is over.
What’s more frustrating: Bobby’s beer-driven overconfidence or the fact that Jack is the dark cloud conveniently settled directly above your prime spot at the lake? Let us know if you think you’ll pour one out with Bobby or go for an introspective walk with Jack come Saturday at sports@dailycardinal.com.
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Elliott, Chubb can end Heisman’s QB run By Lorin Cox
Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia
The Daily Cardinal
The college football season is upon us, and it’s never too early to start the Heisman watch. Every performance from all of the top players will be scrutinized from here on out by fans and media alike as they try to predict and later vote on who will win college football’s most prestigious award. Even without playing a down of football this fall, there are already some clear favorites. A lot of it comes down to projecting how these players will build off their previous seasons and who will be slightly more outstanding than the rest. As always, there is no shortage of talented players who should all be in the conversation when the trophy is handed out in December.
Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State
A running back hasn’t won the Heisman since Mark Ingram in 2009, but Elliott has a chance to change that. He might be the most dynamic runner in college football right now, and if his 2014 postseason was any indication, he should be in for a monster year. In those three final games last season, Elliott averaged over nine yards a carry as he racked up 689 of his 1,883 rushing yards. According to Pro Football Focus, 989 of those 1,883 yards came after contact. He gets every yard he can from every single run, and with his offensive line returning four starters, he is in a great position to take his game to the next level on one of the best teams in the nation.
Chubb began last season behind a Heisman candidate on the depth chart, and by the end of the year, he looked like a future contender himself. After Todd Gurley was suspended for four games, Chubb stepped into the starting role as a true freshman. Like Elliott, he also finished his season strong, averaging 8.32 yards per carry over his last six games. He may be a slight step below Elliott as a rusher, but Chubb offers a bit more as a receiver. He has soft hands out of the backfield, and is extremely hard to bring down in the open field. His team might not be quite as talented as Elliott’s Buckeyes, but Chubb is right up there with him as one of the top backs in the country.
Trevone Boykin, QB, TCU
Boykin finished fourth in the Heisman voting last year, and the three players that finished ahead of him are all rookies in the NFL now. That opens the door for him to be the sixthconsecutive quarterback to win the award. The last five have all been dual-threat quarterbacks, like Boykin. He doesn’t have pinpoint accuracy, but he can still make most throws. He amassed over 3,900 passing yards last season and added over 700 more with his legs, putting him behind only Marcus Mariota, the 2014 Heisman winner, for the most total yards in the nation. Boykin thrives in the electrifying TCU offense, and expectations for him are sky high in 2015.
J.T. Barrett, QB, Ohio State
It says a lot about Barrett that he’s considered a top candidate despite the fact that we don’t even know for sure if he will be the Buckeyes’ starter this season. That being said, he’s too dynamic of a player to not include him. Barrett’s campaign was limited to the regular season, as he took over for the injured Braxton Miller before suffering an injury of his own, but he still finished fourth among quarterbacks in rushing yards and fifth in yards per carry. Like Boykin, he is still developing as a passer, but that didn’t keep him from finding the endzone 34 times through the air last season. He finished fifth in the Heisman vote last year, and he has a good chance to crack into the top three at the very least.
Graphic by Cameron Graff
Cody Kessler, QB, USC
Kessler is nowhere near the explosive athlete that Barrett and Boykin are, but what he lacks in mobility, he more than makes up for with his arm. According to Pro Football Focus, he led all quarterbacks in the country with an 80.3 accuracy percentage on his throws. He has excellent touch on his deep balls, and is very poised in the pocket. He is at a disadvantage because Heisman voters have tended to favor the mobile quarterbacks, but there is no denying Kessler’s arm talent. If he can maintain his efficiency and build off his experience, he will almost certainly remain in the conversation.
Wil Gibb/Cardinal File Photo
Ezekiel Elliott could become the eighth Heisman winner in Ohio State history and first since QB Troy Smith in 2006.
Past five Heisman winners
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2014: Marcus Mariota QB, RS junior, Oregon Passing: 4,454 yards, 42 TDs 68.3 completion percent, 4 INTs Rushing: 770 yards, 15 TDs 2013: Jameis Winston QB, RS freshman, Florida State Passing: 4,057 yards, 40 TDs 66.9 completion percent, 10 INTs Rushing: 219 yards, 4 TDs 2012: Johnny Manziel QB, RS freshman, Texas A&M Passing: 3,706 yards, 26 TDs 68.0 completion percent, 9 INTs Rushing: 1,410 yards, 21 TDs 2011: Robert Griffin III QB, RS junior, Baylor Passing: 4,293 yards, 37 TDs 72.4 completion percent, 6 INTs Rushing: 699 yards, 10 TDs 2010: Cam Newton QB, RS junior, Auburn Passing: 2,854 yards, 30 TDs 66.1 completion percent, 7 INTs Rushing: 1,473 yards, 20 Tds
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Ohio State returns cast of champions Serving Badger Serving Badger Fans Fans Since Since 1984 1984 By Zach Rastall The daily CArdinal
Another year, another chance to argue which team is the best in the Big Ten. We polled 10 members of our staff and made the surprising discovery that it’s really not much of an argument nowadays.
1. Ohio State, 50 points
The defending national champions are the clear favorites to win the Big Ten and potentially make a return appearance to the College Football Playoff. Joey Bosa anchors the defense, J.T. Barrett and/or Cardale Jones leads the way under center, Ezekiel Elliott returns as a dominant run threat, former quarterback Braxton Miller moves to wide receiver and almost every key player is back from last year’s team. The Buckeyes have all the pieces in place to make a run at another national title, even if they lose to Virginia Tech in their season opener, a game they will play without the Bosa and three additional contributors, all serving suspensions. Head coach Urban Meyer has rebuilt Ohio State into a Big Ten powerhouse, further cementing its status as the program the conference loves to hate.
2. Michigan State, 40 points
Though the very thought of Michigan State asserting its gridiron dominance over Michigan would’ve seemed laughable and nearly impossible once upon a time, the Spartans’ superiority over the Wolverines has been evident throughout much of head coach Mark Dantonio’s tenure. There are a few questions on
defense due to the departure of long-time defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi and a season-ending injury suffered by linebacker Ed Davis during training camp. Still, the Spartans return seven starters each on both offense and defense, including quarterback Connor Cook, who’s expected to be one of the best signal callers in the country. Michigan State will pose the biggest threat to Ohio State in the East division, and all eyes will be on those two teams when they meet in Columbus in late November.
3. Wisconsin, 26 points
The prodigal son Paul Chryst has returned to Madison, giving Wisconsin fans hope that they’ve found a head coach that won’t take off and leave Barry Alvarez to coach in the TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl two years from now. Chryst will inherit a team that should be strong on defense, especially with defensive coordinator Dave Aranda returning despite Gary Andersen’s departure. Most of the questions for the Badgers come on offense, where Corey Clement replaces Melvin Gordon and the offensive line lacks in depth and experience. Joel Stave will also need to improve on his consistency, but the good news is Chryst has a stellar track record with quarterbacks and could help alleviate some of Stave’s issues. With a favorable conference schedule, Wisconsin is in prime position to capture a second consecutive Big Ten West title and earn a return trip to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis come December.
4. Penn State, 15 points
The Nittany Lions may be on the cusp of a breakthrough in 2015, though whether they can solve the issues that plagued them on offense last season will dictate just how high they can fly this year. The Penn State defense was stout in 2014 and shouldn’t regress much in 2015, but head coach James Franklin and his coaching staff desperately need to fix an offensive line that held about as well as a snowman in the Bahamas last season. The poor play of the inexperienced line was a major factor in quarterback Christian Hackenberg’s sophomore slump. If the line can provide Hackenberg with enough protection to allow him to flourish, a 10-win season is a real possibility for the Nittany Lions.
5. Michigan, 9 points
If Jesus Christ ever does in fact return to Earth, he’d probably love to receive the kind of reception that Jim Harbaugh has gotten since his return to Ann Arbor. Michigan shot for the moon in its coaching search and landed the top choice of just about every Wolverine fan to replace Brady Hoke. Harbaugh inherits a team that will return eight starters on offense and seven on defense from last year’s 5-7 squad. Among the new coach’s biggest concerns is finding a viable starter under center from a pool of what feels like 50 quarterbacks on the roster. Harbaugh won’t return Michigan to its former glory overnight, but you certainly expect to see the program take major strides as soon as this season.
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WEEK 1’s BIG GAMES Michigan at Utah 7:30 p.m. Thursday Salt Lake City, Utah Fox Sports 1 No. 2 TCU at Minnesota 8 p.m. Thursday Minneapolis, Minn. ESPN Washington at No. 23 Boise State 9:15 p.m. Friday Boise, Idaho ESPN Louisville vs. No. 6 Auburn 2:30 p.m. Saturday Atlanta, Ga. CBS No. 15 Arizona St. vs. Texas A&M 6 p.m. Saturday Houston, Texas ESPN Texas at No. 11 Notre Dame 6:30 p.m. Saturday South Bend, Ind. NBC No. 20 Wisconsin vs. No. 3 Alabama 7 p.m. Saturday Dallas, Texas ABC
Aevyrie Roessler/Cardinal file photo
Penn State’s Christian Hackenberg’s bounceback year could be a force to be reckoned with.
No. 1 Ohio State at Virginia Tech 7 p.m. Monday Blacksburg, Va. ESPN
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Race for the Playoff: by the numbers By Thomas Valtin-Erwin the daily cardinal
The Ohio State Buckeyes wrapped up last season with 13 straight wins and won the inaugural College Football Playoff. As the first ever unanimous No. 1 in the preseason AP poll, they don’t show any signs of slowing down. Everyone and their mother is predicting that they are a shoo-in for the Playoff this season as well. Prediction, though, is a fickle beast. It’s never easy to make substantiated predictions in sports, even with an abundance of statistics to back that prediction up. To make matters worse, the College Football Playoff provides us with a resounding dearth of statistics. We really don’t know what Playoff teams look like, simply because there have only been four of them. Here’s what we know, or at least what we think we know: Teams that make the Playoff have to win a lot of games and lose very few. Not a single team from last year’s Playoff had lost multiple games heading into the postseason. Those teams went a combined 49-3 in the regular season. Any team that wants to make the Playoff will need a pristine record. While a stellar win-loss record won’t guarantee a spot, the most obvious characteristic of Playoff teams is that they are really, really good. That might seem like it goes hand-in-hand with a good winning percentage, but that’s not always the case. ESPN pegs Boise State as having an 11.3 percent chance of going
undefeated (second only to the mighty Buckeyes, 31.2 percent), but would that put them in the Playoff? Likely not, as they currently have only the 35th-best Football Power Index, a measure of overall team efficiency in comparison to the rest of the nation, which isn’t Playoff material. Charted are the 50 teams with the highest FPI graphed against their projected winning percentage. Expect the four Playoff teams to be found somewhere in the top-right quadrant. Five teams stick out here: Ohio State, Baylor, TCU, Georgia and LSU. Much was made last year about whether Playoff teams should be required to win their conference to earn a spot. The Big 12’s lack of a championship game severely hurts the chances of Baylor and TCU, as there could be a tie atop the conference, which happened last year, and likely kept both teams out of the Playoff. The bar graph shows each of the same 50 teams’ chances of winning their conference. You can probably disregard Louisiana Tech and Cincinnati, as no Conference USA or American Athletic Conference team will make the Playoff this year. Boise State would really need to do something special as well. The top-five here are Ohio State, TCU, Baylor, Georgia, and Oregon. All signs point to Ohio State returning to the College Football Playoffs, but the other three spots remain shrouded in mystery. There’s a lot of football to be played between now and Jan. 11, and all there is to do is sit back and watch.
Football Power Index
Graphic by thomas valtin-Erwin through Tableau Public
Conference Winning Chances
Graphic by thomas valtin-Erwin through Tableau Public
Preseason Polls
Associated Press Top 25 1. Ohio State (61) 2. TCU 3. Alabama 4. Baylor 5. Michigan State 6. Auburn 7. Oregon 8. USC 9. Georgia 10. Florida State 11. Notre Dame 12. Clemson 13. UCLA 14. LSU 15. Arizona State 16. Georgia Tech 17. Ole Miss 18. Arkansas 19. Oklahoma 20. Wisconsin 21. Stanford 22. Arizona 23. Boise State 24. Missouri 25. Tennessee
USA Today Coaches Poll 1. Ohio State (62) 2. TCU (1) 3. Alabama (1) 4. Baylor 5. Oregon 6. Michigan State 7. Auburn 8. Florida State 9. Georgia 10. USC 11. Notre Dame 12. Clemson 13. LSU 14. UCLA 15. Ole Miss 16. Arizona State 17. Georgia Tech 18. Wisconsin 19. Oklahoma 20. Arkansas 21. Stanford 22. Arizona 23. Missouri 24. Boise State 25. Tennessee
gameday dailycardinal.com
Wisconsin vs. Alabama
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Vince Biegel is the unquestioned emotional leader of Wisconsin’s defense, but little to Badger fans’ knowledge, he also brings the intensity in the hockey rink.
Badger bio: Biegel never slows down By Bobby Ehrlich The Daily Cardinal
Outside linebacker Vince Biegel became one of the Badgers’ biggest defensive stars last season, making one impact play after another each weekend. He’s well known in Madison for his big hits, but before he was crushing opponents in the backfield, he was mowing them down on the other side of the ball. The 6-foot, 4-inch Wisconsin Rapids native played running back up until his freshman year of high school, when he began focusing on his defensive ability. Although he claims he scored quite a few touchdowns at the position, he did say he does not miss running back.
“I like getting after it, tackling guys and being the aggressor a little more than being the receiver,” Biegel said. His excellent instincts on the field may have to do with the fact that football has been a part of his life for as long as he can remember. He grew up in a football family: His grandfather played football at BYU and his dad was a high school coach at Wisconsin Rapids and later at BYU. Hayden Biegel, his younger brother who is a redshirt sophomore for the Badgers and has a shot at starting on the offensive line this year, used to throw on football helmets with Vince and their dad in the backyard before they began any organized football. Now playing together at UW,
Vince Biegel’s favorite... Madison restaurant: Wando’s Hobby: Hunting whitetail in Iowa Pregame playlist: Mellow tunes, NOT rap
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Vince highlighted the importance of this experience with his younger brother, saying, “that is what it’s all about. For Hayden to come to the university with me has been by far the biggest blessing,” Vince said. “He’s a great competitor, he’s on the offense, I’m on the defense, so we’re always knocking heads together. It’s a special thing to have when you have a guy who knows your background, knows who you are as a person and always has your back.” While Biegel looks to compile another strong season for the Badgers, his athletic drive doesn’t stop once he leaves the football field. In fact, sometimes he takes it to the ice. The menacing linebacker is a true Wisconsinite
who started playing hockey at six years old, before he began playing football. He is not a diehard fan of any NHL team but is rather torn between the Minnesota Wild and the Chicago Blackhawks, a dilemma countless UW students can relate to. “I love playing hockey and I still will to this day strap on some skates for some recreational time and to see if I still got it,” Biegel said. And Biegel won’t stop there. This summer, Nigel Hayes, star forward for the Men’s basketball team, said that the basketball team could beat any other UW athletic team in any sport. Biegel’s response to Hayes’ assertion was that he “wouldn’t throw bulletin board material” but he was willing
to take on the challenge. “I’ll just say that there are sports we can definitely beat them at, one being obviously here, and I’d also like to challenge them in the hockey arena. We got some guys that can definitely play hockey here with Eric Steffes, and Derek Strauss is another one,” Biegel said. And his role in the game? “If need be, I’ll strap on the goalie pads. If they wanted to go a little five-on-five hockey, I would definitely pick the Badger football team.” Madison students may be waiting anxiously for that hockey game, but in the meantime they can get excited about watching Biegel fly into the backfield.
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Stave, Joel McEvoy, Tanner Hillary, Darius Clement, Corey Gillins, D.J. Caputo, Michael Shelton, Sojourn Fredrick, Jordan Booker, Titus Gaglianone, Rafael Reynard, T.J. Peavy, Jazz Hornibrook, Alex Jamerson, Natrell Bondoc, Evan Houston, Bart Dixon, D’Cota Armstrong, Thad Wheelright, Robert Love, Reggie Musso, Leo Ramesh, Austin Farrar, Arrington Saari, Mark Kinlaw, Caleb Ogunbowale, Dare Brookins, Keelon Damrow, John Finco, Ricky Tindal, Derrick Straus, Derek Strong, Elijah Shaw, Bradrick Deal, Taiwan Praschak, Max Floyd, Terrance Whalen, Jake Trezy, Serge Figaro, Lubern Jacobs, Leon Stengel, Noah Watt, Derek Obasih, Chikwe
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Laufenberg, Troy Ferguson, Joe Endicott, Andrew Verstegen, Bret Rosowski, P. J. Hintze, Zach Hayes, Jesse Houden, Henry Watt, T. J. Roy, Peter Connelly, Ryan Steffes, Eric Thomas, Nick Traylor, Austin Herl, Mitchell Biegel, Vince Cichy, Jack Penniston, Kyle Orr, Chris Ingold, Alec Maxwell, Jacob Pfaff, David Edwards, T. J. DeForest, Ty Dooley, Garret Baun, Zach James, Alec
RB S K S P K OLB WR OLB WR ILB TE ILB TE TE OLB OLB TE ILB ILB OL DE ILB ILB OLB OLB DE
5-10 6-1 5-9 5-11 6-3 6-0 6-3 6-4 6-5 6-0 6-3 6-5 6-2 6-4 6-4 6-4 6-2 6-4 6-0 6-2 6-6 6-2 6-1 6-0 6-3 6-3 6-3
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Panos, George Schobert, Joe Johnson, Tyler Udelhoven, Connor Marz, Tyler Williams, Walker Dieter, Michael Connors, Brett Ramczyk, Ryan Sagapulo, Olive Benzschawel, Beau Thomas, Kelly Dietzen, Jon Moorman, David McNamara, Aidan Voltz, Dan Ball, Ray Estes, Kevin Biegel, Hayden Roberge, Gunnar Kapoi, Micah Schmidt, Logan Dretzka, Ian Erdmann, Jason Hemer, Ben Fumagalli, Troy Jordan, A.J. James, Andrew Sanders, Krenwick Erickson, Alex Rushing, George Edwards, David Meyer, Drew Neuville, Zander Patterson, Jeremy Keefer, Jake Sheehy, Conor Goldberg, Arthur Allen, Connor Hirschfeld, Billy Russell, Jack Ruzek, Andrew Howe, Kraig
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