Grading the 2013 Wisconsin Badgers

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The Wisconsin Badgers began the 2013 football season ranked 23rd in the AP Preseason polls. At the time I was disappointed in the ranking but could understand reason for doubting the team given the significant changes in coaching staff. Gary Andersen brought a lot of energy and a whole new posse of coaches with him and the team looked sharp, but not many knew what to expect. The result was a very solid season, capped off by a poor showing against Penn State on senior day and a disappointing ending to the Capitol One Bowl against South Carolina. The team finished with a 9-4 record and a 6-2 showing in the Big Ten. Kickers are kickers and punters are punters, but the best way to understand what went well and what didn’t for the team in 2013 is to take a look at each position on the offensive and defensive side of the ball.

Quarterback – C. After breaking his collar bone several games into the 2012 season, Joel Stave won the starting quarterback job in camp, beating out sixth-year senior Curt Phillips and transfer Tanner McEvoy. What the coaches most like about Stave is his throwing accuracy and ability to get the ball down field. With Jared Abbrederis returning as arguably the top wide receiver in the Big Ten, many thought it was wise to go with the best throwing QB of the bunch and give the offense its best opportunity to stretch the field. The result was a mediocre season for Stave. He made many great throws, but also missed A LOT. He finished with 22 passing TDs to 13 interceptions and threw for 2,494 yards. He was arguably a better player on the road, throwing just 4 interceptions in 6 road games, versus 9 in 7 games at home. The most glaring issue with Stave seems to be his inability to find the open man. As a young quarterback, this is somewhat understandable, but Stave became a bit predictable in games as he would often seem to lock on a single receiver (usually Abbrederis) before the start of a play and abandon any sense of progression as the play developed. He will most likely have a firm grasp on the starting job heading into 2014, but there is certainly room for improvement.

Melvin Gordon will return for his junior year.

Running Backs – A. The running game was yet again the bright spot for Wisconsin in 2013. The Badgers finished 8th in the country in rushing, combining for 3,689 yards. Melvin Gordon emerged as one of the best backs in the country, leading the team with 1,609 yards while reaching the end zone 12 times and ranking fourth in the country with an impressive 7.8 yards per carry. James White wasn’t far behind, totaling 1,444 yards and 13 scores. Gordon raised eyebrows as many thought he might enter the draft as a potential second or third round draft pick, but the sophomore announced after the regular season that he will return to Madison in 2014 for his junior season. The third shining star in the backfield in 2013 was youngster Corey Clement. The freshman ran for 547 yards on just 67 carries and reached the end zone 7 times. With Clement and Gordon returning in 2014, there’s no reason to expect anything less than another 3,000 rushing yards from the Badger backfield.

Receivers – B. Heading into 2013 the Badgers knew they had something special in senior Jared Abbrederis, the former walk on who had earned first team All-Big Ten honors as a junior. Senior tight end Jacob Pederson was also returning after winning the Big Ten’s Kwalick-Clark award as the league’s top tight end. Beyond these two however, questions remained unanswered heading into the season opener as to who would answer the bill as the team’s number two wide receiver. The questions never really got answered, as no wide receiver outside of Abbrederis caught more than 12 passes. Abby hauled in an impressive 78 catches for 1,081 and 7 touchdowns while Pedersen snagged 39 balls for 551 yards and 3 scores. James White was also incredibly reliable out of the backfield, catching 39 passes for 300 yards and 2 scores. “Old Reliable,” Jeff Duckworth was next on the team with 12 catches for 176 yards and 2 touchdowns. The team will look heavily to youngsters Jordan Fredrick and Alex Erickson in 2014 to step up and carry the load as a receiving corps. Melvin Gordon will also need to play a bigger role out of the backfield than he did in 2013, catching just one pass for 10 yards.

Offensive Line – B. After losing starting center Travis Frederick to the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the NFL Draft, the Badgers offensive line needed some returners to step up. They did fairly well, once again blocking for one of the best rushing attacks in the country and keeping quarterback Joel Stave on his feet. The team ranked 17th nationally with 16 sacks allowed, an average of just 1.2 per game but loses left guard Ryan Groy to graduation. This is a hole that has to be filled, but the unit remains young and full of potential heading into 2014.

Defensive Line – B. With new defensive coordinator Dave Aranda came a new 3-4 scheme that worked surprisingly well for the Badger Defense in 2013. As a unit, Wisconsin ranked 15th in total defense, 6th in scoring defense, and 5th in rushing defense throughout the campaign. The one glaring statistic that keeps this unit from an “A” rating is the disappointingly low sack total. The team totaled just 26 sacks on the season, with 4 of those coming from backup nose tackle Warren Herring. Beau Allen has garnered attention leading into the NFL draft and Pat Muldoon and Tyler Dippel did well managing the ends. Look for the defense to remain consistent in 2014 but look to create more pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

This will always be my favorite Chris Borland picture.

Linebackers – A. Moving to a 3-4 scheme as a defense meant shifting Brenden Kelly from his defensive end position to and outside linebacker spot. This freed up middle linebacker Chris Borland to be more aggressive in attacking the ball carrier. Borland had his best season yet, recording 112 tackles and earning consensus first team All-Big Ten honors. Ethan Armstrong and Conor O’Neill were third and fourth on the team with 51 and 41 tackles, respectively and were a big reason for the team’s success against the run. The unit needs to find a way to replace Borland in 2014, but I believe the 3-4 scheme will continue to promote future success.

Secondary – B. After losing both starting corners and a safety to graduation heading into 2013, the Badger defense faced a lot of question marks in the secondary. The unit was good, however, ranking 17th nationally against the pass, allowing 202 yards per game. Senior Dez Southward returned and provided consistency for the group, totaling 40 tackles and nabbing one interception. The bright spot here was true freshman Sojourn Shelton. Shelton made his share of mistakes, as should be assumed from an 18 year old, but also pulled down 4 interceptions and primarily manned opposing team’s top wideout. Shelton receive praise from former Badger standouts Jamar Fletcher and Scott Starks for his confidence and competitive nature, but needs to sure up his coverage, as he was burned a few times too many throughout the course of the season. Michael Caputo was another bright spot, moving from linebacker to safety and looks to have a hold on the spot heading into 2014. Look for this young unit to grow and improve under Aranda.


Until next time, Beers, Brats, and Championships.

-Joseph Norton (@JoeP_Norton)

Follow us on Twitter (@WISportsBlog) for up to date news on the Packers, Brewers, Badgers, Bucks, and Golden Eagles. We feature live in-game commentary, breaking news, rumors, previews, and post game discussion. Follow the entire writing team on Twitter: @AndrewVrchota, @jheldred, @JoeP_Norton, @olewr7, @Stevie2Westside, and @10iskristin

Packers Mid-Season 7 Round Mock Draft

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Round 1 - Jace Amaro, TE, Texas Tech

This wouldn't have been my pick a few months ago. But, with the latest developments to Jermichael Finley's severe injury and questionable future as a football player not just on the Green Bay Packers, but in the National Footwritten, ague, this is a wise choice for Green Bay.

Jace Amaro (right), a junior at Texas Tech, was the highest ranked player out of high school to ever commit to the Red Raiders in team history. He's got a tall figure. A bit bulky, but has room to put on muscle. Runs great routes and has smooth maneuvers when going for extra yards. He breaks tackles with his motoring skills. All around, a great tight end prospect the Packers will be looking at on draft day.

Note: You'll find dirt on Jace Amaro from 2012. Jace and a teammate were arrested for reportedly making a purchase on a debit card without having the consent of the card holder to do so. From what I dug up, it was a teammates card. I don't think this is a red flag at all, considering other teams/players in the news in the recent years.

As far as injuries, in his sophomore year he was hit pretty hard in the midsection where he broke a rib and had his spleen punctured. He missed three weeks and was in the hospital on bed rest during that time. This past week he suffered an injury to his chest by Baylor safety Ahmad Dixon.

Coincidentally, Ahmad Dixon is my second round pick.

Round 2 - Ahmad Dixon, S, Baylor

Ahmad Dixon is a projected second/third round pick, but he may be the best strong safety prospect in next year's draft. I think as the season carries on, Dixon's stock will rise into possibly even a Top 32 prospect. Dixon has speed and youth. By youth, i nean room to mature and grow. He's extremely fast running down field, which helps prevent the deep ball game a lot of quarterbacks like to mix in every now and then. He also is very aware of running games and will get involved in those contact plays as well.

At Baylor, during his sophomore and junior years, he played the strong safety position. This year, though, he has been playing a "hybrid" safety/linebacker position. Dixon still runs a 4.5 40 and will be drafted as a safety. With the Packers' defensive backs not impressing, especially M.D. Jennings and Jerron McMillian, they need to draft a defensive back early this draft.

Dixon would probably be a Top 32 pick already had it not been for his arrest for a misdemeanor assault back in September. He allegedly attacked a man he believed had broken into his home. Not sure the exact story, but this wasn't at a bar or a nightclub where Dixon shouldn't have been. Not defending anything that happened, but it could have been a worse situation.

Round 3 - Michael Sam, DE/OLB, Missouri
 

Listed as a defensive end in college, he is much more projectable as a pass rushing outside linebacker. But, for what it's worth, I'll analyze both scenarios. First off, who is he and why such a high pick for someone you haven't heard of? As of the time this article was written, Michael Sam is tied with Vic Beasley for the most sacks this season with 10. He has a total of 16 tackles for losses, 1 forced fumble that he returned for a touchdown, and 24 solo tackles with 8 assisted.

As an outside linebacker, Sam would back up Clay Matthews and Nick Perry to provide a nice, well rested cycle of pass rushers that still has steam in the 4th quarter. Pass rush is still a part of the game the Packers need to improve on. There was a decline in pass rush after the Super Bowl season when we went from 47 sacks in 2010, to 29 sacks in 2011, then back up to 46 in 2012, and now through seven games the defense has 23 sacks. To keep things at consistent production, providing the depth necessary to continue to rush the quarterback is a great idea here.

As a defensive end, it seems we are at the tail end of the C.J. Wilson experience. We drafted Datone Jones in last year's draft and now this year if we take another defensive lineman it could mark the end of it. Wilson just isn't getting playing time over Raji, Daniels, Pickett, Jolly, and Jones. With the line aging overall, Sam can provide youth to replenish what we're losing to time.

He's majoring in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism.

Round 4 - Chris Borland, ILB, Wisconsin

A.J. Hawk isn't getting any younger. However, as of late, that hasn't really shown in his play. In the absence of Clay Matthews with his broken thumb, Hawk has really stepped it up for the Packers. Nonetheless, when Matthews was around, Hawk seemed to be lost at times. Adding depth at inside linebacker, just like outside, is a very good idea heading into May's draft.

The term "football player" gets thrown around a lot in evaluations. To me, no one personifies that better than Chris Borland of Wisconsin.
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) October 31, 2013

Chris Borland is not your typical linebacker. Not at 5'11". However, the intensity Borland brings to the field every game makes up for his size. Borland has a knack for being involved in every play, every tackle. The numbers he has put up since a true freshman at Wisconsin is astonishing. Going into this Saturday's game Borland has 362 career tackles, over 50 tackles for loss, 13 forced fumbles, 15 sacks, and 3 interceptions.

Borland's instincts, mental preparation, and passion outweigh his smaller stature. His involvement on every play makes him an elite linebacker that can prevent a run game, attack the quarterback, and cause turnovers. I would love to see the Packers start day three of the draft with Chris Borland, the hometown kid.

If I were to not to go with Borland just because he's a Badger, I'm still really high on Max Bullough, ILB, Michigan State from a month or so ago.

Round 5 - Logan Thomas, QB, Virginia Tech

Logan Thomas is getting Cam Newton comparisons, which is a big comparison to throw out there. In a draft full of quarterbacks going in the first round, Logan will likely slip under the radar while Bridgewater, Manziel and Mariota are in the spotlight. Oh yeah, and don't forget Hundley, Carr, Mettenberger, Boyd, McCarron, and Murray too. My point is that not every team needs a QB, so the likelihood of Thomas falling here is great.

If you watched the Virginia Tech/Miami game from this past week, you know the kind of impact player Thomas is. He's 6-6, 254 pounds and runs a 4.6 40. It's a good investment for the Packers to draft a back up quarterback, at least to put in development. I'm totally fine with either Tolzien or Flynn backing up Rodgers next year and then having Thomas on the practice squad. 

Round 6 - Dri Archer, RB/WR, Kent State 



Meet the fastest player in this draft class. Dri Archer may be only 5-8, 178 pounds, but he's a speed demon. He's been clocked at running a 40 yard dash at 4.37. The Packers need to address the kick returning hole the team as after Jeremy Ross was cut and Johnathan Franklin struggled. Archer is a perfect example of a Devin Hester type player. Strictly on the team to return punts and kick offs. But, also, available to be a deep threat for Aaron Rodgers. Nothing else to really say here. It's a smart pick for the sixth round.

Round 7 - Carrington Byndom, CB, Texas

With the injuries to Sam Shields and Casey Hayward and the decline in productivity in Tramon Williams this year as well as the mediocre play by Davon House, the Packers need to figure out things at the corner back position. Now, I will defend the corner backs a bit because of our lack of pass rush and all of our other issues on defense, but we give up big plays to wide receivers on the first plays of the game all the way to the last plays of game.

Byndom would be a great steal for the Packers in the seventh round here. He's a solid defender. He's very lean, which could haunt him against guys like Calvin Johnson and co., but his quickness and athleticism counter the size deficiency nicely. He has room to put on some weight, but at a 4.5 40 time, I'm not sure how much more bulk he'd want to put on. He's a standard six feet tall, so at least there's that.

CBS's Rob Rang wrote this little excerpt about Carrington...

Byndom's lean frame allowed him to be pushed around by some of the bigger, more physical receivers in the conference, but his agility and hand-eye coordination quickly established him as a cornerback to think twice about challenging.

--Rob Rang

As far as what Green Bay would be looking for in the undrafted free agent side of things, I would expect a good amount of offensive and defensive linemen signed. Also, probably a fullback, another tight end, and a few wide receivers and linebackers too.

I'll have another Mock Draft for the Packers after the Super Bowl in late January if not sooner. Until then, Go Pack Go!

Until next time, Beer, Brats, and Championships.

- Andrew Vrchota (@AndrewVrchota)

Follow us on Twitter (@WISportsBlog) for up to date news on the Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks, and Golden Eagles. We feature live, in-game commentary, breaking news, previews and post game discussions. Follow the entire Wisconsin Sports Blog writing team on Twitter: @AndrewVrchota, @jheldred, @JoeP_Norton, @olewr7, @Stevie2Westside, and @10iskristin.

Week 3 Recap Badgers v. Sun Devils

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Wow, where to start. The Badger’s 2013 schedule has a few potential bumps in the road and the trip to Arizona State was one of them. I don’t think anyone quite expected this debacle. The last 18 seconds of the

Gordon ran wild against the Sun Devils

game has been rehashed ad nauseam already so I won’t delve into it further. Hopefully this becomes a small asterisk on what will otherwise be a successful season for the Badgers. Like Gary Andersen smartly noted in his weekly press conference, you cannot allow the ending of the Arizona State game beat you twice, time to move on. Before previewing Purdue, a quick non-botched officiating review.

Once again Melvin Gordon was absolutely spectacular. Gordon was clearly the most dynamic player on offense against Arizona State. Currently he is second in rushing yards and third in rushing yards per attempt in the country. Most amazingly he has needed only 37 carries to amass 477 yards and 4 TDs . Pretty safe to say OC Andy Ludwig needs to find more ways to get the ball into Gordon’s hands more.

Joel Stave and Andy Ludwig did not have their best day. Stave looked tentative and rattled early on and never quite settle down. However, he wasn't done any favors by the offensive play calling. Remember Stave is a true sophomore and was making only his ninth career start in an extremely hostile environment. They were backed up on the first two drives (first drive started on the 3, the second on the 8), a challenging situation for a young QB on the road. Yet both series saw only one run and two pass plays called putting all the pressure on Stave and not playing to the Badgers strength. Additionally it seemed most of the pass plays were deep drops with long developing routes, with very little of the play action setup the Badger offense has relied on so heavily in the past. Lastly, the inside running game bogged down even though the Arizona State defensive line was much smaller. For the most part the Badgers offensive line earns it’s keep by executing trap plays pulling from the backside of the formation to lead the running back through the designed hole. The undersized but quicker Sun Devil defenders were successful in shooting the gaps created by the pulling Badger lineman and disrupted the timing and bottled up the hole before it could even open. Ludwig was slow to adjust play scheme until late in the game. Most noteably on Melvin Gordon’s second touchdown run when they abandoned pulling any lineman and used a simple one step zone read straight ahead. Both Gordon and lead blocking back Derek Staus waltzed into the end zone untouched.

The Badgers secondary was picked on heavily to the tune of 352 passing yards. Certainly there is room for improvement here, but for the most part they were in good position and happened to get beat by good throws and solid catching from the Sun Devil receivers. I don't even mind the penalties. Playing physical in the secondary will result in an occasional penalty and I would much rather deal with a flag or two that sit back in a soft zone. Arizona State will have a lot of good passing days and ultimately the defense did enough to put the team in a position to win the game.

Honorable Mention Bucky – Chris Borland is awesome. If not for the referee’s botching the last 18 seconds everyone would be talking about this fake punt.

Looking Forward – Purdue

First a little history. The past two times these teams have played the Badgers have outscored the Boilermakers 100-31 and averaged 415 rushing yards per game. In 2011 the Badgers were coming off back to back Hail Mary losses and took out their frustrations on the Boilers. Last year Montee Ball ran for three touchdowns and moved ahead of Ron Dayne for first place on the Big Ten career TDs. Needless to say Purdue can’t feel terribly confident heading to Madison to face a Badger team looking to take out last week’s frustrations.

In my preseason preview I noted how Dave Aranda loved to bring pressure when he was the defensive coordinator at Utah State. Through three games this year the Badgers rank 116 in the country in sacks per game, not exactly what I expected. Purdue is a pass happy offense so the opportunity to turn up the blitz percentage will be there again this week. However I suspect Aranda is hesitant to leave his young secondary vulnerable with no safety help by bringing extra pass rushers, something to keep an eye on as the season progresses.

This game will also be telling in regard to how Gary Andersen handles his first hurdle as Badger head coach. Both in postgame comments and weekly press conference, Andersen has handled the end of the Arizona State game with class and dignity. But ultimately it comes down to how the team performs on Saturday. As long as the offense starts quickly and scores points early, this game is relatively low on the threat level. If Stave starts shaky and the run game sputters the Boilermakers could hang tough make the Badgers sweat this game out for four quarters. I think the Badgers come out in this game a little out of sync before finding their stride and running the game out of reach in the 4^th quarter.

Final Score: 35-10

Until next time, Beer, Brats, and Championships.

- Neal Olson (@olewr7)

Follow us on Twitter (@WISportsBlog) for up to date news on the Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks, and Golden Eagles. We feature live, in-game commentary, breaking news, previews and post game discussions. Follow the entire Wisconsin Sports Blog writing team on Twitter: @AndrewVrchota, @jheldred, @JoeP_Norton, @olewr7, @Stevie2Westside, @TABrown23, and @10iskristin.

2013 Wisconsin Badgers Football Preview

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It’s been eight long months since the last week Badger football game week. Thankfully the wait is over. Through the season I’ll be previewing/reviewing Badger games. To start things off, a full season preview is in order (and also because UMass is a 45 point underdog and doesn't warrant a full blown preview). The three time defending Big Ten Champions have plenty of talent to contend, but with a new coaching staff and a few question marks on both sides of the ball there is a lot left to learn about the 2013 Badger squad.

Offense Preview

Let’s start with what we know. The Badgers will run the football. A lot. They will also be extremely

White and Gordon look to continue running through defenses

successful at it. Led by James White and Melvin Gordon the Badgers have the best running back tandem in the conference and one of the top in the country, a quick review of the Big Ten Title game of last year will squash doubts of that. The offensive line will be slightly revamped needing to replace stalwarts Travis Frederick and Ricky Wagner, but at Wisconsin you don’t rebuild the offensive line, you reload. Another strength of this squad is at TE. Offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig declared there are 4 starting caliber tight ends on the roster in Jacob Pedersen, Brian Wozniak, Brock DeCicco and Sam Arneson. I expect all will be used in various formations and game situations. With all that talent, the tight ends will be counted on heavily in the passing game to take some pressure off of wide receiver Jared Abbrederis. No one should expect the offense to suddenly transform into the aerial assault of the Greatest Show on Turf. But an offense like the one in 2010 led by ultra-efficient Scott Tolzien when the Badgers averaged 200 yards passing and rushing per game is very possible.

And now for that which remains to be seen. The biggest unknown entering fall camp was who would emerge as the starting QB. Head coach Gary Andersen has been adamant the official starter will be known on the first offensive snap against UMass. Joel Stave and Curt Phillips have separated from Tanner McEvoy for now and were listed as co-starters on the depth chart released Monday. Whoever takes the first snap this Saturday, I expect both will see action and the first two games will effectively be used an extension of the fall camp competition. Wide receiver is another position where someone has to develop opposite Abbrederis. The receiving corps is mostly intact from last year with the addition of freshman Rob Wheelright and redshirt freshman Alex Ericson. Both Wheelright and Ericson have worked into the rotation along with Abbrederis, Jordan Fredrick and Kenzel Doe. As noted previously, the depth at tight end might limit the opportunities in multiple receiver formations unless someone provides a more consistent option. Also keep an eye on Tanner McEvoy. Surpassed in the QB battle, McEvoy athletic ability is intriguing enough to warrant considering as a receiver in the red zone or other situational packages.

Stars: RB - James White, RB - Melvin Gordon,  WR - Jared Abbrederis, TE - Jacob Pedersen

Players to Watch: RB - Corey Clement, WR - Alex Ericson, WR - Rob Wheelright

*Obligatory mention that although no offensive lineman were noted here, they are all stars and their efforts are not forgotten.

Defensive Preview

New defensive coordinator Dave Aranda loves to pressure opposing teams. In previous stops at Utah State and Hawaii he has lead defenses ranked near the top of NCAA in sacks and sack percentage. The switch in philosophy from 4-3 to 3-4 fits the Badgers personnel nicely. The defensive line anchored by Beau Allen will need to eat up space and blockers for the stable of outside pass rushers. Starting with Chris Borland, the Badgers have several linebackers capable of rushing the passer. But more importantly, Aranda’s defensive philosophy will allow for more aggressive, attacking defense. Expect a lot more plays like this one from Chris Borland last year against Nebraska.(actually you probably won’t see many like that – it was ridiculous). The front seven is deep, experienced and will be the strength of defense. 

In order for the blitz to be effective though, the secondary will need to adjust to more press man coverage and overall physical play. This could be a tall task for a group that will replace three of four starters from last season. The inexperience in the secondary could be partially negated simply through lack of opponent passing proficiency. Below are the 2013 Badger opponents and their offensive ranks in rushing and passing yards last year. Only Indiana ranked in the top 35 in the country in passing yards per game. The Badgers do not have a NFL passing caliber QB on the docket this year (sorry OSU fans Braxton Miller is not feared due to his arm). As inexperienced as the secondary may be entering the season, they may not be tested very often, especially if the blitz happy Aranda can terrorize quarterbacks as expected.

Stars: LB - Chris Borland, DL - Beau Allen, S - Dez Southward, LB - Chris Borland (worth two mentions)

Players to Watch: CB - Sojourn Shelton, CB - Peniel Jean, LB - Brendan Kelly, LB - Vince Biegel

Coaching Staff Preview

Gary Andersen has done an outstanding job so far in taking over the program. From blasting music

Gary Andersen with classic visor look

throughout practice to introducing the ‘big brother’ program matching upperclassmen with first year players, seemingly every decision has been a hit with players and fans. For me one of the biggest things was involving Tanner McEvoy at wide receiver after he fell behind in the quarterback race. Finding a spot on the field for the most talented players is something most coaches preach in theory but rarely practice. Andersen quickly won over players through his genuine demeanor, often calling players out of the blue to check in on their lives. At practice Andersen sometimes participates in drills(he was a center when he played) and organizes impromptu dance offs. "That stuff is fun for the kids," Andersen said. "I think it brings energy and excitement. You get out there for recruiting, if I am a player, I want to have fun playing football." Obviously his ultimate test will be results on the field during fall Saturdays, but signs point to continued football success for the Badgers under Andersen.

Season Preview and Predictions

2013 Schedule
8/31 UMass	W
9/7 Tennessee Tech	W
9/14 at Arizona State	W
9/21 Purdue	W
9/28 at Ohio State	L
10/5 OPEN DATE
10/12 Northwestern	W
10/19 at Illinois	W
10/26 OPEN DATE
11/2 at Iowa	L
11/9 BYU	W
11/16 Indiana	W
11/23 at Minnesota	W
11/30 Penn State	W

Gary Andersen and staff arrive in Madison amid unusual circumstances for the program. On one hand, the Badgers have been to three straight Rose Bowls, return 15 starters but are considered a distance second to Ohio State in the Leaders Division  Additionally, the 2013 schedule sets up nicely without a super challenging non-conference slate while avoiding Michigan, Michigan St. and Nebraska within the conference. Expectations are high in Madison and anything less than a 9-3 record will be and should be considered a disappointment. The season effectively boils down to the September 28 showdown against Ohio State in Columbus. If the Badgers can win that game they will be in the driver’s seat for the division and will end up in another BCS bowl game. However I see the Badgers bowing out to the Buckeyes and dropping one other unexpected game on the road, most likely at Iowa where they have traditionally struggled. Badgers also cannot overlook Arizona State. Opening with UMass and Tennessee Tech will not be much of a challenge, playing in Tempe at night will be the first test of the season. The verdict for this team is 10-2 and another New Year’s Day Bowl game.





Until next time, Beer, Brats, and Championships.

- Neal Olson (@olewr7)

Follow us on Twitter (@WISportsBlog) for up to date news on the Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks, and Golden Eagles. We feature live, in-game commentary, breaking news, previews and post game discussions. Follow the entire Wisconsin Sports Blog writing team on Twitter: @AndrewVrchota, @jheldred, @JoeP_Norton, @olewr7, @Stevie2Westside, @TABrown23, and @10iskristin.