Michigan at Bucky - 11:00 - Fox

[PintSizedBox10]

How on earth were we ranked to start the season

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Dramatically underestimated the weakness at qb

QB, OL, RB...

I honestly believe we have a solid group of receivers but it doesn't matter when the qb is under constant duress.

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[coolhandluke121]

Worst Badgers football team since? I’m 31 and can’t remember a worse team since I really paid attention.

I'm guessing they'll have the #1 strength of schedule after today, but I'm not sure. In any case, they've had some real duds in my lifetime, like 1997 and 2001 and some early Bielema years. Most of those teams wouldn't have even stayed in the game as long as the Badgers have against the good teams they've played this year, but they hardly ever played good teams so they'd still finish 8-5 or whatever and get a decent bowl game because of how many fans would travel.

If they're still this bad at the end of the year, I'm on board with firing Chryst, but they've averaged a #15 SRS in his tenure before this year and I don't think it's all that likely they'd find somebody better, though I won't discount Leonhard. Even last year, believe it or not they lost to good teams. Despite their previous reputations, NW and Indiana were really good teams in the variance of the wild covid year. Iowa was good too. They all had a top 15 SRS.

[coolhandluke121]

How on earth were we ranked to start the season

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Dramatically underestimated the weakness at qb

Yeah, he's not only not helping them, but actively hurting them. He's like the college version of Ryan Leaf's NFL career. But the OL absolutely stinks to high heaven too. People keep giving them credit based on previous reputation, but they haven't been good for a few years. IMO that's actually by far the most valid criticism of Chryst, but is there something going on with the recruiting base too?

[Mags FTW]

You don't want to completely deprive the starting seniors of their final year, but it's time to start cycling in some underclassmen for experience.

[tski1972]

Anyone want to venture a guess as to why Bob Bostad, who has been a very successful O-line coach at UW in the past, is coaching the linebackers?

[MickeyDavis]

Anyone want to venture a guess as to why Bob Bostad, who has been a very successful O-line coach at UW in the past, is coaching the linebackers?

Joe Rudolph is a Chryst guy and I guess he didn't want to bump him when Bostad came back. But Rudolph is also associate head coach and OC so he could easily give up OL coach.

Bostad:

Bostad coached tight ends in his first two seasons at Wisconsin, with three of his players at that position — Owen Daniels, Travis Beckum and Garrett Graham — also drafted by NFL teams. Beckum was a first-team All-American and finalist for the John Mackey Award in 2007 and set both UW’s single-season and career records for receptions and receiving yards by a tight end.

Four of Bostad’s offensive linemen earned first-team All-America recognition: Carimi and John Moffitt in 2010 and Peter Konz and Zeitler in 2011. As a senior, Carimi was a unanimous consensus All-American and winner of the 2010 Outland Trophy.

Amazingly, 11 different offensive linemen earned All-Big Ten honors during Bostad’s four-year run with that unit, including five first-team picks in Carimi, Moffitt, Konz, Zeitler and Josh Oglesby.


Wisconsin boasted the Big Ten’s most potent offense over Bostad’s final three seasons on staff, leading the league in scoring each year and posting the two highest scoring averages in school history during its conference championship seasons of 2011 (44.1 points per game) and 2010 (41.5).

The Badgers averaged at least 200.0 rushing yards per game in each of Bostad’s five seasons as run game coordinator, leading the Big Ten in rushing three times.

[midranger]

Zeitler was so good. That whole line was incredible, but he still stood out. Best OL since Thomas at UW imo.

And yes, Rudolph is a problem, and Bostad should be moved back to OL.

[paulpressey25]

Worst Badgers football team since? I’m 31 and can’t remember a worse team since I really paid attention.

Was at the game for the Barry Alvarez day. Was good to see he and Donna Shalala looking good. Not coincidentally Barry was hired 31 years ago.

Was a travest-shammockery to see the Michigan fans flood into the student section with most of the fourth quarter left. And frankly way too many Michigan fans there period. The many gold shirts reminded me Laker fans at the BC circa 2005.

I left Camp Randall feeling like with Barry gone, the dark ages are going to re-emerge. That team’s offensive talent base is the worst I’ve seen since the Tony Lowery/Lionel Crawford days of my student time there.

[midranger]

Worst Badgers football team since? I’m 31 and can’t remember a worse team since I really paid attention.

Was at the game for the Barry Alvarez day. Was good to see he and Donna Shalala looking good. Not coincidentally Barry was hired 31 years ago.

Was a travest-shammockery to see the Michigan fans flood into the student section with most of the fourth quarter left. And frankly way too many Michigan fans there period. The many gold shirts reminded me Laker fans at the BC circa 2005.

I left Camp Randall feeling like with Barry gone, the dark ages are going to re-emerge. That team’s offensive talent base is the worst I’ve seen since the Tony Lowery/Lionel Crawford days of my student time there.

The recruiting would suggest otherwise, but the onfield performance supports it.

This is likely to be the worst team of nearly the last three decades (since Barry chased off all the suck initially).

[midranger]

Chryst + Gard, employed by UW in 2023; o/u of 1. What you got?

[jakecronus8]

It’s hard for me to make many iron clad judgments on offense other than this is maybe the worst offensive line in 30 years or so.

While Mertz has looked terrible, i can’t pile on the guy when he’s already being piled on from the literal moment he’s receiving the snap.

Can someone go back and check something? I’m wondering if he ended up getting hit on literally every single drop back. Legit felt like it.

Defensively, I think there’s a lot there. Unfortunately they run out of gas from being on the field so often and the offense being so abysmal has to wreak havoc on their morale. They seem to start strong no matter what and eventually they just have nothing left

[DrWood]

Well, at least we learned that Wolf isn't the solution.

[HKPackFan]

I'm confused, wasn't this a really hyped up class the last couple of years? I remember two years ago hearing we were grabbing up a bunch of stud recruits.

Why has everything gone to ****.?

[midranger]

I'm confused, wasn't this a really hyped up class the last couple of years? I remember two years ago hearing we were grabbing up a bunch of stud recruits.

Why has everything gone to ****.?

We’ve had great recruiting (by stars) the past 3-4 years. Especially among OL players. I can’t imagine we can’t cobble together 5 guys who don’t get run over on every down. Either every player is a bust, or the coaching is an issue. I’m going with the latter.

Edit: we currently have 7 four-star and 1 five-star OL on the roster in addition to all the typical high three-star players we usually get.

[ReasonablySober]

I'm confused, wasn't this a really hyped up class the last couple of years? I remember two years ago hearing we were grabbing up a bunch of stud recruits.

Why has everything gone to ****.?

We’ve had great recruiting (by stars) the past 3-4 years. Especially among OL players. I can’t imagine we can’t cobble together 5 guys who don’t get run over on every down. Either every player is a bust, or the coaching is an issue. I’m going with the latter.

Edit: we currently have 7 four-star and 1 five-star OL on the roster in addition to all the typical high three-star players we usually get.

The center-left side of the line is three seniors who nobody would have considered big time recruits. RG and RT are big time guys but they're a sophomore and RS-freshman.

You have to hope Logan Brown steps in next season at LT and the highly touted guys make big steps.

[midranger]

Beach and Bruss were high three star guys, iirc. Not blue chippers, but we’ve lived off those types for decades.

Beach has yet to block anyone this year.

Lyles was a 4 star guy. Tippman too. The both look terrible this year.

[ReasonablySober]

Beach and Bruss were high three star guys, iirc. Not blue chippers, but we’ve lived off those types for decades.

Beach has yet to block anyone this year.

Lyles was a 4 star guy. Tippman too. The both look terrible this year.

Yea, I was just saying it in the context of the recruiting classes. It is beyond weird that three seniors that fit the typical Badger profile can't do a damn thing.

[midranger]

Beach and Bruss were high three star guys, iirc. Not blue chippers, but we’ve lived off those types for decades.

Beach has yet to block anyone this year.

Lyles was a 4 star guy. Tippman too. The both look terrible this year.

Yea, I was just saying it in the context of the recruiting classes. It is beyond weird that three seniors that fit the typical Badger profile can't do a damn thing.

So true.

[Kerb Hohl]

Worst Badgers football team since? I’m 31 and can’t remember a worse team since I really paid attention.

There are a few but things get distorted by schedule as CoolHand noted. This team with its front 7 and the fact that I think Mertz and the running game will be passable once we face bad teams should be good enough to get to 6 or 7 wins but there is now zero room for error.

I think 2008 might be worse than this team:

Dustin Scherer/Allan Evridge at QB. 11 TDs, 10 INTs combined and that was with getting a lot of crap competition to pad the stats.

Should've lost to Cal Poly. Went to OT and won on a missed PAT. Cal Poly had some chances I believe and should've won it earlier.

Lost 42-13 in the Champs Sports Bowl to Florida State.

Got pasted by the majority of other good teams they played.

A handful of times I have wondered, "wow, I know there have been some down years but I can't believe it hasn't turned upside down basically at all for UW football (for the most part)." For basketball, the year 4 years ago where basically the whole team was hurt and they were a young team anyways was as close it got there.

I think just projecting how good Mertz looked even on those 2 drives tells me that with the schedule letting up, this team should get to 7-5 or I guess 6-6, but if Mertz is out for an extended period, we could see the wheels fall off finally and a 4 win season. That said, it sounds somewhat promising for Mertz to play this week?

[Kerb Hohl]

Worst Badgers football team since? I’m 31 and can’t remember a worse team since I really paid attention.

Was at the game for the Barry Alvarez day. Was good to see he and Donna Shalala looking good. Not coincidentally Barry was hired 31 years ago.

Was a travest-shammockery to see the Michigan fans flood into the student section with most of the fourth quarter left. And frankly way too many Michigan fans there period. The many gold shirts reminded me Laker fans at the BC circa 2005.

I left Camp Randall feeling like with Barry gone, the dark ages are going to re-emerge. That team’s offensive talent base is the worst I’ve seen since the Tony Lowery/Lionel Crawford days of my student time there.

I've got some concerns about the offense and talent. I've stated them with Chryst.

With that said, take a minor step off the ledge.

People love being tricked with "worst start since" type of stats. We've never played remotely close to the opening schedule we have this year. There's a good chance that nearly half of our teams over the past 30 years would've started 1-3, and I am acknowledging being a "I'd replace Chryst" guy and that there are clearly major issues and that this is one of our worst teams.

This team should still be good enough to win 6 or 7 games. Now, I do have concern if we keep failing to develop QB/OL or just whiffing on recruiting guys (that have higher ratings!)...but I'm not sure we should call the tailspin to being a 4-win team going forward. If you shuffle around the schedules of a few other seasons over the past few decades, those other teams would've started 1-3 and then won ugly against Illinois, Purdue, etc.