College Football Discussion - CFP Set

[ReasonablySober]

The unfortunate scheduling the Badgers did from 2015-2020 (that set up games for 2021-2026) for this era now looks a little less bad. Indiana and the SEC are still the smartest guys in the room until forced otherwise.

Unfortunate scheduling?

Wisconsin's success correlates with beating the **** out of teams with generally inferior talent pipelines/development.

I have no control over the program, but I'd pay actual money to dodge the Alabama game this year and probably the Notre Dame games.

Sure, it's fun as hell when we do it - but it's few and far between and generally it's depressing to watch, especially now that being the premier developmental program is not really possible anymore.

Play good teams on the big stages. I love that they schedule Alabama, LSU, and Notre Dame. If you can't beat those teams then who gives a **** about the other ten games or so.

[Kerb Hohl]

Unfortunate scheduling?

Wisconsin's success correlates with beating the **** out of teams with generally inferior talent pipelines/development.

I have no control over the program, but I'd pay actual money to dodge the Alabama game this year and probably the Notre Dame games.

Sure, it's fun as hell when we do it - but it's few and far between and generally it's depressing to watch, especially now that being the premier developmental program is not really possible anymore.

Play good teams on the big stages. I love that they schedule Alabama, LSU, and Notre Dame. If you can't beat those teams then who gives a **** about the other ten games or so.

I care...because I like watching a consistently relevant program even if it was in a fluky way. It's probably not possible anymore with the system overhaul - but if I could snap my fingers and go back to, "ugh, boring...Maryland, Nebraska, Northwestern, Minnesota in November...?" when we're sitting at 7-1 after stomping Purdue and crappy versions of Illinois and Michigan State, I'd take it.

We're never going to consistently beat these other teams. Set up a season where we only have to play 1-2 powerhouses + postseason? I could dream it happening. That was how the great seasons happened in the 2010s.

Playing 5+ talent powerhouses? We're going to be firing a lot of coaches.

[MVP2110]

I think both things are true. Playing Alabam, LSU, Notre Dame is fun. I think it also weakens your chance of making the playoffs which is why we've seen numerous coaches discuss scheduling lesser opponents. Ultimately a team gets judged on Ws and Ls and making the CFP moreso than who they play

[ReasonablySober]

Wisconsin's success correlates with beating the **** out of teams with generally inferior talent pipelines/development.

I have no control over the program, but I'd pay actual money to dodge the Alabama game this year and probably the Notre Dame games.

Sure, it's fun as hell when we do it - but it's few and far between and generally it's depressing to watch, especially now that being the premier developmental program is not really possible anymore.

Play good teams on the big stages. I love that they schedule Alabama, LSU, and Notre Dame. If you can't beat those teams then who gives a **** about the other ten games or so.

I care...because I like watching a consistently relevant program even if it was in a fluky way. It's probably not possible anymore with the system overhaul - but if I could snap my fingers and go back to, "ugh, boring...Maryland, Nebraska, Northwestern, Minnesota in November...?" when we're sitting at 7-1 after stomping Purdue and crappy versions of Illinois and Michigan State, I'd take it.

We're never going to consistently beat these other teams. Set up a season where we only have to play 1-2 powerhouses + postseason? I could dream it happening. That was how the great seasons happened in the 2010s.

Playing 5+ talent powerhouses? We're going to be firing a lot of coaches.

You've been a complete doom and gloom guy about this season because of the schedule. Not once have you had the thought of what it would be like if they actually beat Alabama, Oregon, Michigan, or Ohio State. Wisconsin's a top 15 program in the sport. They should be competing with those teams. I don't miss the days of beating up on the B1G West and getting blown out by 50 in the championship game.

[ReasonablySober]

Playing 'Bama early is an opportunity for credibility. Same with Michigan and Ohio State. If they get whooped then who gives a **** what they do against Maryland and Iowa?

[Kerb Hohl]

Play good teams on the big stages. I love that they schedule Alabama, LSU, and Notre Dame. If you can't beat those teams then who gives a **** about the other ten games or so.

I care...because I like watching a consistently relevant program even if it was in a fluky way. It's probably not possible anymore with the system overhaul - but if I could snap my fingers and go back to, "ugh, boring...Maryland, Nebraska, Northwestern, Minnesota in November...?" when we're sitting at 7-1 after stomping Purdue and crappy versions of Illinois and Michigan State, I'd take it.

We're never going to consistently beat these other teams. Set up a season where we only have to play 1-2 powerhouses + postseason? I could dream it happening. That was how the great seasons happened in the 2010s.

Playing 5+ talent powerhouses? We're going to be firing a lot of coaches.

You've been a complete doom and gloom guy about this season because of the schedule. Not once have you had the thought of what it would be like if they actually beat Alabama, Oregon, Michigan, or Ohio State. Wisconsin's a top 15 program in the sport. They should be competing with those teams. I don't miss the days of beating up on the B1G West and getting blown out by 50 in the championship game.

Wisconsin was a top 15 program in the sport because:
1. They got to beat the **** out of the Big Ten West
2. They recruited/developed 4 year guys and stashed depth of talent while other peers couldn't (this is no longer an edge)

There is absolutely no **** chance we'll compete with those teams. You said this 3-4 years ago when all of the rules changed.

The reason everybody still jerks off to the 2010 Ohio State game, which was a ton of fun (I was there) - is because it's the only win in the last 14 times we've played them since 2007.

Alabama? In modern history we've lost 77-27 in the 2 games against them.

We very well could win one of these games against the powerhouses and be completely irrelevant in November sitting at 4-4 with a fairly empty Camp Randall.

[ReasonablySober]

Dodging top 15 matchups and scheduling cupcakes is loser ****. The Badgers have a massive opportunity in front of them. If they blow it then they can bring in someone else.

[Kerb Hohl]

Indiana 2024 is probably what Wisconsin football realistically can aspire to be most years (but not as consistently) in the new era. They were well-coached, beat the piss out of 8 or 9 bad/very bad teams, had competent QB play, beat a powerhouse-ish team while they were in a very down year (Michigan). Seems like most years I remember of Wisconsin football in olden times.

Of course, they got pummeled by OSU and beaten handily by ND, even if they made the game look artificially close in the end.

Now imagine their regular season replaced 1 non-con creampuff with Alabama, and have a better version of Michigan as well as the existing OSU game and Northwestern/Maryland are instead Penn State/Oregon.

Given what we know of how they performed against the elites, it's safe to say they would have finished 8-4 or 9-3 at best with that schedule. If somehow they got picked for the playoff, they'd have to climb the mountain again.

[Kerb Hohl]

Dodging top 15 matchups and scheduling cupcakes is loser ****. The Badgers have a massive opportunity in front of them. If they blow it then they can bring in someone else.

They'll bring in somebody else that will still have the situation of being on par with all of the other middling schools like Indiana, Minnesota, Iowa NIL-wise and also residing in a state that churns out like ~5-10 D1 recruits each year, generally none of them skill players. We're even starting to lose the elite linemen to $$$.

How do you think they get to being even .500 against top 15 teams? Genuinely curious. There has never been a time that they've done this. The formula has been to beat inferior teams consistently, maybe topple a major program in down years, and once every decade take down an elite giant for fun. This was happening while the rules were more beneficial to Wisconsin remaining in that 2nd tier of teams.

[ReasonablySober]

Dodging top 15 matchups and scheduling cupcakes is loser ****. The Badgers have a massive opportunity in front of them. If they blow it then they can bring in someone else.

They'll bring in somebody else that will still have the situation of being on par with all of the other middling schools like Indiana, Minnesota, Iowa NIL-wise and also residing in state that churns out like ~5-10 D1 recruits each year.

How do you think they get to being even .500 against top 15 teams? Genuinely curious. There has never been a time that they've done this. The formula has been to beat inferior teams consistently, maybe topple a major program in down years, and once every decade take down an elite giant for fun. This was happening while the rules were more beneficial to Wisconsin remaining in that 2nd tier of teams.

Spending money on a good quarterback. If Billy Edwards is good, they'll have a shot.

[Kerb Hohl]

Dodging top 15 matchups and scheduling cupcakes is loser ****. The Badgers have a massive opportunity in front of them. If they blow it then they can bring in someone else.

They'll bring in somebody else that will still have the situation of being on par with all of the other middling schools like Indiana, Minnesota, Iowa NIL-wise and also residing in state that churns out like ~5-10 D1 recruits each year.

How do you think they get to being even .500 against top 15 teams? Genuinely curious. There has never been a time that they've done this. The formula has been to beat inferior teams consistently, maybe topple a major program in down years, and once every decade take down an elite giant for fun. This was happening while the rules were more beneficial to Wisconsin remaining in that 2nd tier of teams.

Spending money on a good quarterback. If Billy Edwards is good, they'll have a shot.

This may shock you, but the rest of the country has boatloads to spend on a good QB as well as better skill players to support for the elite teams.

We're a couple years into this NIL thing and the "top 15 program" has not been consistently attracting top 15 QBs with the bankroll. I think Edwards has a chance to be a sneaky good QB in the national landscape and I'd still expect us to go like 1-4 in the super tough games and be fighting for bowl eligibility into late November.

[MVP2110]

I agree its naive to think most years that Wisconsin could compete given the schedule they have this year. Even the 2017 version probably loses a few games this season, and that's before you realize that team was developed up in a way that is no longer currently available in modern college football, while developing players is still possible, money is now what's most important. And while Wisconsin has money to spend they will never be on the level of the Ohio St's and Oregon's of the world when it comes to money. Realistically I think Wisconsin is capable of making the CFP every few years when the schedule lines up favorably for them, but most years they will be an 8 or 9 win team that gets left out. And even if they found a coach who could somehow consistently get them to the CFP, that coach would likely get poached by a blue blood

[MVP2110]

As for this season specifically, Wisconsin comes in at #35 in the Sagarin ratings, which in theory would be a step up for them from the last few years. Until you realize they play 9 opponents rated better than #35, which therein lies the problem. Being the #35 team in the country could still lead to a 3-9 record.

[MVP2110]

Honest to god actual football today! Iowa vs K-State at 11:00, ESPN.

Honest to god actual football today! Iowa St vs K-State at 11:00, ESPN.

[ReasonablySober]

Second half has been awesome.

[ReasonablySober]

Was really hoping we’d get a chance to see Avery Johnson try and win it on a last minute drive. Alas,

[MickeyDavis]

Official week 1 games I'm looking forward to other than the Badgers:

Thursday
Boise State and South Florida. Could be interesting and a 4:30 start, good leadup to the Badgers

Friday
Georgia Tech at Colorado. Does Colorado have anything left?

Saturday
Texas at Ohio State. On paper the best matchup by far. A loss won't derail either one from the playoffs.
Alabama at Florida State - Good chance to see our game 2 opponent.
LSU at Clemson - One or both will have a bad season IMO. I think #4 is way too high for Clemson. We'll see.

Sunday
Notre Dame at Miami

Monday
TCU at North Carolina - Bill's debut

[ReasonablySober]

Was really hoping we’d get a chance to see Avery Johnson try and win it on a last minute drive. Alas,

Read on Twitter

As a proud member of the Fight Your Dad Club, I can respect this.

[ReasonablySober]

Last time we'll get Kirk's Watchgrid in this format. Next week it'll be in The Athletic.

[MickeyDavis]

I like those grids so I don't miss anything.