Game Thread: Alabama vs Wisconsin

[El Duderino]

I'm probably one of the handful of fans that was somewhat encouraged after last night.

The line is worrisome this year, but Stave looks good under Chryst, defense will be fine as long as they aren't facing a high draft pick NFL RB.

Nothing last night dissuaded me from the 9-3/10-2 feeling with the easy schedule this year.

Is that what I hope for every year? (With an easy schedule)...No. But this team clearly isn't destined to be a playoff team. Maybe in a few years.

Not that this is a surprise, but what was so obvious to me was the talent difference between the two teams. Not having Gordon, the lack of an explosive playmaker on offense was glaring. On defense, Bama can simply recruit the type of talent on the front seven the Badgers can only dream of.

It was like watching the Packers play say Cleveland. Maybe the Browns could keep the game close for a quarter or two, but it would be clear that it was only a matter of when, not if the Packers would pull away and take control of the game to win by double digits.

[MartyConlonOnTheRun]

a little surprised at the lack of Wisco love after tonight.

Obviously the o-line needs some work, but 3 new starters against the top defensive front 7 in the nation, this was to be expected. I'm going to put my faith in that unit improving as the year goes on.

Losing Caputo was a killer on defense, which actually played pretty well, minus a bunch of big plays (which cost us the game).

You can see Chryst's influence on the offense / Stave, which was very positive.

I guess all I'm saying is we have a cupcake schedule, and if these guys can improve and gel, I see no reason we can't hang with OSU in the B10 championship. Going to be a fun year

You had me until hanging with Osu. We got killed last year and we got significantly worse this year while they got better. If we hang with OSU it's because they are allowing us to hang with them.

[Bernman]

You had me until hanging with Osu. We got killed last year and we got significantly worse this year while they got better. If we hang with OSU it's because they are allowing us to hang with them.

Not really. Wisconsin was pretty banged up for this game going in and that compounded during. They are more of a development program who should improve throughout the year under a non moron coach unlike Gary Anderson. Chryst also won't coach the game with a foot and a half out the door while a lot of the players know it and quit on him as a result. I can definitely see hanging with OSU, but them keeping us at an arm's length throughout most of the game. For whatever that's worth.

[El Duderino]

I see OSU becoming the Alabama of the Big Ten/midwest.

It's that mix of an elite coach with the elite talent he can recruit. Gonna be hard for Wisconsin to compete in any non-home games vs OSU given they'll be be facing a team with a better coach and vastly superior talent.

In the past Wisconsin has often been able to hang with OSU in games even though they could recruit better talent, but now the Buckeyes also have a top 5 head coach to go with that high end talent.

It's good for the conference to have a coach like Meyer and the teams he'll build which should be able to compete with any team in the country, but with the overall weakness of the Big Ten compared to the SEC and Pac 12, he's in a prime spot to be in the playoff most years he's at OSU. Thankfully we aren't in the East.

[Bernman]

There's a big difference between hanging around and truly competing. We used to truly compete with and sometimes beat OSU. Hanging around is what we did for a half-plus with the actual Bama, before the wheels came off completely due to the totality of the injuries and the greenness catching up with us. Later on in the season the talent will be ramped up somewhat from being healthier and the experience will help reduce the significant talent gap that still exists. Instead of games like beating OSU at home, losing to them in OT, and having a final drive to tie with them at their house. We'll end up losing 38 to 20-something or the like, but never truly being in the game the final quarter. Like I said, whatever that's worth.

Go back to 2012. There was a major difference between game one at Oregon State, game 4 at Nebraska, and then the final games vs. Nebraska and Stanford. We should have beaten Nebraska on the road, then we blasted them in historic fashion on a neutral, and probably would have beaten Stanford if we had our starting QB. There should be a progression relative to other teams to give us another 7-1/6-2 vs. the west, be competitive in the B1G championship if that qualifies us, and then maybe win against a team we're not projected to in the bowl game.

[Turk Nowitzki]

OSU is unreal good. I can't believe anyone thinks we would have a chance against them.

[Bernman]

OSU is unreal good. I can't believe anyone thinks we would have a chance against them.

You're putting words in other people's mouth to make them sound unreasonable.

[Turk Nowitzki]

OSU is unreal good. I can't believe anyone thinks we would have a chance against them.

You're putting words in other people's mouth to make them sound unreasonable.

I don't see how. It probably wasn't you but someone said they "could see us hanging with OSU". To me that implies the thought of having a legitimate chance to win the game.

[Bernman]

I don't see how. It probably wasn't you but someone said they "could see us hanging with OSU". To me that implies the thought of having a legitimate chance to win the game.

Hanging with implies just not getting blown out. Nothing about it suggests we ultimately would or could beat them. Just that it wouldn't be nearly like last year's embarrassing showing because different circumstances.

[Turk Nowitzki]

I don't see how. It probably wasn't you but someone said they "could see us hanging with OSU". To me that implies the thought of having a legitimate chance to win the game.

Hanging with implies just not getting blown out.

You and I have different definitions of the term "hanging with" then, so that's probably the issue.

[Bernman]

You and I have different definitions of the term "hanging with" then, so that's probably the issue.

If he thought that, he probably would have come out and said it. He deserves the benefit of the doubt until then.

[Profound23]

It's like fans of other NFCN teams thinking they can hang with the Packers. Maybe even worse, because if we lose our starting QB they may have a chance. If OSU loses their starting QB, WI still can't beat them.

[Bernman]

Hanging with suggests absolutely nothing about realistically, possibly leading at the end of the game.

Detroit did hang with GB for example in the final game, in spite of losing by 10 in the end. That's an example of hanging with. And it doesn't even need to be that close.

Hang in there.

[Mags FTW]

Well no matter how you define it, Tech is "hanging with" OSU.