Will Buckeyes Again Make Bucky Badger Their B---- ? Baver Answers Colin's Questions

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Colin: For a team that constantly brags about how much depth and talent they have on offense, why does JT have to carry such a heavy workload against an underdog as Indiana?

Baver: I think it’s an Urban thing (as opposed to Warriner or Beck). It’s been this way since Urban arrived. And there have been a handful of post-games where Urban basically admitted that they ran the QB too much, and didn’t run the tailback enough. Seems like the common themes in these games are: (1) The game is in doubt or closer than it should be, and (2) Urban’s QB isn’t throwing the ball well. Those were certainly the themes against Indiana. But one would have thought they would have gotten Curtis Samuel involved more….it’s big mystery why they didn’t.

Colin: Along the same lines, Indiana used a lot of press coverage and disrespected our WRs ability to beat them one on one. Could this formula work again this week against the Badgers?

Baver: Yeah, I don’t think Wisconsin is going to respect Ohio State’s X and Y receivers…and there’s really no reason to right now. It seems like Noah Brown can’t stay healthy and doesn’t have the speed to beat a DB down field, maybe because of the injuries. The Buckeyes are going to have to have at least some success throwing downfield Saturday night, or they could be in trouble.

Colin: Still, our young D is looking surprisingly strong, how many points can Wisconsin expect to put up on the Bucks without fluky conditions or turnovers?

Baver: If weather plays little to no factor in the game, I would think the Buckeyes hold Wisconsin to 21 or less. Looking at the Vegas spread and over/under, the sportsbooks have the Badgers scoring about 17 pts….sounds ballpark to me. The emergence of Jerome Baker and Nick Bosa is starting to make this Buckeye defense downright scary, and Wisconsin’s offense is anything but scary.

Colin: Camp Randall at night is a bitch. As nice as the Sooners win was, this is a different beast. Especially considering the last time we met, the Bucks won the Big 10 title 59-0 despite entering as underdogs. AND..ESPN Game day is in Madison and all that hype. So on a scale of 1 -10, how tough of a road environment is Camp Randall?

Baver: I’d say 9 ½ outta 10. It’s right up there with Clemson Memorial Stadium and Tiger Stadium (LSU)….maybe a hair behind those two. In terms of the NFL, I’d say Camp Randall is on par with Lambeau Field and CenturyLink Field in Seattle. I don’t think this Buckeye team rattles easily, but if there is a place where that can happen….it’s Camp Randall.

Colin: So final thoughts on the game?

Baver: I’ve stopped doubting Urban period. When you dive into the matchup, i.e. OSU’s run game vs Wisc run D, vice versa, etc…..I think it’s easy to come away thinking this game is a toss-up. But I think 80% of the big plays Saturday night will be made by the scarlet and gray….just too much athleticism on the OSU side. And I don’t think many fans realize what a weapon Cameron Johnson has become, and how much “flipping the field” works in the Buckeye’s favor. I see Ohio State rising to the occasion….I like the Bucks 34-17.

Colin: What other games and lines will you be watching this weekend?

Baver: I’ve made a nice little comeback, hitting 5 of my last 6 to bring me to 9-10 on the season ATS, including hitting the last 3 Buckeye games. With the Madison weather forecast looking not-so-bad as of Thursday night, I think you take the Buckeyes and lay the 10 ½. I think Tennessee may fall apart this week after finally losing a close game…I like Bama laying the 12 ½ in Knoxville. And I like Texas Tech catching a point at home against West Virginia. I think Tech will have added motivation facing a 4-0 Mountaineer team.

Why Wisconsin Football Hasn't Earned Respect, Stub Hub Update and Game Preview

The reason why Wisconsin football hasn't earned respect

The past two decades the Wisconsin Badgers have been routinely rolling up double digit win totals behind an imposing offensive line and a stable of talented running backs. Still, Bucky Badger fan will bemoan the lack of respect given to the program compared to other midwestern programs such as Ohio State, Michigan and Notre Dame. The problem is that despite the gawdy win totals, can anybody recall a signature Badger victory over an out of conference foe in the past decade?? Hmm........

Or more to the point, for allegedly being a football "powerhouse", can you even recall a single non conference game of note played by the Badgers in the past decade? I'm not talking bowl games, but teams the Badgers have actually scheduled? 

Of course you can't. Because Wisconsin hasn't played a SINGLE #20 ranked football team out side the Big Ten in the past decade. This isn't a one year schedule blip. This is TEN SEASONS of the Badgers actively avoiding any team that could be a threat to them entering the Big Ten with a loss. 

Who Have the Badgers played non conference in the past 10 years anyway? 

UNLV (4 times!) N illinois (4) UMASS, Tenn Tech, ASU, N. Ill, N Iowa, Utep, Oregon State, South Dakota, San Jose St, Austin Peay, Wofford, Fresno St, Akron, Marshall, Citadel,WSU, Hawaii (2), Cal Poly, .........

I'm not going to keep typing out this list of losers with customers breathing down my neck,  but you get the idea. 

By comparison, how many ranked teams has Ohio State played in the past decade? 

#17 Washington, #2 Texas, #2 Texas, #1 USC, #3 USC, #12 Miami, #24 NC State (w/ Phillips Rivers at QB. Bucks escape in OT. I was at that game)

So here is the deal Bucky Badger. If you want some respect on the national stage it's going to take more than an overtime win at Michigan State or being just another team stampeding over Nebraska to the tune of 8000 yards rushing and 70 points. It's time to suck it up and put a big boy on the pre conference schedule. No risk, no reward. (pussies)

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STUBHUB Update: 

 tickets for the OSU v Wisconsin Game are going for $140 or $20 over face value. To this point in the season if you just bought two tickets off Stubhub for every home game you would have paid a total of $590 vs $720 for comparable tickets. This doesn't include the "donation" to the university  for the privilege to purchase said tickets.

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Bucky Badger Looks to Bludgeon Bosa and Buckeyes. Game Preview.

The winner of this game is in the driver's seat to win the legendary leader division and possibly the opportunity to showcase their talents in the stale, corporate confines of the Hoosier Dome* come December. Nothing makes the Big Ten shine like playing in a domed stadium. That's what midwest football is all about. It's like the SEC title game with slower, fatter players and less crowd noise. 

Things to like about this game: 

Buckeyes have speed at multiply positions and should be able to expose the Badgers on the edge. 

If Devon Smith can beat the Wisconsin deep his freshman year, he can do early and often this season. 

Night game and perfect weather bode well for the home team. 

Things to like less: 

Never a good sign when the Buckeye's have a true freshman getting major minutes on the defensive line. Joey Bosa is just a babe even at 6' 6" and 275 pounds. Check back in three years and he will be a full grown man. In the meantime the Badgers have to licking their chops to test our young front. 

Other than Shazier who basically covers the entire field in front of Roby, no other linebacker has shown the ability to step up a plug a hole. If/when Shazier cramps up carrying the load, it will be the moment of truth for 5 star jumior Curtis Grant. Nothing tricky about the Badgers Curt, just tackle that huge guy running right at you. 

Explosive runs are what set Braxton Miller apart from the average player. Without question he is the best QB on the team. But if he starts slow, will dip shit Buckeye fan start clamoring for Kenny G and poison the Urban wishing well? 

Colin Gawel sits at his coffee shop and writes these things when he should be serving customers. 

* I just like using Hoosier Dome.