Wisconsin a.k.a. Mississippi of the North.
Back at it again with the three-star statue at QB, a heralded running back, an OL of beefy adult sons, and a defense of sentient PFT comments. On any other day, I would smile like a father at his mediocre son when he brings home a C+.
But not on this day. No, on this day—December 2nd, 2017, to be exact—a horde of ice fishers and cheese mongers stands in the way of Buckeye glory.
Paul Chryst, he of the public persona as interesting as folding laundry and the charisma of a stranger's dirty sock, has cultivated a cult of personality in Madison. Makes it tempting to go blog about the Badgers. I'd probably be the governor of those backwaters by November.
No Badger fan alive remembers their last national title, so hopefully their team has enough grace to step aside like 2014. Instead, they probably sat up all night with a Pabst-fueled BAC of .038 praying the Dwayne Train come choo-chooin' down the tracks.
Dwayne Train, still splattered in Wolverine blood, en route to Indianapolis on Friday afternoon.
Got bad news for these demented weasels. After listening to Meyer yesterday, my personal take is J.T. Barrett won't start. And if he does, it will only be for one play. I'm also riding my theory, which Desymond aptly described yesterday as "the Victory Meniscus," where Barrett takes the final knee.
Or am I engaging in an elaborate Buckeye media conspiracy to shroud the starter to force Wisconsin to prepare for either option? It's tough to say.
| TIME (ET) | GAME | FAVORITE | CHANNEL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 | #20 MEMPHIS at #14 CENTRAL FLORIDA | UCF (-7½) | ABC |
| 12:00 | AKRON vs TOLEDO | UT (-21) | ESPN |
| 12:00 | NORTH TEXAS at JOEY FRESHWATER | H20 (-11½) | ESPN2 |
| 12:00 | LOUISIANA MONROE at FLORIDA STATE | LOL (-26) | ACCNE |
| 12:30 | #11 TEXAS CHRISTIAN at #3 OKLAHOMA | OU (-7) | FOX |
| 4:00 | #6 GEORGIA at #2 AUBURN | AUB (-2) | CBS |
| 7:45 | #25 FRESNO STATE at BOISE STATE | BSU (-9) | ESPN |
| 8:00 | #7 MIAMI vs #1 CLEMSON | CLEM (-9½) | ABC |
Big shoutout to 11W member IBLEEDSCARLETANDGRAY and my new Division 5 OHSAA squad, the Wheelersburg Pirates, who beat #1 Pemberville Eastwood in the state championship Friday afternoon with a fullback jump pass on 4th and 1 from the 11 in OT.
As for the college slate, I stand ready to die on this mountain: If Ohio State wins, it's in, regardless of any other result.
Word of the Day: Dolorous.
THE B1G BADGER DOSSIER. Here's everything you need to know about tonight's contest:
- Preview
- Scouting Report
- Meyer: Barrett returning six days after surgery "not normal."
- Mike Weber will still return kickoffs.
- Bucks not worried about distractions.
- Defending Troy Fumagalli
- Across the Field
- Roundtable
- Mailbag
- Hype Trailer
- Game Poster
- Prognosticating
Be sure to follow 11W, Dan Hope, Andrew Lind, James Grega, and Kevin Harrish on Twitter for updates live from Indianapolis.
LET SLIP THE DOGS OF WAR. Ohio State will either start a quarterback coming off arthroscopic knee surgery or a redshirt freshman making his first career start in the biggest game of the season.
Either way, the game plan should feature a heavy dose of Mike Weber and J.K. Dobbins, as Woody Hayes intended. Meyer, for all the smoke around his starting quarterback, admitted as much yesterday.
From 247sports.com:
"They're full go, ready to go," Meyer said of his running back duo on Friday. "And they complement each other very well. And they'll be used quite often."
If I look up in the fourth quarter with the Buckeyes trailing and J.T. Barrett leading in carries, I may need to wait until Sunday night to write the Monday Skull Session because to cool down my takes to a temperature within Health Department parameters.
A FULLWHAT? Urban Meyer used a fullback for a hot minute in 2012, before linebacker depth demanded he switch Zach Boren to the other side of the ball.
Wisconsin is a different story. Wisconsin will probably utilize a fullback for the next three thousands years. In 2017, it's a—you guessed it, former three-star prospect—Austin Ramesh.
From buckys5thquarter.com:
On a 3rd-and-1 in the second quarter, the back lined up to the right side of the formation by tight end Kyle Penniston, then proceeded to take a handoff to the left side and gallop for a 41-yard gain. That led to a Wisconsin field goal and a 10–0 lead in the second quarter.
“It was kind of similar to the run we had last year against Western Michigan,” Ramesh said on Tuesday, referring to his game-sealing, 10-yard run in the fourth quarter of the 2017 Cotton Bowl. “We just drew it up last week and the guys up front ended up blocking it really well, and it worked well for us.”
Ramesh’s nimbleness and running ability shouldn’t be surprising, despite his roster listing of 6’1, 255 pounds. The former first-team all-state prep standout rushed for 5,939 career yards and 60 touchdowns on 9.7 yards per carry for Northland Pines High School.
I respect Wisconsin like I do the Amish. I could never in my life live that lifestyle, but I respect the fortitude to hold on to the old ways throughout humanity's rapid descent into the technology wormhole.
TIM TEBOW GETS HIGH NOW? I don't think I've ever seen Tim Tebow as angry as he got yesterday at the notion of Wisconsin "being one of the best four teams in the country."
Tim Tebow coming in hot. (via @FirstTake) pic.twitter.com/dpDH8TUTl0
— ESPN (@espn) December 1, 2017
This is one of those things where everybody agrees on the idea but not the execution. "The best four teams in the nation" (out of 129) ultimately being subjective is what makes this sport great and keeps my sorry ass employed (please never retire Urban).
#THROWBACKSATURDAY. I forgot about this YouTuBe classic from the last time Wisconsin and Ohio State squared up in Indy.
From the majestic Tom Orr of theozone.net (via @AJBorland)
I'll laugh at that video on my death bed.
#PERTINENTWIRE. Worrying about Wisconsin would be like worrying about the sun coming up.
PROPHECY: 24-10, BUCKS!
THOSE WMDs. The diner with a Braille menu... Listening to podcasts at very fast speeds... Taking down terrorists in court... Hate-watching Breaking Bad... Treating severe brain injuries.
