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Badgers’ ranking needs proving
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Also by Greg Schmitz:
- Badgers can top last year's squad (February 26, 2008)
- Bohannon continues scoring tear (February 25, 2008)
Related Stories:
- WCHA, Big Ten should have little effect on polls (January 31, 2008)
- UW fans should enjoy national ranking while it lasts (February 21, 2007)
- Wolverine vs. Badger rivalry revived for another year (November 13, 2001)
- Badgers fall to 9th in latest AP Poll (September 17, 2007)
by Greg Schmitz
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
It seems like every year the rankings in both football and
men’s basketball are always questioned —though probably more in football since
final rankings have BCS implication.
This year hasn’t been different.
During the football season we debated for almost two months
on whether or not LSU and Ohio State were the top two teams in the country.
Most people also thought that when the Wisconsin football team peaked at No. 5
in the rankings, that it wasn’t the fifth-best team in the country, which they
proved by losing the next two games to Illinois and Penn State.
The basketball team’s ranking has been debated all season
long too.
After picking up two wins last week at Indiana and home
against Minnesota, the Badgers find themselves back in the top ten of the
coaches’ poll and projected as a four seed in the latest edition of Joe
Lunardi’s “Bracketology.”
Despite the fact that the Badgers have exceeded most fans
expectations — including mine — almost anyone I have talked to about the team
this year seems to agree on one thing: They are not sure Wisconsin is a top 10
team.
While I said in an earlier column that this is Bo Ryan’s
best coaching job — and I still believe that — I’m also not sure if UW is
really the 10th-best team in the country.
Their win against Indiana was a huge statement for this team,
considering that playing in Bloomington has given UW fits over the years. This
year’s team was also facing a much tougher IU team than the one they faced last
year when the Badgers were ranked No. 2 in the country and lost.
The win also gave Wisconsin something no other team in the
country can claim: two road wins against top 15 teams.
So UW’s win against the Hoosiers has put the Badgers back in
the top 10, but Wisconsin’s next three games will really prove if it is worthy
of its ranking.
While at Illinois this year might not seem like a daunting
task considering the Illini’s 3-10 conference record, playing in Champaign has
never been easy for the Badgers. Wisconsin is 18-66 all-time at Illinois, and
its win last year was UW’s first in Assembly Hall since 1997. Add to the fact
that Bruce Weber’s club played the Badgers tough in Madison in January, and
this game will not be a cakewalk for Wisconsin.
Playing at Ohio State is another tough venue for UW, where
it is 20-51 all time. Yes, the Buckeyes are not as good as they were last year
when the Badgers lost by a point in the first ever No. 1 vs. No. 1 matchup
(Wisconsin was No. 1 in the AP, and Ohio State was No. 1 in the coaches).
However, the Buckeyes are trying to make their case for the NCAA tournament,
and winning over a top ten team like Wisconsin would be a good signature win to
take to the selection committee.
Then there is Michigan State.
This will most likely be the toughest game out of the three.
Even though Ryan has been almost unbeatable at the Kohl Center in Big Ten play
since coming to Wisconsin, the loss to Purdue showed that a game in Madison is
not a for sure win. The one thing UW has going for them is it has not lost to
MSU at home since Ryan has been the head coach.
Should Wisconsin be 24-4 and 14-2 in the Big Ten on Feb. 29,
UW will have proven — at least to
me — that they are really one of the best teams in the country. However, should
they falter once, it will show that, while the Badgers are a good team this
year, they are not ready to be talked about as one of the upper echelon teams.
So the question to ask until then is: Are the Badgers
deserving of their top 10 ranking? Maybe.
But only time will tell.
Greg is a senior majoring is communication arts. Let him
know where you think the Badgers should be ranked at gschmitz@badgerherald.com.
Emery Backman (February 25, 2008 @ 2:31pm):
On one hand, I also have to wonder if the Badgers are a Top 10 team. While on the other hand I believe they are a Top 10 team due to the fact that they have multiple players in double figures and have had many different players take home the scoring honors. A break here and there and they could be 26-1.
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