The Badgers are heading back to Orlando for the Champs Sports Bowl, and that’s just fine with me, because, in all honesty, it’s the best destination UW could have hoped for.
That’s right, Wisconsin fans should be pleased with a return trip to Orlando, even though many believed a trip to Tampa Bay for the Outback Bowl (a higher-ranked game) was a lock.
For alumni and fans that plan on going to the bowl game, I realize that a new vacation destination to watch the Badgers would be nice, but you’re not going to get much sympathy from me. If you want to take a vacation, go to a nice resort, head out to California or travel to a tropical island.
But if you’re a true Badger fan, these bowl games are still about football. If you forget about the locale and look at the teams, you’ll find that this is a great opportunity for UW.
Frankly, with the way the Big Ten season played out, I don’t understand why anyone would prefer to see the Badgers play anywhere else.
The Champs Sports Bowl against No. 14 Miami gives this team and head coach Bret Bielema a chance to validate their 2009 season, a chance the Outback Bowl or Alamo Bowl (both featuring unranked teams) would fail to provide.
I’m extremely happy with the season the Badgers have put together, and this team is clearly improved — there is no denying that. But at this point, we just don’t know how good this Wisconsin team really is.
The Badgers’ most notable win came on the road against a floundering Minnesota team who finished the year with a 6-6 record (not exactly a win for the ages, although they are a different team with Decker healthy). And each time UW faced off against a stronger opponent — Ohio Sate, Iowa or even Northwestern — it came out on the losing end.
Bielema’s team has fallen flat against good teams, and that’s putting it nicely.
So, the Badgers really don’t deserve to play in a “better bowl” if they can’t point to a single standout win. Northwestern, on the other hand, beat the Badgers on the field and it rightfully moved up. It’s that simple.
But thanks to the bowl representatives actually choosing their respective teams fairly (at least on the Big Ten side), Bucky has lucked out. The Badgers get to play the better opponent despite being chosen to play in the bowl positioned lower in the pecking order.
You see, Auburn (Northwestern’s Outback Bowl opponent) isn’t ranked, and it finished the season with a lackluster 7-5 record. Its performance against Alabama was impressive, but those in-state rivalry games are always unpredictable (see the basketball team’s most recent outing up in Green Bay).
Let’s say the Badgers were invited to the Outback Bowl and they found a way to beat Auburn. You think a win over a 7-5 Auburn team would silence UW’s doubters? I sure don’t.
A win over the 9-3 Hurricanes down in Florida? Well, that’s a completely different story.
Miami is a very strong team, a team that looked like a national title contender in the first month of the season. Yes, Jacory Harris and Co. have cooled off since, and Harris isn’t exactly a model of consistency, but the Hurricanes have produced solid victories and most importantly, they have a top-15 ranking next to their name.
That’s all anyone will care about when they sit back and analyze this game.
The Badgers will have the odds stacked against them with a talented Miami team essentially playing a home game, but for UW, this is a test they should be eager to take.
For a team that has tried to right the wrongs of last year over the course of the 2009 season, why wouldn’t the Badgers and their fans want a chance for a better performance against an ACC team down in Orlando?
Let them revisit that stadium where the 42-13 shellacking took place.
This year’s Champs Sports Bowl gives them the opportunity to redeem themselves, something they’ve admittedly tried to do all yearlong.
And as a fan, why wouldn’t you want to see your team go up against the very best opponent possible? No team cares for these pointless non-BCS trophies; they want the experience against a solid opponent, they want the best challenge possible — and that’s exactly what the Badgers are going to get.
I think UW will be ranked in the preseason top 20 next year regardless of the bowl’s outcome. And the Badgers have a chance to be an outstanding football team next year that could potentially be a Big Ten title contender, but I have a tough time getting behind that notion knowing the 2009 version still hasn’t beaten anyone.
So for the Badgers, this bowl game gives them one more chance to win a game against a ranked opponent. A victory over Miami would let everyone know the Badgers can do more than beat average football teams.
At this point, we’re all still questioning how good the 2009 Wisconsin Badgers really are, but thanks to the surprising Champs Sports Bowl berth and the challenge it presents, we’ll finally have our answer.
Max is a junior majoring in journalism. Still wish the Badgers received an invitation to the Outback Bowl or Alamo Bowl instead? Let him know at mhenson@badgerherald.com.
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But when UW falls flat on its face again, what will people say? Da U is undefeated against non conference teams. I say the U wins by two scores.
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Haha Joven - who in the country (minues OSU who plays quality non-conference opponents) isn’t undefeated in their non-conference games???
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Notre Dame.
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Good article.
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LOL…undefeated against non-conference opponents! So are the Badgers, but as usual that’s not saying much for a BCS team before the bowl game. That was a good article; and exactly how I’ve felt about the matchup as a Badger Fan.
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Henson, obviously you hit the nail on it’s head. It’s not about the title of the bowl game, its all about the opponent. Clearly that comment about out of conference was a joke. My only concern is what happens if we get our asses handed to us. Does that carry over into next year? Thoughts? PS-Your the best columnist on the heralds staff
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Thanks for the kind words. I personally think the game will be very close, so I don’t think we need to worry about a blowout. But to answer your question - yes a lopsided loss would have a carryover effect. I don’t think the Badgers would implode after a blowout loss (we followed last year’s beat down by Florida State with a good season) but I think the coaching staff will really need to evaluate why they can’t beat good opponents if they struggle once again down in Orlando. Would drastic changes be made? Probably not. But in my opinion, another poor performance would mean something needs to change.
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Thanks for the kind words. I personally think the game will be very close, so I don’t think we need to worry about a blowout. But to answer your question - yes a lopsided loss would have a carryover effect. I don’t think the Badgers would implode after a blowout loss (we followed last year’s beat down by Florida State with a good season) but I think the coaching staff will really need to evaluate why they can’t beat good opponents if they struggle once again down in Orlando. Would drastic changes be made? Probably not. But in my opinion, another poor performance would mean something needs to change.
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Nice column, Max.
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A great place to visit while taking a vacation in Miami Beach is the Miami Metro Zoo.
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The Badgers NEED this win. Bielema hasn’t beaten anybody of substance. He is worse than Charlie Weis. Bielema’s record against teams that finished at or below .500: 25-1. The lone blemish being the abomination at Michigan last year. His record against teams that finished above .500 is 12-13, but 9 of those wins came against 7 or 8 win teams. He’s 3-12 against teams that finished with the season with nine or more wins (9-4 Michigan in 2007, who didn’t get their 9th win until their bowl game, 9-4 Penn St. in 2006, who also didn’t get win #9 until bowl season and 10-3 Arkansas in the 2007 Capital One Bowl). He’s also 3-10 against Big Ten teams that won 5 or more conference games (Michigan 2007, Purdue and Penn St. 2006). He’s 17-2 against Big Ten teams that won 4 or less conference games (losses coming against Michigan last year and Penn St in 2007). So basically Bielema beats exactly who he’s expected to, and nobody else. I think his job should be safe for now, but if he doesn’t compete for the Big 10 title next year (especially if he loses to Miami), we need to start thinking about making a change.
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If the kick-off team continues to give up 30-40+ yards a return, we will loose. I hold my breathe everytime we kick off as we constantly give up the big return at the wrong time….not that there is a right one. Very Good “O”, Very Good “D” line, AVG at best secondary against a good Miami passing game may be a problem too, but we have to make them go 70-80 yards, not 55.