H 84°, L 66° | Tomorrow: 
H 85°, L 69°
The regular season is over, and it’s time to rest for head coach Bret Bielema and the No. 5 in the BCS Wisconsin Badgers (11-1, 7-1). After securing a share of the Big Ten title and likely a Rose Bowl berth, Bielema will allow his squad a chance to recuperate and get conditioned this week. After that, with the Badgers having already compiled a strong recruiting class, the focus turns to bowl preparation — no matter which bowl they enter or opponent they face.
“Whoever our bowl prep is, from a breakdown and analyzing it and just putting together a game plan,” Bielema said in his Tuesday press conference. “This is always a difficult time because our coaches are on the road with recruiting, our players are involved with finals and moving forward with the close of the semester, so it’s always a balancing act. But the good thing is you’re at Wisconsin, we’ve had a lot of opportunities to do that.”
Playing with anybody
He’s said it before, but Tuesday Bielema didn’t shy away from proclaiming Wisconsin as a team that can play with any other in the nation.
“First off, we lead the nation in fewest penalized,” Bielema said. “That means we’re not beating ourselves. We led the Big Ten in turnover margin, but also led the country in fewest giveaways, which means you’re not killing yourself. As big as a giveaway is, bad thing for an offense, it’s really bad for a defense, because now you’re taking the field after a sudden change.
Indeed, the Badgers have committed the fewest turnovers in the nation, with only 35 in 12 games. In penalty yardage, Wisconsin trails only Navy, who has played one less game, 358-320. Additionally, Wisconsin’s turnover margin was also one of the nation’s best — tied for second at +14. The Badgers also tied for first in the nation for fewest turnovers lost (9).
Altogether, the Badgers’ efficient play has justified Bielema’s steadfast denial that UW hasn’t run up the score on opponents. In its four November games, Wisconsin has outscored opponents by a 235-84 margin.
“Everybody wants to write Bielema or Wisconsin is running up the score,” Bielema said. “Those are our twos and threes that are going out there and playing very, very well, and that’s the guys that fill in for Lance Kendricks when he goes down the back of the end zone and can’t come back in the game. It’s the Montee Ball that started off as our third string running back and won games for us. That’s the stuff that gives me an indication that we could have success against a lot of people.”
Running backs a special group
Heading into this season, it would be difficult to find anyone willing to wager that true freshman James White would be the Badgers’ leading rusher. But 12 games and 1,029 yards later, that was exactly the situation. Consequently, preseason Heisman favorite and reigning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year John Clay finished second on the team with 936 rushing yards, and sophomore Montee Ball was third with 864 yards.
“Well, I think when we do resume, John will be 100 percent,” Bielema said. “He just hasn’t been able to practice at the level we want…but the guy is one of the finalists for the Doak Walker [Award], he’s a second team All-Big Ten, and we’re having a conversation about getting him in the game. So it is difficult, but I think we’ll be set on things moving forward.”
Amazingly, Wisconsin has a somewhat realistic chance to become the first team to have a quarterback pass for 2,500 yards and three running backs each rush for 1,000. Quarterback Scott Tolzien needs exactly 200 yards to reach that feat, while Clay and Ball need 64 and 136, respectively.
“Those three guys are all a little bit unique, so they all kind of have their own little package,” Bielema said of White, Clay and Ball. “And all three of them, it’s funny, I came into film last week on Tuesday, and they’re all in there watching film. You go to dinner, and they’re all three sitting down there together, so it’s a special group.”
