CHICAGO – Just as Hermione Granger corrected Ron Weasley’s incorrect pronunciation (“it’s levioooosa, not leviosaa”), Brett Bielema confirmed the correct way to pronounce his Heisman candidate’s name.
Start getting used to it kids, it’s Mon-tay, not Mon-tee.
As Bret Bielema addressed the media on the first day of the Big Ten media days, he spoke of Wisconsin’s success last season and his excitement for what’s to come – including continuing to coach senior running back Montee Ball (again that’s Mon-tay). But as Bielema and his fellow Big Ten coaches all took a turn at the podium, the hot topic was unavoidably Penn State’s situation and whether or not they will attempt recruit players from the team that recently found itself in complete disarray. (For full details, check out Elliot Hughes’ piece on the topic.)
Certainly there was more to talk about than just the Penn State situation, so here’s a quick look at the most important notes from the day.
No concern over imbalanced divisions
Between Ohio State and Penn State’s inability to play in the post season, the Leaders division is left with only four teams that can fight of a spot in the 2012 Big Ten Championship game. All six of the teams in the Legends division remain eligible.
While Wisconsin stands to gain a major advantage from the situation and teams such as Michigan, Michigan State and Nebraska face stiffer competition, no coach complained about the situation.
For Bielema it has no effect on how he goes about the season.
“I’m not blind and oblivious to the fact that now we’re in a division that has six teams [and] only four of them are eligible for the Big Ten championship game,” Bielema said. “But it really won’t change our approach. The No. 1 thing I believe is of a 1-0 mentality, you take every day for what it is.”
Each Legends division coach who was asked about the imbalance generally responded with the old adage “life’s not fair.”
“I think the only thing I can tell you is this is such an unbelievable circumstance,” Michigan head coach Brady Hoke said of the situation. “And I’m sure Commissioner [Jim] Delany and everyone else, you wouldn’t see this coming. But at the same time, life’s not fair. And whether it’s fair or not, it doesn’t matter. We have a schedule to play. Our focus is on the University of Michigan, and that’s what we’re going to keep focused on.”
Regarding Schedules
Bielema spoke at length about everything from scheduling conference games earlier in the season to whether or not to increase the amount of conference games.
Recently scheduling a matchup with Brigham Young University in 2013, Wisconsin had to move its game with Purdue to an earlier date, which the Boilermakers agreed to. Bielema did express his support of having earlier conference games – much like the Purdue game in 2013 – especially when compared to SEC teams who, as he noted, play non-conference games toward the end of the season that don’t garner much publicity.
Currently in the Big Ten, there’s been much discussion about extending the schedule to fit in more conference games and allowing schools to play each other more often. Bielema once again drew a comparison to the SEC, saying he would like to stick with the eight-game schedule.
“I think the recipe is there,” Bielema said. “The SEC has eight and they’ve won six in a row. I do enjoy playing non-conference opponents. I realize the fanbase may want nine or ten or play us all, but I also believe if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”
Wisconsin, as Bielema pointed out, has had success recently in the eight-game format with two back-to-back Rose Bowl appearances and a Big Ten Championship title in last year’s inaugural Big Ten Championship game.
But, despite his outspoken opinions on scheduling, Bielema doesn’t want to take a leadership role within the conference to ensure a competitive schedule.
“I don’t want to have a passive view,” Bielema said. “To me, this is my livelihood, this is my profession. This is how I make a living and scheduling has a huge impact on your chances of longevity and success.”
The seventh-year head coach parroted himself once again, indicating that if a team isn’t willing to play in Madison, he won’t return the favor, nor does he want to take home games away from Wisconsin fans. So while he’s trying to keep scheduling competitive – adding teams like BYU and Pac-12 schools like Arizona to the slate – he also wants to maintain an equal playing field.
Intense quarterback competition on the horizon
As Wisconsin once again capitalized off the transfer rule that mirrors free agency, Bielema insists a quarterback competition will be taking place in fall camp – one with Curt Phillips now in the picture.
“I think the real upside to Danny’s situation is we’ve also had the emergence of Curt Phillips come back after his third ACL surgery and those two have got a nice little competition and probably again with Joel Stave,” Bielema said.
Wisconsin hasn’t seen much of Phillips in two years in Madison as he’s suffered three ACL injuries which have sidelined him during that time.
The last time Phillips saw the field was in 2009. He played in five games, completing seven of his 13 attempted passes. With those seven attempts he amassed 65 passing yards, but also threw an interception. Phillips also ran for 138 yards in those five games on 14 attempts.
After two years off and finally 100 percent clearance from doctors, Phillips can take the field again.
“The kid is just so mentally strong,” Bielema said.
Kelly is a senior majoring in journalism. Think Bret Bielema representing the Badgers well? Let her know on Twitter @kellymerickson.
