The Badger Herald’s City Editor Bridget Roby reported today that UW running back Lance Smith chose his unusual five-game, road-only suspension over a five consecutive game option.

On the surface, this seems a little counter-intuitive; if you are Smith, why not just get the suspension out of the way as soon as possible?

Had Smith chosen the latter option, his suspension would have been up following UW’s game against Michigan State, meaning he would have been available to play in six of Wisconsin’s eight Big Ten games, including games at Illinois, at Penn State and at Ohio State.

Had Smith taken that option, however, it would have meant him missing five games while reserves Zach Brown and Quincy Landingham played. Good games by Brown plus the normal amount of rust Smith would have coming back after not playing all year could mean Smith having a tough time earning some of his playing time back.

Moreover, Brown would then be able to get eased into action and not relied on to completely carry the load behind Hill his first five games as a true freshman.

For those who may not have Bridget’s piece on Smith today, here’s the link.