Last Saturday, the Wisconsin Badgers dug deep and showed what kind of character they have by winning 20-17 over Ohio State at raucous Ohio Stadium. By doing so, the Badgers quickly resurrected a season that seemed lost after the 63-32 thrashing they took at the hands of Indiana.
As is life in the Big Ten, though, hard-fought victories are rewarded one week later with … another hard game. Yes, there is no time to celebrate after a big win in this conference because your upcoming game is going to be just as tough as your last one.
The tenacity of the Big Ten schedule follows suit this Saturday as the Badgers must try to back up the win at Ohio State by going to Champaign and trying to beat Illinois at Memorial Stadium. With a 5-1 record (2-1 Big Ten) and arguably the best quarterback in the Big Ten in Kurt Kittner, the Fighting Illini will make this a difficult task.
Without a doubt, winning in Champaign against a team that is looking to go 6-1 for the first time since 1990 won’t be easy, but it would give the Badgers a wealth of continued momentum after their big win at Ohio State. Here’s five pieces of advice that, should the Badgers choose to follow, will make it a little bit easier.
1. Keep Showing Confidence in Brooks Bollinger
In the last couple of weeks, the coaching staff has really turned Bollinger loose. He went 12-for-22 for 202 yards and a touchdown against the Buckeyes and was one of the bright spots in the loss to Indiana by throwing for 222 yards and two touchdowns. Moreover, it seems as if he has been more decisive with his throws.
If Bollinger keeps hooking up with Nick Davis the way he did against Ohio State, the passing offense could really take off like it was expected to at the beginning of the year. The Illini defense has allowed 226 passing yards and 148 rushing yards per game, so Bollinger, if turned loose, should be able to use his legs as well as his arm.
The Badger coaching staff seems to have full confidence in Bollinger for now, having ended the quarterback controversy for the time being and named him as the incumbent. However, this “Key to Victory” may be more useful for the fans at Camp Randall who seem to break into the “We want Sorgi” chant every time Bollinger makes a mistake. Here’s some news for you guys: Bollinger has led the Badgers to two huge Big Ten victories on the road this year and, no matter what you see, has been throwing the ball well in the past two games. This is the same quarterback — with probably a better arm — who led the Badgers to a Rose Bowl win as a redshirt freshman. Sure, Sorgi has shown signs of greatness during his spurts on the field, but as the old cliche goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
2. Make Sound Tackles
This may seem obvious in any football game, but this has been a Jekyll-and-Hyde department for the Badgers all season. The same team that looked like they were playing two-hand touch against Indiana, Fresno State and in the first half against Ohio State, looked like the Baltimore Ravens against their other competition. So what gives?
It’s hard to tell, but the play of the linebackers is often a good indicator of how well a team is tackling. For example, while Nick Greisen and Bryson Thompson combined for 31 tackles against Indiana, they also seemed to have missed just as many tackles. Also, the starting cornerbacks, Mike Echols and Scott Starks, combined for 16 tackles, which means they were often forced to stop Indiana players after long gains downfield.
Against Ohio State, Greisen and Thompson combined for 21 tackles, but did not miss many and often looked like overall tackling machines. Joey Boese continued to tackle well against the Buckeyes, racking up 15 total tackles — a great number for a safety.
What does this all mean? Basically, if the front seven, especially the linebackers, tackle like they did against OSU and not Indiana, the Badgers’ chances of winning will improve dramatically. If the front seven start missing tackles and the cornerbacks are forced to make more of them, it could get ugly for Wisconsin.
3. Contain Kurt Kittner and the Illini Passing Game
When playing Illinois, this is a no-brainer. Stopping Kurt Kittner when playing Illinois is like stopping Antwaan Randle El when playing Indiana. Unfortunately, as the Badgers can attest, this is easier said than done. Kittner has already thrown for 1,438 yards and 10 touchdowns on the season, and wide receiver Brandon Lloyd has caught 31 passes for 581 yards and four touchdowns.
This game will undoubtedly shake some of the rust off of the Badgers’ secondary. Since Wisconsin matched up against the prolific passing games of Oregon and Fresno State early in the year, they have played Penn State, Western Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio State, all teams that don’t exactly showcase the passing game. Illinois adds a stark contrast to that philosophy, so Wisconsin’s secondary better be ready to play the pass — or else it could be a long day.
4. Keep Up the Intensity
Something seemed to click on in the eyes of the Wisconsin players in the second half against Ohio State on Saturday. After getting embarrassed by Indiana and risking further humiliation by playing a sloppy first half against OSU, every player on the team seemed to have had enough, and the team played with fire in its eyes.
Maybe the younger players on the squad finally realized that you need to be ready for every single game you play in the Big Ten — whether that team is undefeated or hasn’t won — or you’re going to get embarrassed. Whatever the reason for the increase in intensity, it needs to continue against Illinois.
5. Have Fun
What’s that, you say? Have fun? There’s no fun in college football. It’s only about winning. Well, here’s some news for you: the sole reason for the invention of sports is fun, and if you have fun playing, you have a greater chance of winning.
Dealing with quarterback controversies is not fun. Repeatedly having to make excuses using the youth of your team is not fun. Giving up 63 points is not fun. Beating one of the best teams in your conference on the road is fun. Playing with a smile on your face and intensity in your eyes is fun. Playing as a team again and winning is as fun as it gets. Get the drift?
