On the eve of the presidential debates, I would like to propose a last-minute nomination: defensive coordinator Bret Bielema.

Who can defend our nation from the ever-present threat of terrorism better than the top defensive mind in the Big Ten? He may not have much experience, but by the end of the week, he’ll have been in politics as long as John Edwards.

Bielema’s resume speaks for itself. Four weeks into the 2004 campaign, Bielema’s unit leads the nation in scoring defense (4.8 points per game) and ranks second in total defense. Bush and Kerry can only dream of numbers like that.

With Bielema at the helm, the Badgers lead the Big Ten in virtually every defensive category. The Wisconsin defense has allowed only one touchdown all year, three less than the next closest team in the conference. A man who protects the end zone that well should have no trouble securing our borders against foreign incursion.

Bielema’s juggernaut has allowed just 190 yards per game of total offense, making the unit the most efficient defense in the Big Ten by more than 70 yards per game. In Bielema’s system, the oft-maligned UW secondary leads the conference in pass defense, allowing just 117.2 yards per game through the air.

Behind the play of a formidable front four, the Badgers lead the conference in sacks with 13 (3.25 per game). After missing all of last season with a severe hip injury, defensive end Erasmus James has posted more sacks than any player in the Big Ten. ‘Raz has brought down the opposing quarterback five times in four games, earning back-to-back Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors.

After James took out both Mills and Robinson in the first quarter of the Badgers’ win over Penn State, Bielema’s defense has removed as many foreign leaders as the Bush administration. And, unlike George W., Bielema has not lost a man in combat.

Still not convinced? Bielema’s squad also leads the conference in first downs allowed (43) and opponent third down conversion percentage (18.9 percent).

After allowing just one first down in 13 third down attempts against Penn State, Wisconsin’s last three opponents have successfully moved the chains on third down a combined total of four times in 37 attempts. That’s a conversion rate of 10.8 percent. In other words, Bielema’s unit allows a third down conversion about as often as President Bush correctly pronounces the word nuclear.

The Badgers have surrendered just 19 points through four games, the fewest total for a Wisconsin defense over a four-game stretch since Harry Truman was in the White House. Bielema’s squad has held four consecutive opponents to seven points or less. The last time a Wisconsin coordinator accomplished that was in 1951.

In its most recent triumph, the Bielema administration recorded as many turnovers as points allowed in a 16-3 win over Penn State. Before running into Bielema and the Badgers, Penn State was averaging 30.7 points and 465.3 yards per game.

Bielema’s boys held the Nittany Lions to 157 yards of total offense, less than half of their season average. Joe Pa’s Lions had not been held to three points since 2001.

While this performance alone should secure him a spot on the ballot, Bielema’s masterful play calling against UNLV yielded even more impressive results. With two safeties and a touchdown on the day, Bielema’s defense outscored the Rebels’ offense 11-3.

“I don’t know how much more you can ask out of a defense,” head coach Barry Alvarez said after the game.

When veteran defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove left Wisconsin to coach at Nebraska, many wondered if the Badgers were in for a difficult transition. After all, Bielema was only 12 years old when Cosgrove earned his first Big Ten coaching job. Though he had helped lead the top defense in the nation as a co-defensive coordinator in his first season at Kansas State, Bielema had never had sole control over a defense.

I think it’s safe to say that Bielema was the right man for the job. In his first season at Wisconsin, Bielema has turned the defense into one of the most dominant groups in the nation. With an offense that has been anemic since Anthony Davis went down in the season opener, Bielema’s unit has carried the team to a 4-0 record.

Along the way, the 34 year old coordinator from Prophetstown, Ill., has injected new energy into the Badgers’ defensive corps.

“Coach Bielema has brought a different attitude, a different swagger to us,” cornerback Scott Starks said. “We’re just feeding off of him and his spirit.”

Widely expected to be the team’s downfall, the young linebacker corps has thrived under the tutelage of Bielema, who has taken on the role of linebackers coach in addition to his duties as defensive coordinator. Aside from a few missed tackles in the rain against Arizona, the linebackers have been virtually flawless this season.

Sophomore Reggie Cribbs leads the team in tackles (21) with battery mate Dontez Sanders close behind (20). Completing the trio of linebackers is junior Mark Zalewski, who has emerged as a pass-rushing threat with three sacks on the year, second on the team behind ‘Raz.

In preparing his young linebackers for opening day, Bielema was not intimidated by the challenge that faced him. He did not dwell on the fact that a set of linebackers with a combined total of three starts in 2003 was being asked to replace a unit that featured Jeff Mack and Alex Lewis. He simply got the group ready to play.

“We never really talked about the shoes being filled,” Sanders said. “Coach B (Bielema) has prepared us for anything, so we go out there with confidence every week.”

After what he has done with the UW linebackers, Bielema should have no trouble reversing our current economic woes and stabilizing the turmoil in Iraq. This man’s defense had two safeties and a blocked field goal in a single game. I think he can handle a little dispute in the Middle East.

Bielema is exactly what our country needs. I mean, look at the alternatives. A conservative who has racked up the biggest deficit in our nation’s history and a senator whose greatest accomplishment was serving for a few months in Vietnam? Are these really the men we want in the White House?

When you go to the polls this year, you can choose the lesser of two evils or you can take a stand against traditional politics and make a vote for change. Make the right choice. Vote Bielema in 2004.