We’re old and we hate change!
Holy jump up and sit down! It’s college football season already! We see the Wisconsin Badgers are playing Western Michigan tonight here in Madison WI! Our football conference expanded to 18 teams and did away with East and West divisions. Not only that, but you can buy the hard stuff at Camp Randall. Badger fans may need it!
A little Googling finds that the Wisconsin Badgers have the 26th toughest schedule in the country out of 134 Division 1 football programs. (Florida Gators, USC Trojans, and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have the three toughest.)
As luck would have it, we play neither Michigan nor Ohio State but do travel to Southern Cal, ranked #23 in pre-season polls. We should be playing those guys in the Rose Bowl on January 1! In maybe the biggest game of the season, Wisconsin entertains #5 Alabama on September 14, albeit without Coach Nick Saban, who now sells insurance.
Pac-12 strength of schedule
1) Oregon State
2) Washington State
Big Ten strength of schedule
1) USC
2) UCLA
3) Michigan
4) Purdue
5) Penn State
6) Northwestern
7) Minnesota
8) Michigan State
9) Wisconsin
10) Washington
11) Oregon
12) Nebraska
13) Ohio State
14) Illinois
15) Maryland
16) Iowa
17) Rutgers
18) Indiana
It’s getting crowded in here!
This sports couch potato agrees with Jason Gay of the Wall Street Journal.
As a long ago graduate of (ahem) expanded playoff dark horse Wisconsin, I still can’t believe that Nebraska is in the Big Ten, much less the sun-tanned Trojans of USC.
We’ve made peace with Nebraska — they grow corn there, too. This season, four teams poached out of the Pac 12 Conference join the Big Ten. Thanks to raids from other conferences, the Pac 12 is now reduced to two orphaned teams: Oregon State and Washington State, mainly because no one else wanted them. Both schools are out in the boonies, far from the bright lights of Seattle or Portland — much less the Los Angeles media market. Pullman WA, population 32,000, is out in the middle of wheat fields in something called “The Palouse” just across the border from Moscow ID. Still and all, Washington State beat Wisconsin last year, dashing the high hopes for Coach Luke Fickell’s first season.
The Washington State Cougars play at the Oregon State Beavers in Corvallis OR on 11-23-2024 in their conference’s only game, so that will decide the once-proud championship.
Blaska’s Bottom Line: As someone invariably picked in the later rounds on the playground, the Head Groundskeeper identifies with those lost souls in Corvallis OR and Pullman WA. The Badgers are picked to finished 7 and 5 and finish seventh by this poll. Bucky’s Fifth Quarter says 8 and 4. Should be enough to get Wisconsin into another bowl game named after a mayonnaise.
6 responses to “Go Badgers! Go Cougars!”
I doubt Nick Saban is selling insurance, unless a company is paying him a million or so to appear in their commercial. Doesn’t he own some car dealerships down there? He could be donating cars as NIL payments to prospective players to keep Bama well stocked.
Aflac with Deion Sanders. Speaking of which, let’s hope Colorado has a season like last year’s.
Is Prime the most hateable coach now that Harbaugh is gone?
Saban sells AFLAC on TV
From The Ashes Of Despair, Hope Springs Eternal…unless you’re a Bi-Polar bares fan (patuey!)
Anywho, The Gotch (who bleeds Cardinal and White) hopes Bucky prevails, and that both Chez Mellusi and Hunter Wohler have good seasons.
Each has had their share of challenges, especially Mellusi, yet both have persevered, and possess the everLUVin’ heart of a BADGER.
One more thing:
Are you ready for some FOOTBALL?
One more thing, 2.0:
ON WISCONSIN
The Gotch
Cornhuskers? Change it to Corn Sweat.
Sheesh…THAT was a clunker!
The Gotch