You're full of crap Insanedawg. I've seen nothing to suggest that Wisconsin football fans are pessimistic about the direction of the Badger football program. Nothing. They are a sound football program enduring a mini-valley en route to regaining status as a perennial top 20 program.

Scottie,

Past NIU teams and past matchups with BT teams is not the matchup this season.

Here are three reasons why I think the likelihood of beating Wisky this season are between slim and none:

1) Kill saying more than once : This is the youngest team he has coached in college. That tells me our depth will be severely challenged by Badgers.

2) Badgers THIS YR outweigh Huskies by 30 lbs per man on both lines. Sooner or later it takes a toll on smaller players over the course of a bruising, physical game. Several Badger twos are bigger and more experienced than many several NIU ones.

3) Unlike recent prior games vs Wisky we don't have a proven difference maker like a Turner or Sheldon.

(09-03-2009 09:25 PM)Nigel Incubator-Jones Wrote:  You're full of crap Insanedawg. I've seen nothing to suggest that Wisconsin football fans are pessimistic about the direction of the Badger football program. Nothing. They are a sound football program enduring a mini-valley en route to regaining status as a perennial top 20 program.

There have been grumblings and Bielema is under a bit of pressure; the natives are a little bit restless. His job isn't on the line this year, but they've gone the wrong direction every year under him, and their recruiting has really slipped the past few years.

(09-03-2009 06:02 PM)Nigel Incubator-Jones Wrote:  I submit to you NIU's historic record against Big 10 teams. Unfortunately, Saturday's game will be no contest. The good news is Bielema is not the sort to run up the score.

I agree with 7...looking at final statistics when going up against a BCS team is disingenious exercise. Ohio State let their foot off the accelerator against NIU and played a lot of 2nd stringers down the stretch as but one example how the final statistics of a football game like this can be faulty barometers of what really happened.

Wisconsin is going to kick the sh*t out of NIU behind that o-line and power running game. Sorry, but that is how I see it shaking out.

Based on what you say and the fact that you are always wrong, we are going to win this game.

(09-04-2009 08:55 AM)HuskiemobileMan Wrote:  

(09-03-2009 06:02 PM)Nigel Incubator-Jones Wrote:  I submit to you NIU's historic record against Big 10 teams. Unfortunately, Saturday's game will be no contest. The good news is Bielema is not the sort to run up the score.

I agree with 7...looking at final statistics when going up against a BCS team is disingenious exercise. Ohio State let their foot off the accelerator against NIU and played a lot of 2nd stringers down the stretch as but one example how the final statistics of a football game like this can be faulty barometers of what really happened.

Wisconsin is going to kick the sh*t out of NIU behind that o-line and power running game. Sorry, but that is how I see it shaking out.

Based on what you say and the fact that you are always wrong, we are going to win this game.

NIJ- did you attend the Michigan game, the NW game, the 01 UofI game, the 02 UW game? I'm guessing you didn't b/c those games didn't "matter". Well I did, and those were all winnable games if not for mistakes we made or opportunites we missed. All 4 QUALITY bowl-eligible (bcs for some) Big 10 teams that we could have legitimately beat. Ask Carr, Alvarez and Ron Turner if their foot was off the gas...you'll get a resounding NO. And this whole winning MAC games thing? I agree, that should be our #1 goal, but don't for a second sit here and tell me that we can't compete and it means nothing. Quick, what season do you remember most in the last decade as a Huskie fan? Why? Which Toledo victory do you remember from last year? Why? BSU vs. Okla fiesta bowl...greatest game ever, why? Highest opening night TV ratings for a game involving a mid-major last night, why? Why, because it DOES matter. Winning MAC championships only matters to the institution and its fans...knocking off a high-profile BCS squad matters to everyone. That's how a school like BSU is sitting at the doorstep of greatness. It has nothing to do with WAC championships. Ask any football fan how many WAC championships the Broncos have won this decade and they have no clue. But, ask them what high profile BCS teams they've taken down and most could give you at least 2.

Let me use a business example that you may understand. You own a small office equipment company in the western suburbs. You have a nice market share and a great client base in the towns you do business. You have 2 choices, 1) you can rest on your laurels and hold down your market share and live a simple and comfortable life. 2) You can take your proven business plan and aggressively go out and try to expand your footprint and challenge the Ricoh's, Ikon's or whomevers or the world. Yeah, they might laugh at you and you'll probably take your lumps. But you'll keep on persisting and eventually here and there you'll nab a giant account away from one of the big boys. You are now the small business owner success that everyone wants to talk about and who knows, maybe one day you are standing toe-for-toe with the giants.

I'm not saying either way is wrong. Your approach to NIU's program is #1, mine is #2. We all have a very strong bond to our alma mater--in fact Jack Welch says it's that type of bond he often times looked for in candidates because it was the best way to identify true passion. For that reason, I want to do my part (albeit very microscopic) in watching my alma mater leave a national footprint of a legacy before I leave this earth. I want to see our NIU destroy the oligopolistic, country club run institution that is college football. You are content with competing as a mid-major, fine, but PLEASE don't sit here and tell me that we CANT AND WILL NOT compete on that stage occassionally today and consistently in the future because we will, if everyone around the program believes we can. In essence, mid-majors are the small business owners of America. They are the countries backbone, they are the underdog that everyone wants to root for because they have the ability to do something that can only be done on our soil, it lies deep in the fabric that makes this country so great. UPWARD and ONWARD....Gooooooo Huskies!

(09-04-2009 12:03 PM)scottiep12 Wrote:  

(09-04-2009 08:55 AM)HuskiemobileMan Wrote:  

(09-03-2009 06:02 PM)Nigel Incubator-Jones Wrote:  I submit to you NIU's historic record against Big 10 teams. Unfortunately, Saturday's game will be no contest. The good news is Bielema is not the sort to run up the score.

I agree with 7...looking at final statistics when going up against a BCS team is disingenious exercise. Ohio State let their foot off the accelerator against NIU and played a lot of 2nd stringers down the stretch as but one example how the final statistics of a football game like this can be faulty barometers of what really happened.

Wisconsin is going to kick the sh*t out of NIU behind that o-line and power running game. Sorry, but that is how I see it shaking out.

Based on what you say and the fact that you are always wrong, we are going to win this game.

NIJ- did you attend the Michigan game, the NW game, the 01 UofI game, the 02 UW game? I'm guessing you didn't b/c those games didn't "matter". Well I did, and those were all winnable games if not for mistakes we made or opportunites we missed. All 4 QUALITY bowl-eligible (bcs for some) Big 10 teams that we could have legitimately beat. Ask Carr, Alvarez and Ron Turner if their foot was off the gas...you'll get a resounding NO. And this whole winning MAC games thing? I agree, that should be our #1 goal, but don't for a second sit here and tell me that we can't compete and it means nothing. Quick, what season do you remember most in the last decade as a Huskie fan? Why? Which Toledo victory do you remember from last year? Why? BSU vs. Okla fiesta bowl...greatest game ever, why? Highest opening night TV ratings for a game involving a mid-major last night, why? Why, because it DOES matter. Winning MAC championships only matters to the institution and its fans...knocking off a high-profile BCS squad matters to everyone. That's how a school like BSU is sitting at the doorstep of greatness. It has nothing to do with WAC championships. Ask any football fan how many WAC championships the Broncos have won this decade and they have no clue. But, ask them what high profile BCS teams they've taken down and most could give you at least 2.

Let me use a business example that you may understand. You own a small office equipment company in the western suburbs. You have a nice market share and a great client base in the towns you do business. You have 2 choices, 1) you can rest on your laurels and hold down your market share and live a simple and comfortable life. 2) You can take your proven business plan and aggressively go out and try to expand your footprint and challenge the Ricoh's, Ikon's or whomevers or the world. Yeah, they might laugh at you and you'll probably take your lumps. But you'll keep on persisting and eventually here and there you'll nab a giant account away from one of the big boys. You are now the small business owner success that everyone wants to talk about and who knows, maybe one day you are standing toe-for-toe with the giants.

I'm not saying either way is wrong. Your approach to NIU's program is #1, mine is #2. We all have a very strong bond to our alma mater--in fact Jack Welch says it's that type of bond he often times looked for in candidates because it was the best way to identify true passion. For that reason, I want to do my part (albeit very microscopic) in watching my alma mater leave a national footprint of a legacy before I leave this earth. I want to see our NIU destroy the oligopolistic, country club run institution that is college football. You are content with competing as a mid-major, fine, but PLEASE don't sit here and tell me that we CANT AND WILL NOT compete on that stage occassionally today and consistently in the future because we will, if everyone around the program believes we can. In essence, mid-majors are the small business owners of America. They are the countries backbone, they are the underdog that everyone wants to root for because they have the ability to do something that can only be done on our soil, it lies deep in the fabric that makes this country so great. UPWARD and ONWARD....Gooooooo Huskies!

+1,000 Well said scottiep12 I am about to cry that was so good. But I agree NJ is an idiot on some things EVER GAME is important.

Anything is possible. Nothing is Impossible.

However, what is MOST LIKELY to occur is for Wisky to win big given all the facts, figures, personnel, players returning, players gone, expectations placed on newcomers, HUGE home field edge.... etc

May the football gods prove me wrong and force me to eat Diesel's chow Sept 10.

Gooooooooooooooooooooo H U S K I E S, Buck(y) the Badgers.