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Game #332: Buffalo @ #19 Wisconsin

The Luke Fickell era.

Anticipation for the new coaching regime has been palpable between Lakes Mendota and Monona. Coach Chryst’s firing last October sent seismic blasts through Wisconsin’s fan base. While shocking at first, the understanding that the Badgers have the potential to be elite is evident. But, the run-heavy philosophy of previous coaches needed tweaking, and Fickell was ready to install the air raid offense – a cultural shift saturated in intrigue.

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Game 289: Miami (OH) @ #5 Ohio State

A tremendous defensive play resulting in a safety followed by an impressive field goal ending drive gave Miami (Ohio) a 5-0 lead over Ohio State early in the first quarter.
“We’re winning!” exclaimed a dumbfounded Redhawk fan.
Someone nearby echoed, “you better take a picture of the scoreboard now!”
That turned out to be good advice.
Ohio State won 76-5.
That early safety was one of two times that the Buckeye offense was truly stopped.
The other was the lightning storm that swept over Ohio Stadium, thus ending the game with just under three minutes to go.

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Game 287: Central Michigan @ #19 Wisconsin

A little Wisconsin football history for you:

The Badgers used to really suck.
Tickets to a Wisconsin game were as sought after as a communicable disease. People would leave unsold Badger tickets on car windshields. Shamed football players shielded their letter jackets from view. The late eighties officially materialized Wisconsin’s tradition of being a doormat.
The program needed a major facelift, and the leaders at UW knew it. That is when Barry Alvarez strolled in as Wisconsin’s new head coach. Confidence. Toughness. Swagger. Adjectives that Badger football lacked, but that Alvarez had packed in his suitcase.
A handful of Big Ten and Rose Bowl championships later, the Badgers have become a consistent winner. Alvarez is now the athletic director helping to maintain this success.
I share this history because today’s 61-0 Wisconsin victory over CMU should not be taken for granted. There was a time when fans would come more for the band than the team, which made the retirement of its longtime band director such a momentous shift.

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Game 286: Miami (OH) @ #20 Iowa

I always get excited when I am able to put Kinnick Stadium on my schedule. I know I’m going to have an incredible day. Midwestern hospitality saturates the scene, and that was especially evidenced by the “Hawks To Go” tailgate whose members invited me in and showed me why they were named winner of the Best Hawkeye Tailgate Contest. My experience involved learning the history of the tailgate, which started in 2005. I also was taken on a tour of all the Hawkeye autographs on their trailer from all the Iowa greats that visited over the years. We took a shot to christen our visit to the tune of the I-O-W-A chant and received a pin commemorating the moment. As they inject all this passion into Hawkeye gameday, they have also taken in thousands of dollars in donations for the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital. I felt blessed to start my gameday off in this way.

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BALL STATE – SCHEUMANN STADIUM

  • If the Ball brothers saw a gameday in Muncie today, they would be very proud of their investment.  So much pride runs through this university that bears the name of its benefactors. The brothers Ball are most famous for their glass jar company – their name scripted on each Mason style container. They wanted to give back to the community that gave so much to them by purchasing land and donating it to the state of Indiana.  That land would become Ball State University.

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