Goal: To thoroughly experience gameday at every FBS college football stadium. STADIUM COUNT: 108/134
Which team can bounce back from their let downs suffered the week prior? The Boilermakers left it all on the field in a close loss to in state rival, Notre Dame. The Badgers were stripped of a chance to kick a game winning field goal at Arizona State due to an aggredious clock management error by the referees. Two teams, needing to move on, charged out into Camp Randall Stadium.
If I spent all summer writing the perfect script, I still couldn’t have come up with what transpired on Saturday. Yes, much of it was scripted, and planned for nearly ten months. But, perfection reached new heights at Camp Randall…all prior to kickoff. August 31,2013 marked the 50th anniversary of my parents. My loving father, however, passed away 7 years ago. My brother, who shared my father’s name, passed away nine months earlier. That trying year for our family has brought us closer together, and despite my father’s absence, this fiftieth anniversary could not be overlooked.
An undefeated bunch of Buckeyes. A Badger team headed to Indianapolis in two weeks to play for the Rose Bowl. Sounds like a matchup with a lot riding on it. Wrong. Ohio State is 10-0, but ineligible due to off the field hanky-panky. Wisconsin technically fell into 3rd place in the Leaders Division, but won it by default because the two teams ahead of them had the NCAA breathing down their necks. So, this game is for pride. Good thing they hate each other. Camp Randall was overflowing as usual in hopes that Sconnie could tarnish the Bucks’ perfect season. Plus, everyone in the Big Ten wants to make new head coach Urban Meyer run for cover. It’s a passive aggressive jealously thing.
Michigan State and Wisconsin produced two of the year’s most memorable contests in 2011. Both games featured highly ranked teams and unforgettable finishes. The 2012 version would be exactly the same – minus the highly ranked part. Stumbles and struggles have pinned these teams to the middle of the pack in their respective Big Ten divisions. The Badgers, however, are still likely to reach the Big Ten title game as a result of Ohio State and Penn State’s ineligibility due to naughtiness. A cold and clear autumn afternoon in Madison served up all the usual action including a busy farmer’s market circling the capitol and a buzzed up State Street.
Panic is defined by Wikipedia as “a sudden sensation of fear which is so strong as to dominate or prevent reason and logical thinking, replacing it with overwhelming feelings of anxiety and frantic agitation.” Coming off back to back Big Ten titles and Rose Bowl appearances, Wisconsin had little reason to panic. However, the Badgers started this season with a frightening near loss to FCS foe Northern Iowa, which Coach Bielema referred to as a lesson learned without the consequence of a loss. The lesson was not learned as the offense limped through a 10-7 upset loss to Oregon State the following week, dropping Wisconsin from the rankings. Last year’s offense could have scored on many NFL defenses, and this year, the endzone is as frequently visited as Mars. Perhaps reason and logical thinking were compromised as Bielema fired the offensive line coach in hopes to right the ship quickly. Utah State would be the first test.
We all knew the day was coming, but no one could have predicted in this way. Since 1950, Joe Paterno has been a fixture on the Penn State sidelines, and upon entering his 62nd season on the coaching staff, everyone knew that this octogenarian’s days as head coach were growing slim.
Continue reading “Game 192 – #19 Penn State @ #16 Wisconsin”
Camp Randall Stadium was the site of Nebraska’s big welcome into the Big Ten Conference. By mid third quarter, it wasn’t much of a welcome anymore. These two big red machines locked gears for the day’s premier prime time matchup, and the first collision between two top ten teams in Madison since 1962. College Gameday got things started on Wisconsin’s historic Bascom Hill. Thousands of fans swarmed on every inch of grass space that could be found to catch a glimpse of Fowler, Corso, Herbsreit, and crew. Signs blanketed the crowd reading quotes like “Welcome to the Big Ten” along with clever phrases utilizing “shuck.” Use your imagination here.
The Badgers are one game in and already rolling much thanks to QB phenom Russell Wilson. The Beavers are one game in and already sunk. An embarrassing loss to FCS team, Sacramento State set the bar very low for Oregon State. Starting the game with a negative four yard punt didn’t help matters. Punter, Johnny Hekker, proved that the Beavers were a bit off their game when an early drive stalled and his punt awkwardly shanked to the right four yards behind the line of scrimmage.
On a night hot enough to make a jalapeno sweat, Badger fans didn’t have to sweat through a nailbiter. Camp Randall Stadium was the scene for a rare Thursday night contest to open the 2011 season. Although fans were anxious to see the defending Big Ten co champion Badgers, all eyes were on senior transfer quarterback, Russell Wilson. A legend had hit Madison and he hadn’t even taken a snap yet.
Points are to the Wisconsin offense as butter is to Paula Deen’s recipes…neither can get enough. In their final three games, the Badgers piled 83 points on Indiana, 48 on Michigan, and 70 big sticks of butter on Northwestern to solidify a Big Ten championship and a trip to Pasadena. Northwestern had lost their star quarterback two weeks earlier and were scrambling to redefine themselves as they walked into a red and white blender set on frappe. With all that was motivating Wisconsin, the Wildcats didn’t stand a chance, and now, the Rose Bowl awaits. The Grand Marshal for this year’s Rose Bowl is Food Network Star, Paula Deen. See how it all comes full circle?
