It’s not like Ohio State needed to show off. Their swanky number four ranking, glossy undefeated record, and star tailback Maurice Clarett impressed any onlookers. Still, the courageous and gargantuan Buckeyes strutted into Camp Randall Stadium prepared to play. Not even two minutes had been erased from the game clock – hardly enough time for Badger butts to warm the cold, metal bleachers – and Ohio State receiver Michael Jenkins hauled in a pass from Craig Krenzel, spun off a Badger defender, and sprinted solo forty-seven yards into the end zone. He made it appear as though one Buckeye player could single handedly defeat Wisconsin. After that play, I recall turning to my group and remarking on how that play defined how a top five squad should look like. The Badgers were far from such a lofty distinction since after winning five in a row, they coughed up two hairballs against Penn State and stumbling Indiana. With this inauspicious start, it was hard to imagine anything greater than an 0-3 Big Ten debut.
Well, here’s Wisconsin’s opportunity to bounce back after a disappointing defeat to Penn State last week – take advantage of the little guy and restore confidence. Someone didn’t inform the Badgers that the little guy has decided to choose this weekend to retaliate for being incessantly pounded into the Big Ten cellar. Everything appeared right with the world at the onset of the battle. Wisconsin fans showed in tremendous numbers hollering obnoxiously while Indiana fans reacted as dainty and docile as those attending a debutante ball. Wisconsin students huddled in the end zone preparing to bully everything related to Hoosierland. Indiana students sat quietly and patiently preparing for another Big Ten heartbreak.
As of September 21st, the Badgers had matched their win total from last year. Such a statistic as this only inflates expectations. This undefeated Wisconsin squad trekked along a rocky path to get to this point – more like boulders falling from above. Slim margins of victory over feeble opponents caused hearts to palpitate in irregular fashions. However, impressive triumphs also accompanied their win streak providing the confidence they needed versus their Big Ten opening opponent, Penn State.
Wisconsin will have to swap their recipes for success. Last week, their cake nearly fell in the oven with the stumbling and bumbling that occurred in the kitchen versus a docile Northern Illinois team a week prior. The undefeated Wildcats from Tucson certainly would not be as forgiving as the Huskies were. New ingredients needed to be added to the mix in order to present a delectable victory that all Badger fans can savor.
DeKalb, Illinois isn’t exactly a cauldron of college football thrills, but Northern Illinois head coach Joe Novak has been generating a feisty team in his Huskies. Both Wisconsin and Northern Illinois have been rather volatile in their beginnings. The Badgers stumbled, but succeeded against Fresno State and returned with a pounding of West Virginia. The Huskies stunned Wake Forest at home and then got buried by South Florida. Which teams would appear on this overcast day in Madison?
By halftime, it was evident that the Northern Illinois fans making the trip up I-90 to Madison might be going home with a second straight win over a BCS team this season. From the upper deck looking down, it was challenging to imagine a 22-point underdog giving Badger fans such heartache. Wisconsin clung to a tenuous 10-6 advantage going into the second half. They stretched that lead to 17-9 offering some relief to befuddled Badger fans trying to make sense of this team.
The Huskies wanted to be the stars in this thriller and took center stage right from the first play of the fourth quarter scoring a touchdown and slicing Wisconsin’s lead to two with a missed conversion. At 17-15, Wisconsin looked far too charitable against the Huskies. NIU found more holes than a cheese grater in the Badger defensive line. Unfortunately, they were not as small and Wisconsin’s cheese got grated.
Failing to move the ball, Wisconsin continued to return it to Northern Illinois who found the paint again with their backup tailback Michael Turner scoring his second of the day and transforming Camp Randall into a church – both in noise level and amount of prayer.
Nerves shook and hearts dropped when Wisconsin had to give up the ball with just under three minutes remaining. However, an impetuous defense kept the Huskies from progressing and assisted by a few flags, the Wisconsin offense started what would be their final complete drive at the fifty-yard line. Quarterback Brooks Bollinger dashed to a phone booth and changed into his superhero costume before he took the field. Tossing a few key completions and forcing a few more penalties surged the Badgers to the two-yard line where Bollinger snuck it in himself. With that dive, Wisconsin avoided a degrading loss, but still became the most dubious 4-0 team in the country. With Arizona swooping in next week, a multi-point inspection is in order because heroics can only go so far.
Two undefeated teams from major conferences highlighted this confrontation in Madison. The game alone lent itself to heat up conversations. But, the controversy over a musket brought discussions to a boil. Yes, a musket. For sixty years, West Virginia and its mountaineer mascot has shot a traditional musket celebrating each touchdown. Like most places, laws in Wisconsin state that no firearm of any kind is allowed in stadiums or arenas. The Mountaineers got the green light on the issue when it was made clear that only gunpowder is used and blasts would be limited. The prop was not well received by Badger fans as West Virginia poured onto the field led by the Mountaineer who pulled the trigger to announce their arrival. The musket was startling and made a sound that can only be heard on the History Channel or war reenactments at Williamsburg. A cacophony of boos shattered the air and pointed down at the visiting team.
August kickoffs are becoming a standard in Madison. Two years ago, the Badgers experienced their first Thursday night game with a win over Western Michigan on August 31. Last year, Wisconsin participated in the Eddie Robinson Classic and defeated Virginia on August 25. This year, Badger fans cram Camp Randall to witness the earliest kickoff in school history in the John Thompson Foundation Classic.
Camp Randall was an exciting place to be on this late Saturday afternoon, but the 79,000 who smashed into the stadium had little notion that this feeling would befall all Wisconsin fans that witnessed this contest. Hearts were aflutter in the Badger state knowing the magnitude of the Michigan game. Wisconsin needed to notch wins over the Wolverines and then the Gophers in two weeks to secure a bowl bid. In addition, this was Michigan – the tyrant of the Big Ten that terrorized all teams in their path.
Wisconsin has experienced extreme turbulence this season and now finds themselves needing three straight victories over pernicious competition to qualify for a bowl game. For two decades spanning through the seventies, eighties, and most of the nineties, the Hawkeyes have been the impenetrable barrier for Wisconsin. However, the Badgers have reversed the years of depredation and replaced it with four consecutive years of victories over Iowa. A fifth straight would continue to save Wisconsin from its first bowless season since 1995. The improved team from Iowa City lands in Madison under similar circumstances. Their bowl hopes are not nearly as tenuous as the home team, but too many losses could sink their ship.
A classic wide receiver battle was about to unfold in Madison on a boisterous weekend highlighted by Halloween and homecoming. Camp Randall Stadium is daunting to take on for opponents without these variables, but Michigan State had some weapons to unload on a often defense optional Wisconsin squad. Both the Spartans and Badgers needed victories to strengthen the heartbeat of their bowl hopes. Wisconsin receiver Lee Evans and Spartan wide-out Charles Rogers were both prepared to resuscitate their team’s season.
