Category: Pac Twelve

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Game 176 – #14 Utah @ Notre Dame

The hallowed grounds of Notre Dame have become hollowed out by the weak and the mighty. Teams that are not traditional powers (Navy, Tulsa, etc.) have been undaunted by the mystique of Notre Dame Stadium. Coach Kelly is all about retrieving that mystique and making a win over the Irish in South Bend a rarity. In comes hobbling Utah (8-1) and reeling after a pounding from Texas Christian. Ranked fourteenth and seemingly overrated, this could be the Irish’s chance at toppling a ranked team for the first time in a long while.

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Game 168: Arizona State @ #11 Wisconsin

Dear Jay Valai and Shelton Johnson,

We certainly are aware that Arizona State outplayed the Badgers in many facets of the game on Saturday. However, because of a few timely plays by you, Wisconsin was able to escape with a one point victory. Shelton, we are very impressed by the “never give up” attitude displayed on the 95 yard kickoff return by the Sun Devils. By tackling ASU’s Kyle Middlebrooks at the one yard line right before the half, you kept momentum on Wisconsin’s side and perhaps saved the game. I’m sure that coaches across the country will roll that footage as you have now become 2010’s posterboy for “never giving up on a play.” The team certainly experienced difficulty covering kickoffs as the Sun Devils returned one for a touchdown and smoked the Badgers on a few more impressive returns. It even got to the point where the crowd gave out a cheer of sarcasm with any kickoff coverage tackle. Nevertheless, you managed to maintain your poise and scrape away the stigma that comes with being a freshman.

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Game 166: UCLA @ Kansas State

T-shirts around the stadium proclaimed, “Fill the Bill,” and the purple followers came through. The crowd sent rumbles through the Great Plains as Kansas State took the field in front of a record opening day home crowd. As if there wasn’t enough roar in the crowd to start the game, Harley Day in Manhattan sent more noise bouncing off the walls of Bill Snyder Stadium. With Snyder’s return to the sidelines, much anticipation has grown for the Wildcats and having UCLA as an opponent only increased the excitement.

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Game 146: #16 Oregon @ Purdue

The Boilers were out in full force this weekend.  Duck fans from Oregon made a nice percentage of the day’s attendance. They came blowing their duck kazoo noisemakers and wearing shirts like, “Hooked on Quack.”  The sounds of “Boiler Up” hovered in the air drowning out the kazoos.  This was setting up to be an outstanding collision between the Big 10 and Pac 10.

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Game 129: Washington State @ #7 Wisconsin

First game jitters were not a factor in the opener for the Badgers and Cougars. Both teams had every right to be anxious. Wisconsin held its highest preseason ranking in seven years and title talk has swept the state. Washington State had to play their opener over two thousand miles from home in a hostile environment. Yet, no nervousness could be detected as the Cougars silenced the 81,000+ partisans in Camp Randall Stadium with a solid opening march for a touchdown. Undaunted, the Badgers returned the favor on the next drive. The way these two teams fired out of the gate made them seem more like well oiled mid season machines.

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Game 95: #13 California @ Air Force

September 4th would be a day of many firsts for me. Among those included my first Mountain West Conference game, my first time seeing California, and above all, my first double-header day. This game in Colorado Springs required early alarm bells as kick off commenced at ten in the morning. Following the Cal/Air Force contest, I would be driving up I-25 toward Boulder to be a spectator for the in-state hate fest between Colorado State and Colorado.

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Game 78: Arizona @ #22 Wisconsin

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.

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Game 56: Oregon @ #5 Wisconsin

Oregon could easily play the role of a top ten team. Their absence in the top 25 is staggering. They are led by quarterback Joey Harrington who has brought them to extreme heights and after Wisconsin’s struggle against Western Michigan, many Badger fans expected the Ducks to roast the Badgers. Seeing a powerful Pac Ten team charge into town brought on an intimidation factor.

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