College football is a hard thing for me. I am a fan of the game of football but when I really do not have a knock-down favorite team to cheer for, it makes it a bit harder for me to get excited about it. The way I guess I choose my teams is based off the players/coaches and usually it changes every couple of years. Call me fair weather, call me whatever but its just the way I look at it. My favorite college team is the Marquette Golden Eagles and they have no football team therefore it makes life very hard on me.
Some would say the obvious answer is the Wisconsin Badgers and my ten-year old self would have agreed with you although they are becoming hard to cheer for without Barry Alvarez roaming the sidelines. I have a big problem with Bret Bielema and I think that influences my thoughts on the Badgers. I think he is a coach who just worries about coaching football and not the outside issues like grades and off the field troubles. He just implemented a GPA rule after three years of coaching and the players go to a school that is tougher than hell to get into as a normal college student. Yes the off-field problems is a problem with many universities but it really feel that it happened a lot for the Badgers in the past couple of years.
I still hope that the Badgers do well and are successful because they are the only team in Wisconsin at the division one level so I feel as a proud resident I should cheer for my state. But I grind my teeth to watch the special teams screw up countless times including Ray Small's run back which was the dagger to the Badgers last weekend. In addition, I have problems with Paul Chyrst play-calling and still wonder why broadcasters are calling him a "genius". I think we would have figured out Montee Bell is the better #2 than Zach Brown because Bell is such a quick runner while Brown is basically the same back as John Clay. That will spread out teams more and lead to better results on offense.
They were 5-0 but in true Badger fashion, they played a cupcake schedule which the past Badger teams could do then be ready for a team like Ohio State who in my opinion isn't the best team in the Big 10. For the first game, their running game was halted and Scott Tolzien had to be the X factor, which he isn't ready for. They now have to deal with the vaunted Iowa Hawkeyes whose defense has been one of the best all year and I would recommend the spread instead of the smash mouth because Michigan put up 28 points against them while others haven't sniff that number.
The final thing I will say is I like the Badgers but I just have more reservations than I have ever had in any years in watching Wisconsin. They make me question things more than ever, I guess this is what it was like for people who hate Ned Yost as Milwaukee Brewers manager.
-Charlie
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