8-4

I think that's the best we can expect from the Badgers this year. It could be as bad as 7-5. Hell, if they lose to Indiana in two weeks, which seems possible, it could be 6-6, and the Motor City Bowl. Awww, yeah. Nothing like Detroit in December.

We were all reminded the past two weeks how difficult it is to win on the road in the Big Ten. Especially when your defense impersonates the local high school's JV team, and your offense thinks the field ends at the other team's 40. This means that, barring some sort of miracle turn around, the Badgers will have another Penn State like score when they play Ohio State in the closed off Horseshoe. And the way Michigan's been playing since getting depantsed on national television by Oregon, the November 10th game at Camp Randall could also be a beatdown. That leaves three winnable games-- next week against Northern Illinois in Madison, then home against Indiana, and the last game of the season against Minnie in the Dome. Northern's struggling with injuries, and in the middle of a down year to begin with, since losing several stars to graduation. Indiana got shut down, sort of, in East Lansing against Sparty last week. But they did manage to beat Iowa, in Iowa City. And they have some pretty talented guys, like James Hardy at wideout, and their wee, but speedy quarterback. Right now, Minnesota is not a good team, especially on defense. But their offense isn't bad, and they have an emerging player at QB, and some good pieces, like Ernie Wheelright, at the offensive skill positions. That game is actually worrisome because Minnesota's a young team, and is likely to be improving as the season goes along. So Wisconsin will be getting them at what will probably be their peak. And Minnesota will be super fired up, looking to end their season on a positive note, by beating a rival in a trophy game, at home. Whereas Wisconsin will probably be reeling from the Michigan game, and looking to get the game over with so they can rest up, and get into bowl practice. That game will be serious trouble.

So I'm calling it-- 8-4 at best. Lets say opposite Oklahoma State in the Alamo Bowl:
So beautiful...

Not what you'd hope for when you're ranked 7th going into the season, but everyone thought the defense would be way better, and no one knew that the D-line would be a five man rotation, that Smith would be suspended for every road game, or that Hubbard and Swan would miss most of the year. San Antone! Yee haw.