Badgers Leave Minneapolis Unscaved

Following the sweep over Michigan Tech the young Wisconsin men's hockey team got their first taste the Minnesota-Wisconsin rivalry in a big way. Leaving Minneapolis with a victory and a draw to their record.

On Friday night the Badgers dominated the Gophers in impressive fashion winning 6-0 at Marricui Arena, but for the first time it was the newbies that stole the show. The Wisconsin freshman scored four of the Badgers six goals against the Gophers on Friday.

Led by freshman forward Michael Mersch the Wisconsin newcomers put together four goals, and single handedly dominated the pace of the game. The upperclassmen on the other hand accounted for two goals scored by Jordy Murray, and Derek Lee, but the best of the upperclassmen came between the pipes.

Senior goaltender Scott Gudmandson stopped all 24 Gophers shots for his second shut-out of the season. The shut-out was also the Badgers first over the Gophers since 2006, and their biggest margin of victory since the Badgers' 7-1 victory over Goldie in 1990.

Saturday night on the other hand was not as pretty. The Gophers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period off of goals from Taylor Matson and Jacob Cepis. The Badgers would answer one of the Gopher goals before intermission when Justin Schultz capitalized on the Badgers first power-play of the evening.

Jordy Murray found the back of the net in the second period to knot the game up at 2-2. That is until the Gophers took the lead again off of a Jay Barriball scored the second power-play goal of the night for Minnesota. The Gophers would lead 3-2 heading into the third period, but that would be the last time they would lead.

Late in the third period the Badgers would answer with the second goal of the night for Murray. Following the goal there would be a long review by the officials, but the goal would count. Even with the comeback the Badgers were unable to find the back of the net in overtime, but at the same time neither would the Gophers.

The game would end in a 3-3 tie, and the Badgers would leave Minnesota without dropping a game to their rival Gophers. A key series victory for the Badgers with a match-up against conference favorite North Dakota this weekend at the Kohl Center.

Week 10: Headlines

It seems to be the current trend in college football. Of course we are talking about parody. This weekend was another action packed, and upset packed weekend in college football. Three top ten teams dropped, and a couple other highly ranked teams escaped with victories by the skin of their teeth. Here are this past weekend's headlines...

TCU Blows Out Utah
In a relatively big surprise the Horned Frogs not only beat the Utes...the destroyed them. A game that was billed as the biggest of the weekend, and a game that could decide a birth to the national title proved to be a one sided affair. To say Utah was never in the game would be an understatement. The Horned Frogs jumped out to a 40-0 lead, and never looked back. They went on to win the game in impressive fashion by thumping the Utes 47-7 in Salt Lake City.

The win not only eliminated the Utes from national title consideration; it also prepelled TCU right into the mix. A close game could have given some critics room to debate that TCU isn't at the same level as the BCS conference teams, but the way they beat Utah trumped that. TCU now looks like a team that could find their way into the national title game. Only if Auburn and Oregon stumbles though.

Tigers Roll Tide
In a game that will go down in SEC lore as LSU upset Alabama and all but certainly ended any chances of the Tide repeating as national champions. A game that was highly competitive came down to a fourth down that Les Miles decided to go for with a reverse. The Tigers picked it up and then went on to score a touchdown, and defeat Alabama.

The victory may also push the Tigers into a possible national championship scenario, but a lofty one at best. In order to get to the big game LSU needs Auburn to lose twice in order to represent the the SEC West in the conference championship game. On the other hand the loss for Alabama eliminates the Auburn match-up as a de facto national championship precursor.

The Hero or the Goat: Nebraska Beats Iowa State
In sports there are always those plays where you are either going to be the "hero' or the "goat." Saturday's match-up between Iowa State and Nebraska would be one of those situations. In a highly competitive game that required overtime Cyclone head coach Paul Rhoads decided to go for two on a fake extra point attempt. A decision that gave the Cornhuskers the one point victory, and made Rhoads the goat. If it would have worked...he would have been a hero, and a genius.

Jo Pa Wins Number 400
If it wasn't for the rest of the madness, or the fact that Penn State is out of the Big Ten chase, Joe Paterno winning his 400th victory on Saturday may have been the headliner. For the first time in FBS history a coach has won 400 games, and has done it all with the same school. After trailing by 21 points the Nittany Lions rallied to win decisively, and give Paterno his 400th victory at home in front of a faithful Penn State crowd.

In an era when coaches leave town almost as fast as they came in Joe Paterno has shown how to do it right. With a staff of coaches that at one time were recruited to be players Patterno proved that it is still possible in todays world to have coaches that ride out the storm, and build a solid program. And in the end it only seems fitting that the man that is Penn State football did not give credit to himself for the victories, but rather his players and the fans. Once again showing why Joe Paterno is the last of a breed, and in many ways the best.

Badgers Struggle First. Dominate in Second.

It was the tale of two halves. One team that seemed to struggle in the first, and then dominate in the second. In many ways the Wisconsin Badgers resembled a tale by Charles Dickens on Saturday then a highly ranked football team.

The game started off well for the Badgers. They drove the ball into Purdue territory. Until senior quarterback Scott Tolzien threw an interception. The Boilermakers were unable to make anything of the turnover, but following a missed field goal they were able to take advantage.

Purdue quarterback Sean Robinson would find Antavian Edison for a 23 yard touchdown, and the Boilermakers held the lead at 7-0. The Badgers would strike in the second for their first score off of a Purdue turnover, but it would be only a field goal.

The Boilermakers would answer with their own field goal, and Bucky would strike right back with another. Going into halftime the Badgers had played by far their worst half of football of the year, and only trailed by four.

The second half would be another story though.

Purdue received the ball coming out of halftime but that would be short lived. On third and five Robinson threw an interception of his own to Culmer St. Jean, and the Badgers were in business.

The Boilermakers were able to get the Badgers in a fourth and short from the Purdue nine yard line, but the Badgers had John Clay. Clay would pick up the first down, and Scott Tolzien would find Jared Abbrederis for Wisconsin's first lead of the game. A lead they would not relinquish.

While John Clay may have picked up the pivital first down in the second quarter it would be the hero from the Iowa victory that would take over. Clay was hobbled with what appeared to be a knee injury. Putting Montee Ball back in the game, and Ball would again carry the load.

Ball would carry the ball for 127 yards and two touchdowns. Once again showing the depth of the Badger rushing attack. Ball not only took over the game; he dominated it.

The longest run for Ball actually came on a touchdown run of over fifty yards, but was called back on a holding penalty. That didn't stop Ball though. He later busted one for 31 yards that would count for the touchdown.

In a tale of two halves the Badgers were able to turn around what could have been an upset. A defense that seem like a group of deer headlights at times in the first, forced three turnovers in the second half. Turning the game around.

The offense used those turnovers the turn their game around. Outscoring the Boilermakers 28-3 in the second half. And riding Montee Ball in the running game to another key road victory.

Lady Badgers Move Closer to Big Ten Title

Quietly the Lady Badgers soccer team has put together a season that could land them a conference tittle. Following the 3-0 victory over the Northwestern Wildcats the Badgers have solidified at least a third place finish in the Big Ten this season. Not to mention an outside chance at a conference title with some help.

The Lady Badgers rode junior forward Laurie Nosbusch to victory after her two goals and one assist against the Wildcats. Nosbusch's assist came first when Kodee Williams found the back of the net off of a Nosbusch pass. Later Nosbusch would score the final two goals of the game to help power the Badgers to the 3-0 victory.

Coming off of the victory the Lady Badgers are now sitting firmly in first place in the conference. A long ways from where the season started. Following the season opening tie to Marquette the Lady Badgers lost three straight to Cincinnati, UCLA, and Portland. After the three losses the Badgers managed two straight ties, but then the season took a different turn.

Following the ties to Washington and South Dakota State the Lady Badgers put together a run of three straight victories. The Badgers managed a tie against Purdue in the Big Ten Opener, but then put together another string of victories before losing to Ohio State.

Coming of the loss to the Buckeyes the Badgers went back on the road to Penn State. A team sitting atop of the Big Ten, and a big win for the Lady Badgers. The 3-2 victory started a streak of four wins that have not stopped, and now has the Lady Badgers sitting atop of the Big Ten.

Currently the Badgers have 23 points in the conference, and sit alone at the top, but their regular season is over. The Buckeyes and Nittany Lions still have one game left to play, and that leaves the Badgers needing some help to win the conference.

If the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions both fail to win their season finale the Badgers will win the conference outright. On the other side of the coin if just one of them wins...the Badgers will fall to third in the conference standings.

The Lady Badgers will play another game though this season. They are for the most are guaranteed to qualify for a spot in the NCAA tournament. A fate they will officially learn on Monday.

Week 9 Poll: Down Goes Sparty

On a weekend that lacked the upsets the Spartans fall the most following their devastating loss to Iowa. The fact that the Hawkeyes defeated Michigan State was not a surprise, but the manner that they down the Spartans was surprising. While this weekend may not have resulted in a major shakeup of the polls...next weekend should.

Who's Down

Michigan State
The Spartans are not down just for losing to Iowa, but the way that they lost to the Hawkeyes is playing a major factor. As we said earlier it was the fact that it was a thirty point loss at Iowa that hurts the most. The Spartans looked completely over-matched throughout most of the game, and some could say they looked like an average football team. Not the top ten team that they were the week before. Although the unbeaten season is over for the Spartans don't expect them to disappear with the schedule they have remaining.


Missouri
The Spartans were not the undefeated team to go down this weekend, and not a surprising defeat as well. It's the oldest tale in sports. It's the let-down after pulling a big upset. The Tigers fell victim to that curse against Nebraska this weekend. While the loss came against a solid Cornhusker team, it was not the way to legitimize a big win over number one Oklahoma the week before. Add on the fact that the loss may keep the Tigers out of the Big XII championship game, and you have a significant defeat. The fact that the Tigers failed to rise to the challenge on consecutive weeks is the reason they drop in the the poll this week.

Who's Up!

Nebraska
Like Iowa the Cornhuskers dealt a key blow to a conference foe that was undefeated in Missouri. The Cornhuskers looked impressive in their win against the Tigers this weekend and at times looked like the top ten team they were earlier in the season. That's why they are back in the top ten. With an impressive young quarterback, and a defense that will keep them in any game; don't be surprised to see the Cornhuskers in a BCS game in January.


Iowa
While the Hawkeyes may have a long road to the Rose Bowl, and need a lot of things to go right...they took a big step this week against Michigan State. Not only was the win impressive because of the opponent, but the manner in which they dominated the Spartans. Took make the victory even more impressive add in the fact they lost by just one point to the Badgers the week before. The way they won, and the resilience that the Hawkeyes showed are major reasons they make a big move in this week's poll.


Who's In!

North Carolina State
Good teams find ways to win big games, and the Wolf Pack found a way to win a big game against Florida State. NC State may not have dominated the Seminoles in Raleigh, but they found a way to comeback and win. In a game that in a way was their season. The theme of this week seems to be resilience and the Wolf Pack proved they are a resilient team. That's why they make our poll this week.



Who's Out!

Miami (FL)
This year has not been exactly what the Hurricanes thought it could be. Since the loss to Ohio State Miami has not looked like the same team. Following the devastating loss to Florida State earlier in the year the Hurricanes almost exited the poll and the ACC championship race, but they still held on. That was until this weekend against Virginia. The Hurricanes looked completely out of sync against the Cavaliers, and their mistakes continue to comeback and haunt them. The Hurricanes are still a quality football team, but a football team that has greatly under-achieved this season.

The Poll

1. Oregon
2. Boise State
3. Auburn
4. TCU
5. Utah
6. Alabama
7. Wisconsin
8. Nebraska
9. Ohio State
10. Oklahoma
11. Iowa
12. Stanford
13. Arizona
14. LSU
15. Missouri
16. South Carolina
17. Michigan State
18. Oregon State
19. Virginia Tech
20. Oklahoma State
21. Mississippi State
22. Nevada
23. Baylor
24. North Carolina State
25. Hawaii

Badgers Sweep Michigan Tech in Key Series

A sweep over Michigan Tech may have never sounded as good as it does this season for the Wisconsin men's hockey team. The rough schedule that follows the weekend sweep for the Badgers will prove to be enough of a reason to be pumped after sweeping Huskies.

Friday night the Badgers locked up their first WCHA win of the season in a 5-2 victory over the Huskies. The win was not only their first in the conference, but their first true comeback as well.

The Huskies jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period. In the second period the Badgers got rolling. Midway through the second period the Badgers struck for their first goal when Michael Mersch deflected a shot by Jake Gardiner. That goal put the Badgers on the board and one goal away from tieing up the game. Something that would come before the period was over.

Late in the second period the Badgers took advantage of a Huskie penalty. Podge Turnbull found the back of the net off of a Mersch pass. Going into the intermission the Badgers were tied with the Huskies 2-2 and it would be all Badgers after that.

Wisconsin would run off three goals in the third period including Mersch's second goal of the night, to lock up the 5-2 victory. The Badgers had their first conference win of the season, but not the first sweep quite yet.

On Saturday neither team jumped out to a lead in the first period. After a scoreless first the party got started in the second period. The Huskies struck first with a goal by Alex MacLeod on a Michigan Tech powerplay, but the Badgers would take over from there.

The Badgers answer the Huskie goal with a goal of their own by Justin Schultz. That goal tied the game at one a piece, but more Badgers would join the party. Craig Smith would strike first with the goal that would take the lead, and take the lead for good. His fellow Badgers Ryan Little and Sean Dolan would also add some pad to the game as the Badgers would roll to a 4-1 victory.

The sweep goes at perhaps the best time for the Badgers given their next three series. This weekend the Badgers will hit the road to take on their rivals up north in Minneapolis. Following a tough series at Minnesota the Badgers return home to face two of the best teams in the WCHA.

Wisconsin will return home to take on conference favorite North Dakota. The Fighting Sioux should come in as one of the top teams in the country, and the following weekend will not become any easier. Minnesota-Duluth will be the next club to enter the Kohl Center, and the Bulldogs are another team expected to compete for a conference title this season.

A sweep over Michigan Tech may not seem like the greatest sweep the Badgers have ever put together, but with the tough road ahead it could not have come at a better time. Especially for a young group of Badgers.

Let the Race Begin

The Big Ten football chase became even crazier this past weekend. Not only did the Spartans go down, but surprisingly the Spartans went down hard.

A 37-6 loss to the Hawkeyes on Saturday has opened up the Big Ten race. Once the sole leaders of the Big Ten the Spartans have now fallen into a four way tie. Opening door for the Badgers to have a real shot at the Rose Bowl.

The tie-breaker situation is up in the air with the tie as well. But a four way tie is impossible for the conference championship with Iowa and Ohio State to meet in Iowa City in the coming weeks.

That game will determine a lot of what will happen in the Big Ten championship race. Believe it or not a win for the Buckeyes actually helps the Badgers. A Hawkeye victory actually hurts the Badgers in the BCS, and in the run for the roses.

It has to be assumed with the Spartans schedule that they will run the rest of the table. Of the four teams in the race it's the Spartans that have the easier schedule. Match-ups against Minnesota, Purdue, and Penn State should prove to be wins for Sparty. Even though a trip to Penn State is never easy the Spartans should manage to win their season finale.

In the event of a tie with the Spartans and Hawkeyes, the Badgers would not reach the Rose Bowl, because of the tie breaker situations. If the Buckeyes beat the Hawkeyes it would be the Badgers that would presumably go to the Rose Bowl because of the tie breaker.

The Spartans do not play the Buckeyes this season and while that may have been a blessing at the beginning of the season, it has turned out to be a curse. In the event of a tie the Spartans would be on the short end of the stick because of their BCS ranking. The Buckeyes on the other hand could jump into the Rose Bowl because of BCS ranking, but with a loss to the Badgers in a head-to-head match-up that possibility is slim.

There is a lot more to be figured out when it comes to the conference championship, and the run to the rose bowl. With the Spartan's loss to the Hawkeyes the race has become even more insane. Which should make for an exciting finish to the season.