Badgers are rated #22 in this weeks Coaches Poll. With 4 games left that they should win, a New Years Bowl game is not out of the Question. This is a young team, that showed when they play together and limit mistakes can be a formidable team.

pastaboy:

Badgers are rated #22 in this weeks Coaches Poll. With 4 games left that they should win, a New Years Bowl game is not out of the

 Question. This is a young team, that showed when they play together and limit mistakes can be a formidable team.

However one never knows which team will show up on game day!

pastaboy:

Badgers are rated #22 in this weeks Coaches Poll. With 4 games left that they should win, a New Years Bowl game is not out of the Question. This is a young team, that showed when they play together and limit mistakes can be a formidable team.

you really honestly think the badgers deserved to be ranked at this point in the season especially given the weakness of the BT (once again) this year?

runningwithscissors:

pastaboy:

Badgers are rated #22 in this weeks Coaches Poll. With 4 games left that they should win, a New Years Bowl game is not out of the Question. This is a young team, that showed when they play together and limit mistakes can be a formidable team.

you really honestly think the badgers deserved to be ranked at this point in the season especially given the weakness of the BT (once again) this year?

You can say that about every BCS conference other than the SEC.

runningwithscissors:

pastaboy:

Badgers are rated #22 in this weeks Coaches Poll. With 4 games left that they should win, a New Years Bowl game is not out of the Question. This is a young team, that showed when they play together and limit mistakes can be a formidable team.

you really honestly think the badgers deserved to be ranked at this point in the season especially given the weakness of the BT (once again) this year?

6-2.  Both polls ranked.  Yes, they felt they deserved it over a bunch of 3 loss teams.  It's kind of hard to miss it.  Maybe you'd have been one of the ones to leave them out.  So be it.  But they're ranked against your wishes.  Why fight it?

thebiga:

runningwithscissors:

pastaboy:

Badgers are rated #22 in this weeks Coaches Poll. With 4 games left that they should win, a New Years Bowl game is not out of the Question. This is a young team, that showed when they play together and limit mistakes can be a formidable team.

you really honestly think the badgers deserved to be ranked at this point in the season especially given the weakness of the BT (once again) this year?

You can say that about every BCS conference other than the SEC.

I disagree.  I think the Badgers would have struggled mightily in the Pac 10, Big 12, and the ACC.

The best of the Big Ten simply isn't that good and the bottom is still pretty bad.

ike1024:

thebiga:

runningwithscissors:

pastaboy:

Badgers are rated #22 in this weeks Coaches Poll. With 4 games left that they should win, a New Years Bowl game is not out of the Question. This is a young team, that showed when they play together and limit mistakes can be a formidable team.

you really honestly think the badgers deserved to be ranked at this point in the season especially given the weakness of the BT (once again) this year?

You can say that about every BCS conference other than the SEC.

I disagree.  I think the Badgers would have struggled mightily in the Pac 10, Big 12, and the ACC.

The best of the Big Ten simply isn't that good and the bottom is still pretty bad.

I think UW would be at worst middling (4-6th) team in those conferences.  Pretty much where they'll finish in the BT.  They'd have the biggest issues playing in the Pac 10.  Easiest in the B12 North.  The ACC is such a schizophrenic league that I can't comprehend how well UW would do there.  It's almost a rule that you have to lose 3 times to win the ACC.  Duke has the 2nd best league record in the ACC right now.

Scissors...........Do I state in my post that I disagree or agree with the Pollsters? I simply state that they are ranked #22 in the coaches poll.

I also state that this young team when playing at or near their potential can be a formidable opponent...and I stand by that assessment.

Do I think that when they are playing well they should be ranked in the top 25....yes no question about it....

BigA like your comment...concerning the SEC...

pastaboy:

Scissors...........Do I state in my post that I disagree or agree with the Pollsters? I simply state that they are ranked #22 in the coaches poll.

I also state that this young team when playing at or near their potential can be a formidable opponent...and I stand by that assessment.

Do I think that when they are playing well they should be ranked in the top 25....yes no question about it....

BigA like your comment...concerning the SEC...

I was jut asking a question as to what you thought, i'm not sure how you read it, but it was just a question. 

What I see is that there is a lot more parity within some of the the conferences this year like the Pac 10 and Big 12.  You have middle of the pack teams making some great statements within conference play this year.  This isn't due to those conferences necessarily being down, it's due to more teams within those conferences rising to challenge the traditional powers.  With MSU and ILL totally blowing up their seasons, one team had to step up and that is Iowa this year.  But do you honestly think Iowa is a top #5/#10 Team?  Not me. 

runningwithscissors:

What I see is that there is a lot more parity within some of the the conferences this year like the Pac 10 and Big 12.  You have middle of the pack teams making some great statements within conference play this year.  This isn't due to those conferences necessarily being down, it's due to more teams within those conferences rising to challenge the traditional powers.

Why is the BT down but the Pac10 and B12 have parity?  The BT can't have parity?

runningwithscissors:

With MSU and ILL totally blowing up their seasons, one team had to step up and that is Iowa this year.  But do you honestly think Iowa is a top #5/#10 Team?  Not me.

I'm not saying you're wrong re:Iowa but if you win your games, you get ranked high.  You could argue that since Iowa has been able to win from behind in practically every game they play says they're deserving of their ranking.  You can't get lucky that many times in one season.  You have to be good.  Regardless, we'll all have the answer on Iowa when they head to Columbus in 2 weeks.

 I'm fairly certain the only difference between the Big 10 and the Pac 10 is that the Pac 10 is just better on top.  I don't think those middle of the road or bottom Pac 10 schools are any better.  Also, I think you could actually argue that since USC is definitely down this year that the Pac-10 overall isn't as good as theyve been the last few.  Not to mention Iowa also has a nice win versus a ranked Pac 10 team in Arizona.  The Big 12 and SEC are just dominant again, and until football can be played year round in anywhere but the sourthern half of this country I'm not sure I can see that changing. 

thebiga:

runningwithscissors:

What I see is that there is a lot more parity within some of the the conferences this year like the Pac 10 and Big 12.  You have middle of the pack teams making some great statements within conference play this year.  This isn't due to those conferences necessarily being down, it's due to more teams within those conferences rising to challenge the traditional powers.

Why is the BT down but the Pac10 and B12 have parity?  The BT can't have parity?

runningwithscissors:

With MSU and ILL totally blowing up their seasons, one team had to step up and that is Iowa this year.  But do you honestly think Iowa is a top #5/#10 Team?  Not me.

I'm not saying you're wrong re:Iowa but if you win your games, you get ranked high.  You could argue that since Iowa has been able to win from behind in practically every game they play says they're deserving of their ranking.  You can't get lucky that many times in one season.  You have to be good.  Regardless, we'll all have the answer on Iowa when they head to Columbus in 2 weeks.

not implying anything by asking, but do you think the BT is down or up compared to last year?  The NC didn't show me anything that the stock of the BT is rising.

I'm still of the mindset that the BT is down. 

If/When Iowa makes it to a BCS Bowl, they'll have a chance to bring the BT up and prove me wrong.  Until then, I'm not convinced that they are a top 5/10 team.  A top 5/10 team doesn't consistently fight from behind with great frequency but kudos to Iowa for being so mentally tough on the field. 

runningwithscissors:

not implying anything by asking, but do you think the BT is down or up compared to last year?  The NC didn't show me anything that the stock of the BT is rising.

I don't know and frankly, I don't care.  It matters little to me how the rest of the conference does.  Using the NC slate to determine any judgment is also kinda useless, imo.  They're for the most part pre-season games that have no bearing on your season other than determining at large BCS bids and making it possible for 7 or 8 teams from the big conferences bowl eligible.  The others are rivalry games (like Mich-ND for example) where anything can happen.  Non-conference scheduling is such a mess that it's hard to draw a conclusion from it.

runningwithscissors:

If/When Iowa makes it to a BCS Bowl, they'll have a chance to bring the BT up and prove me wrong.  Until then, I'm not convinced that they are a top 5/10 team.  A top 5/10 team doesn't consistently fight from behind with great frequency but kudos to Iowa for being so mentally tough on the field.

I hear you.  Like I said, we'll know more about Iowa in 2 weeks, and maybe in Pasadena as well.

Re: Iowa.....they are pretty much an enigma...I saw them completely dismantle a good Penn. State team in Happy Valley...it was dominance all the way in a hostile environment.... I think they are the real deal and an opportune team that creates mistakes in their opponents. I think they have a downside and that for parts of games they seem to play down to their level of competition.... One other thing...Stanzi is not always on the top of his game, and when pressured makes some pretty bad mistakes. Also losing one of their very good and up and coming backs has hurt as well. Don't think they'll get him back until the bowl games. Also as said previously when you are from a major conference and win all your games you are going to be highly ranked. Iowas major test will be in Columbus. I see Iowas defense creating all kinds of problems for Pryor.....but  also the OSU defense is going to make Stanzi throw and he better be on his game....

it would be interesting to see where the polls put UW should they win out.  We would be behind OSU, Iowa and PSU most likely.  Can anyone say Outback Bowl again? 

OSU Best Iowa, but both go to BCS Bowls (Iowa as an at-large).  PSU to Capital One and UW to the Outback Bowl.