wisconsin

This Week in Schadenfreude (link)

Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, WVU, Illinois, amongst others.

Zook managed this in his inimitably Zook-y way, punting on fourth and three from the Purdue 38. He was down 21 points at the time. His team ended up losing by seven. Ron Zook has no idea what connections can possibly be drawn between these two facts. Ron Zook isn't sure how much a touchdown is worth and suspects he might actually be a dolphin. To test this he is going to go mine copper. Ron Zook: not smart.

Inimitably. Say that three times fast.

I still can not believe what happened last night.  I am thinking the one good thing that came out of that is it made us look better  losing to a good MSU team.  I am thinking that this will play to our advantage in the BCS right?  Of course, Michigan is going to need to win out and Sparty is going to have to lose 2 games for the BCS standings and all that other stuff to come into play

This is your open thread for Nebraska's first Big 10 game and any other action you care to watch.

I'm off to re-read the Eleven Warriors LiveBlog. Buckeye tears have been so rare for so long that we shouldn't pass up any opportunity to enjoy them. Combined highlights for both teams included 7 of 30 3rd down conversions, 106 total rushing yards, 3 turnovers, 17 points, and 16 punts. Both teams have good defenses, but ugh, what a mess.

Wisconsin senior calls a timeout during the last 10 seconds of the State title game and receives a technical foul since the team had no more left; this pretty much cost his team the title.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/highschool/blog/prep_rally/post/Player-gets-support-after-Chris-Webber-like-titl?urn=highschool-wp892

He does get consoled by his team mates about the ordeal and gets compared to the 93 title mistake by Webber. Tough way for a kid to end his high school career but i suppose that's just sports. I wish him the best going forward especially since we know first hand how lasting of an impact/memory this has.

God, I hate Wisconsin.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qxDkvLdupoM#at=30

(via Dr. Saturday)

Stu Douglass has gotten a decent share of grief for doubling up on Jordan Taylor last night and not sticking with his man. After watching the video again, this is wrong.

http://www.umhoops.com/2011/02/23/crushed-wisconsin-53-michigan-52/

As the play begins, Stu is matched up with Taylor.  Hardaway is guarding the inbound (Gasser).  Nankivil bodies into Novak, but no one actually sets a screen on Douglass as he follows his man (Taylor) to the ball.  After the inbound is made, Hardaway makes no effort to follow the inbounder (Gasser) as he loops behind Taylor.  Douglass seems to notice Gasser looping behind him and hesitates as to whether or not he should switch and give Taylor to Hardaway.  He points to Hardaway as though there should be a switch.  That hesistation is probably the killer in the whole sequence. 

We don't know exactly what Beilein's plan was, but he did say in the post game that he didn't plan on giving help.  If it was supposed to be a straight man coverage, Hardaway dropped the ball by completely abandoning his man (Gasser).  If they were supposed to exchange, I don't see how Douglass (or anyone) could have pulled that off.  If he tracks Gasser as he passes him by, Taylor is going to pull up for an in rhythm, open look before Hardaway closes on him.  If he sticks completely to Taylor, they get a decent double team and maybe Taylor can't make that pass to Gasser, but if he can, he's WIDE open. 

Anyway, point is, I don't think it's as clear that Douglass botched the defensive assignment on the play as people would make it out to be.  He didn't leave his man to double Taylor.  Taylor was his man.