Throw on Wisconsin?
Just saw a report about a couple of safeties (Aubrey Pleasant, Shane Carter) that got suspended indefinitely from Wisconsin's team for unstated reasons. Carter was suspended for the Bowl game last year so this does not bode well for him.
Both are 5th year seniors and both started all games in 2007 with Carter earning Big-Ten honorable mention with 7 INTs that year. Pleasant only started 1 game last year and Carter started 7. The two starting safeties from last season are back for the Badgers but these guys were definitely in the mix. At the very least both were going to be important contributers this year. Pleasant was their nickleback last year.
It'll be interesting to see if they get reinstated but apparently there is "no chance of being reinstated before camp ends" according to the story. Theoretically our game is late enough that the Badgers should have time to fill those gaps up to a certain extent, but Wisco's D just took a significant hit.
[EDIT: Link fixed]
August 16th, 2009 at 3:57 AM ^
Carter isn't a huge loss. The 7 INTs looked nice a couple years ago, but he's atrocious in coverage and tackling. Looks like a Michigan safety out there.
August 16th, 2009 at 8:23 AM ^
Are you criticizing Michigan's secondary?! How dare you!
Wait. You're not UMDad. Carry on.
August 16th, 2009 at 6:15 AM ^
I think Wisky has steadily deteriorated since Barry Alverez moved to AD. It was subtle at first because Alverez had really put the pieces for a nice program in place, but there has been a steady movement back toward the "lower middle class" of the Big Ten.
This could be a year where all hell breaks loose up there if they aren't careful.
August 16th, 2009 at 9:35 AM ^
For what it's worth, I lived in Madison for a long time and have followed the Wisconsin football program fairly closely. While I haven't been that impressed with Bielema either, this decline isn't out of line with what happened in the Alvarez years. The question is whether or not Bielema can pull the team out of it like Alvarez did.
For instance, look at their record over the end of the Alvarez era:
1993 10-1-1 Rose Bowl win
1994 7-4-1 Declining...
1995 4-5-2 Rock bottom
1996 8-5 Coming back...
1997 8-5 Coming back...
1998 11-1 Rose Bowl win
1999 10-2 Rose Bowl win
2000 9-4 Slight decline
2001 5-7 Bottom
2002 8-6 Two steps forward
2003 7-6 One step back
2004 9-3 Two steps forward
2005 10-3 And they're back
2006 12-2 Bielema benefits from the timing of Alverez' retirement
So can Bielema actually pull them out of their tail spin? Got me. He doesn't have a track record as a head coach (before the last few years, I mean). His game management skills leave something to be desired, and I agreed with Brian's description ("meathead"). Although down a bit last year (#51 class according to Scout), his recruiting classes have been ranked in the range that Alvarez's last several classes were.
Edit: Thinking about this a bit more, my bet would be against Bielema. I think Alvarez gives him a full five years before pulling the plug, though, so he probably has time to pull it out.
August 16th, 2009 at 6:56 AM ^
enough said. How important can they be except for depth since the starters are back. Finally, if Wisconsin is using a safety as the nickel back they have some real issues at CB.
August 16th, 2009 at 8:28 AM ^
Wooooo. Jump around!
August 16th, 2009 at 10:18 AM ^
Bielema has players that try to tear opponents knee ligaments after plays when the refs aren't looking, so I'm sure he won't mind playing guys who do - whatever it is that these guys did.
August 16th, 2009 at 11:24 AM ^
has always appeared to me to have skill players that run in quicksand. I think of players like Davis, Hill and especially Dayne. Even Clay, while powerful and speedy, can look slow plodding through the line. And the fact that Threet was able to gain 58 yards on one run against their defensive backs really signaled to me that their secondary was either fooled horribly, somewhat slow, or a combo platter of the two.
Michigan's speed is definitely an advantage over a "bulk" team like Wisconsin. The advantage should be even greater this year.
August 16th, 2009 at 12:39 PM ^
Speed can be an advantage over fat, slow teams. But it can also be a disadvantage. Clay could run all over us. It will be hard to tackle him because he and his Oline are huge.
August 16th, 2009 at 2:04 PM ^
we don't necessarily have to be small on defense. Maybe just on offensive/offensive skill positions.
Florida State would agree with the assertion that Speed > Power. 49-14
EDIT: I agree, though, their O-line is massive. And I think Hill's legs are larger than my torso haha
August 16th, 2009 at 2:42 PM ^
You meant Clay, right?
I think the one mitigating circumstance when comparing speed with bulk is conditioning. If Michigan isn't too banged up by mid November, their conditioning will probably be superior to Wisconsin's. While I think you're both right in that Wisconsin's line is huge and Clay is a beast, if Michigan can get two guys quickly to a spot and make the tackle, they could be alright. If they can't shed a block, they're in trouble, but Wisconsin has to still get TO the block. That's where the power and conditioning of this Barwis program should be evident.
And, in addition, I will enjoy watching Wisconsin's linemen and linebackers trying to catch V. Smith, a healthy Shaw, Gallon or Denard in a one on one situation.
August 16th, 2009 at 7:08 PM ^
after watching the Champs Sports with FSU (which I actually picked Wisconsin to win, unfortunately) I was pretty surprised by how obsolete FSU made the side of Wisky's O-line. There are probably a lot of factors going into that crushing defeat; one, it could be argued, is the weather. Another could simply be the game plan FSU employed (can't really comment on that, I don't remember enough of the game). I just know that FSU's skill players zipped all over the place during that game.
FSU's defense just played good fundamental football. Clay can't truck you nearly as effectively if you tackle him below the waist the way it's taught (or supposed to be taught).
I believe you're right that the main factor in a situation like this is conditioning; Wisky didn't finish games very well last year, and that could be a big reason why.
Yeah, that was a PJ Hill typo.
August 16th, 2009 at 12:37 PM ^
They won't be suspended 4 months from now.
August 16th, 2009 at 12:42 PM ^
also had another member of their secondary kicked off the team due to grades. They are hurting for d-backs right now.
August 16th, 2009 at 1:06 PM ^
Going back to the speed comment I agree. Wisconsin doesn't appear to have any speed on the team so if we can get some of our speedsters in space, watch out.