Badger fans self-created elite status

[tm3308]

Wisconsin is as close to an elite program as Northwestern.

There aren't many elite programs; in recent memory or historically.

What BIG team is elite? Some would say MSU, if so, that would be it...in my opinion, none are.

I'd put Ohio State up there. And in what world is Indiana not an elite program (ESPECIALLY historically)?

And to say Wisconsin is on the same level as Northwestern is just asinine. One has been to two Final Fours, the other has never even made the field of 64/65/68.

 

[MisterLucky]

42-37 seems really close to me.

Yeah, but consider what it was before the Davis fiasco and the Ryan hiring. And surprisingly enough, that seems to be the only period Bucky remembers.

 

[IowaTeddy]

And to say Wisconsin is on the same level as Northwestern is just asinine.

Okay Stephen A. Smith

 

[tm3308]

Yeah, but consider what it was before the Davis fiasco and the Ryan hiring.

Minnesota leads the all-time football series 62-42-2. I guess our program just isn't on the same level as Minnesota, since we didn't get consistently good until the early '80s.

 

[eveningnewsteam]

Went to Wisconsin's practice Saturday. They better wrap that transfer qb in bubble wrap because if he goes down, good night. Their next 3 qb's are absolutely atrocious. There are better quarterbacks in the Iowa Conference and that isnt an exxageration, thats the truth. These guys are AWFUL. Cant move, very weak arms and no accuracy. All of them were continually throwing the ball into the ground about 2 feet short of the receivers on easy patterns.

 

[sportstalent]

I'd put Ohio State up there. And in what world is Indiana not an elite program (ESPECIALLY historically)?

And to say Wisconsin is on the same level as Northwestern is just asinine. One has been to two Final Fours, the other has never even made the field of 64/65/68.

Inidana is an elite, didn't think that one quite all the way through until your reply. Indiana's recent misery until this year took them out of the forefront for a period of time. Since Knight was fired; they have wallowed for a bit. Davis took Knight's team as far as anyone could, but outside of that there hasn't been a whole lot of positive from Davis to Sampson to Crean, until Zeller arrived.
OSU, is closer than anyone after that, but...historically you may say they are, but I don't think people today view them remotely close to one.

On an elite level, Wisconsin is no closer than anyone who isn't...it was a shot at any Wisconsin fan or anyone that thinks otherwise. They aren't elite and have a heck of a long way to go to get anywhere close much as many BIG teams.

 

[1977Hawkeye]

Wisconsin is not Elite. They can't really get past the Sweet 16. But it would be a complete falsehood to say that is not a VERY GOOD program. 11 straight NCAA's appearances, and always in the top half of the conference. As an Iowa fan, I'd take that in a heartbeat.

But it's true that Wisconsin basketball was a joke, practically at NW's level, when I was growing up. This was in the 1980's. Pretty much every year, you could expect Wisconsin and NW at the bottom of the Big Ten standings. They improved in the 1990's, and the 2000's has been, as far as I'm aware, easily the most prosperous decade in the program's history.

If I'm not mistaken, I thought they won a national title once, but that was back in the peach basket days.

 

[SpiderRico]

From 1961-1980, a period of 20 years, our football team was essentially the laughing stock of the conference. Next to Northwestern, we had the worst record in the conference during that stretch.

Then starting in 1981 thru 2011, we have had the 3rd best record in the conference on the football field, after OSU and Michigan.

I'm sure during the 1980's, when guys outside Iowa had grown up with Hawkeye football sucking a$$ for the previous 20 years, they probably wondered the same thing we do about Wisconsin basketball.

The fact is, good coaching can overcome just about anything. Love him or hate him, Bo Ryan can certainly coach.

 

[gohawks71]

Well however we viewed ourselves when Mr. Davis was coaching us is how they should be viewed because their finishes sound pretty much identical.

Bo Ryan has been the head coach for 11 seasons. They have won 20 games each year, with the exception of two. Those seasons were: his first year (2001-2002) when they won 19 games, and 2005-2006 when they also won 19 games.They have been to 11 straight NCAA tournaments. They've been to the Elite Eight once, the Sweet Sixteen 5 times and lost in the first round once. They are not elite, but very good. So yes, the UW fans have inflated the success of the badgers, but not by much.