Someone PLease explain Wisconsin love to me...

[Sirhouseman]

Why are they ranked higher than Iowa to start the year from so many?

The only ranked team they beat all of last year was Miami.

We beat them at home, and return 14 starters from a BCS bowl team.

Is it because of Clay? The guy with fumblitis who Iowa owner in the second half last year?

While I am completely at ease with this game being played in IC, I think this original post is a bit misleading. We were OWNED by Clay in the first half until he hurt his ankle. He wasn't anywhere close to 100% the rest of the game.

Wisconsin will be good, but they won't win in IC.

 

[NewMexHawk]

I'm glad we get Wisky @ home this year. This game will be a typical slobber knocker and both teams will be beat all to he## at the end of the game, just like the Iowa/Mich St game.

 

[homerHAWKeye777]

This, from Athlon:

Last year’s Badgers won 10 games (including a bowl), and this year’s outfit could be even better. The offense should reprise last year’s success, when it was one of only six in the country to average 200 yards per game both passing and running. In fact, it could be even better, thanks to Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year John Clay, a dangerous runner, and quarterback Scott Tolzien, who surprised last year with his accuracy and consistency. The whole offensive line is back, too. If the defense can fill its holes along the front, and UW can cut back on the TD passes it allows, it might just be able to make a run at the Big Ten title.

I can understand the love based on the O ... however, I'd be surprised if the D is quite as good as it was last year. I anticipate that the run D won't be as good as it was last year ... but the pass D should be a bit better.

 

[hoffahawk]

why the love? who really cares. it's F'ing May!

Like others have said we play them so it doesn't really matter if they are ranked ahead of us or not it will be settled on the field. and the only rankings that matter are the ones the last couple of weeks of the season and after bowl games, hell and you could even argue that those don't matter.

Wisconsin will be good, Iowa will be good, How good we won't know until the games start.

 

[Hawk4Life25]

In the game in Madison last year Iowa was dominated in the first half but the Badgers on ground because they would sent the slot receiver in motion. The motion man would not get the ball but the fake shifted the linebackers enough to create the lanes for Clay to run wild. Once Iowa made some half-time adjustments and played assignment football they took care of business.

 

[burky247]

Wisconsin will be pretty good this season. When I looked at their schedule, the first thing I thought was that I could see them having a season like Penn St. had last year. Only lose two games, but those two games could be to the top two in the conference. Of course, they could just as easily win the conference. But I think a 10-2 record is more realistic.

I don't think any of us(Wisky or Iowa fans) should be complaining about the other one being ranked high. It's good for the Big Ten's image to have these two schools step up while Michigan is on their hiatus.

 

[homerHAWKeye777]

The thing that strikes me about Wisky is that they only have 2 kinda proven guys on the DL ... Watt and Butrym. And, even then, Butrym was primarily in as a backup DT.

Of course, Wisky will have a pretty veteran secondary ... and, contrary to what many Hawk fans anticipate, their secondary actually will be pretty darn solid.

On top of that, Taylor and Borland have great upsides and St. Jean isn't too bad at LB either. Of course, I still think that as young LBs, Taylor and Borland will still be a bit exploitable in coverage ... however, I think that they make up for that in many respects with their aggressive and fast style of play.

Of course, the quality of the LB play will still hinge on their D-line. And, while they definitely have some talent there ... Wisky really isn't all that deep on the DL ... or rather, they're not all that deep with experienced talent. If Watt were to go down ... they'd be super-duper screwed. As it is, I'm genuinely curious whether or not Watt will be quite as successful without having an opposing DE of the caliber of Schofield pushing action his way.

 

[madrx]

As a hawkeye living in Madison, I hear most of the details on the Badgers. They have a veteran offensive line and probably the best receiving core that they've had in years. Tolzien may be better this year because Curt Philips, the more athletic back up QB tore up his knee and will likely be out most of the season. Last year Bielema seemed to disrupt the offensive rhythm by pulling out Tolzien and using Philips for a couple of possessions per game. Ball is also a very solid backup at RB in case Clay gets hurt.

Bielema will likely be in trouble if they don't meet the high expectations this year, as lots of people around Madison dislike how he acts and have only put up with him due to his success on the field.

 

[IowaBanker]

Athlon Sports 2009 Pre-season poll
1. Florida
2. Oklahoma
3. Texas
4. USC
5. Ohio State
6. Alabama
7. Penn State
8. Virginia Tech
9. Oklahoma State
10. Mississippi
11. California
12. Boise State
13. Oregon
14. Georgia
15. Florida State
16. Nebraska
17. LSU
18. Cincinnati
19. North Carolina
20. Michigan State
21. Utah
22. Georgia Tech
23. Iowa
24. Notre Dame
25. Oregon State

Now look at the final poll of the bcs or AP and tell me how close they were on picking the teams. not very good if you ask me. 5 teams didnt even finish in the top 25 so screw top 25 preseason polls they suck

It's pretty easy to pick apart someone else's preseason prognostications when they didn't work out. What point does that prove? Is there a magazine (or a person, for that matter) out there somewhere who got the 2009 season right 3 months before it took place? If so, I'd like to see it.

They are predictions and mean nothing, other than to sell magazines. Don't lose sight of that.

I'd challenge you, right now, to rank your 2010 Preseason Top 25 and publish it right here on Hawkeye Nation. Then, after the season's over, a stranger can make a post and judge the quality of your predictions.

 

[WarHawk05]

It's pretty easy to pick apart someone else's preseason prognostications when they didn't work out. What point does that prove? Is there a magazine (or a person, for that matter) out there somewhere who got the 2009 season right 3 months before it took place? If so, I'd like to see it.

They are predictions and mean nothing, other than to sell magazines. Don't lose sight of that.

I'd challenge you, right now, to rank your 2010 Preseason Top 25 and publish it right here on Hawkeye Nation. Then, after the season's over, a stranger can make a post and judge the quality of your predictions.

1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Boise State
4. Texas
5. Florida
6. Nebraska
7. Virginia Tech
8. Oregon
9. Iowa
10. TCU
11. Wisconsin
12. Miami
13. Florida State
14. North Carolina
15. West Virginia
16. Arkansas
17. Oklahoma
18. Georgia
19. USC
20. Stanford
21. Cincinnati
22. Missouri
23. Georgia Tech
24. Pittsburgh
25. LSU