October 22, 2011

"Wisconsin should know we're coming... our lineman are getting after the quarterback. And they're going to hurt him."

Said Michigan State safety Isaiah Lewis the other day about Wisconsin's quarterback Russell Wilson.

Well, the game is on right now, and after the first play, Isaiah Lewis was holding his wrist, complaining, and had to be looked after and escorted off the field.

Be careful, delicate Spartans!

UPDATE: Karma is a bitch.

53 comments:

Sue D'Nhym said...

He should be tough. Like a pussy. Those things can take a pounding!

/off Betty White

J Allen said...

Nothing wrong with talking smack until you get a good smack.

A. Shmendrik said...

I'm liking de game so far.

Big Mike said...

Can't either team defend the pass. With the 1st quarter not quite over Wilson is 4 for 4 and Cousins (MSU) is 3 for 3.

Big Mike said...

I had to go and post a comment. Wilson just missed one.

I'll shut up.

Big Mike said...

Actually, Wilson still hasn't missed a pass. Just this last one went to a Spartan.

Okay. This time I will shut up.

Michael said...

Lewis back in.

rhhardin said...

"You can't take Amelia for long walks, Mr. Jones; she's delicate."

Empson

Titus said...

Fuck em Bucky!

MrCharlie2 said...

fight fiercely Spartans

J Allen said...

Did someone hit the off switch on these guys?!?!

Anonymous said...

On Sparty!

Is that wrong??

(My fellow countrymen hate me because I think Wisconsin is ...knarley)

Badgers need testing...hoping State is up to it-

Go Blue.

Anonymous said...

Me thinks W scheduled too many easy, cheesy home games-

Anonymous said...

Helluva game, eh, boys?

Petunia said...

Wow, the Badgers aren't doing well at all in their first real test. Maybe ol' Bret isn't worth that million-dollar salary after all.

KLDAVIS said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
KLDAVIS said...

"Big Mike said...
Can't either team defend the pass[?]"

No, in College Football all of the really good players play on offense. Defense rarely enters into any game where the teams are of relatively equal strength. That's why I find it nearly intolerable. Thankfully pass Interference is only 15 yards in the College game.

kjbe said...

Wilson is mortal.

Anonymous said...

Damn, I never saw this coming.

Joe said...

our lineman are getting after the quarterback

So that's how the game works! I wonder if in practice, the linemen kept running the other way until taught correctly.

Known Unknown said...

No, in College Football all of the really good players play on offense. Defense rarely enters into any game where the teams are of relatively equal strength. That's why I find it nearly intolerable. Thankfully pass Interference is only 15 yards in the College game.

Tell that to all of those Ohio State linebackers, safetys and cornerbacks currently in the NFL.

KLDAVIS said...

E.M.,

1) Defensive coaching in college sucks and is not a point of emphasis. Some defensive players make the leap to the NFL on shear talent. Often times above average wide receivers end up moving to cornerback and safety.

2) There has been a sea change toward offense in the BCS era. Defense doesn't get you the massive number of points you need to impress the voters and computers.

Since you mention Ohio State, let's take a look at their alumni playing in the league...

There are currently 4 cornerbacks playing in the NFL who went to Ohio State. Compare that to 7 wide receivers and 2 tight ends.

Only one of those CBs was drafted in the last 7 years (Chimdi Chekwa, this is his rookie season).

7 of the 9 receivers/TEs were drafted in that same time period.

Lineman/Linebackers are an entirely different subject, as they don't tend to factor into the air game, which is where the major score running up potential lies...

KLDAVIS said...

Oh look, Wisconsin tied the game...Michigan State really should have been trying to run out the clock instead of throwing all of those incompletions.

Steve Koch said...

Great game. Wow, Spartans win on the last play of the game, needed review to overturn the call on the field.

Very bad time out calls by WU coach.

KLDAVIS said...

Wow, that ref couldn't wait to get off the field...

Anonymous said...

KNOCK IT DOWN!!!!

*sigh*

I'm of two minds of that ruling.

1. It probably did cross the goal line

2. No way was that indisputable evidence of it doing so.

Anonymous said...

Well, as you could clearly see, you guys got your ass totally kicked.

Michigan State is a far superior team.
The science is clear; there is no debate.

Tony said...

Looks like WI is developing a big loser problem. First there was the Brewers, now the UW Badgers. Who does the Pack play tomorrow?

David said...

Not delicate enough.

"Unsportswomanlike premature gloating, Number 1, Althouse, 15 yards and 3 hours in the car with Cedarford."

KLDAVIS said...

Tony, the undefeated, World Champion Green Bay Packers play the hapless Minnesota (soon to be L.A.) Vikings, whose rookie QB is getting his first ever start in an NFL game...if the Pack lose, the state of WI will likely burn.

garage mahal said...

Mind numbingly stupid time out by Bielema at :30 left. WTF?

Steve Koch said...

With tOSU down this year I thought the UW had a great chance to go undefeated maybe even get into the MNC game. Those timeout calls really,, really backfired.

Ann Althouse said...

I have been punished.

garage mahal said...

Badgers came close to blocking MSU's last punt. That can be the only explanation for calling a TO with :30 left, and looking at 1 and 10 with maybe :20 left on their side of the field.

Steve Koch said...

Normal football strategy is to shorten the game if you are the underdog and take a chance to win it at the end of regulation rather than just let it go to OT. The thinking is that if you are better, the longer the game lasts, the more likely it is that you win.

I guess the UW coach is just a go for it guy. He will remember this game and his TO calls for the rest of his life. It is not often that UW is on the glide path to a MNC game.

garage mahal said...

Bielema will remember that shuttle pass by MSU that went for the first down, after the timeout he took, as much as the Hail Mary for the win. It was the right call too. I've never liked instant replay, but if you have it at least have the guts to overturn a call.

Petunia said...

That was a really dumb timeout by Bielema. Some people are mentioning a jump by one of the MSU linemen on 3rd and 8 that wasn't called, but I didn't see that.

Not one penalty on MSU? Not one? I find it hard to believe that they didn't commit ANY penalties in front of the refs....

themightypuck said...

Are you suggesting the fix was in? Also totally agree with dumbness of WI calling TO. Definitely a TD so I don't really care about the whole indisputable evidence line. Justice was done. Kinda sad that a pure luck play that goes the other way 9 times out of 10 kills a Heisman and a season. Great game though and lets face it. It's all about the games. Seasons are for bean counters. Games are for fans.

Petunia said...

Not saying there was a fix, just wondering how it can be that no penalties were called on one team.

Maybe this loss was payback for Bielema's propensity to run up the score when the Badgers play the Little Sisters of the Poor.

rhhardin said...

I don't offhand remember any football game except the Heidi bowl.

It's so hard to do the right thing when you're programming a network.

Darcy said...

Sparty on!

Curious George said...

Bret Bielema is a moron.

Wisconsin is not a national championship team. They are a good team that will occasionally win the Big 10, almost always go to a bowl...sometimes a pretty good one...so their fans will go and get out of the cold for a few days in January. They'll fill up Camp Randall every game.

That's it. Be thankful Badger fans.

Mr. D said...

I did find it amazing that the Spartans didn't get called for a single penalty. I did see at least one penalty that didn't get called in the fateful 2nd quarter. Ball was knocked out of the game when a Spartan player went helmet-to-helmet. The play knocked Ball out of the game for the rest of the half. If that gets called, the Badgers are 1st and goal and have a chance to go up 21-9. It didn't, the Spartans blocked a field goal and things changed big time after that.

Coulda shoulda woulda otherwise.

The Dude said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Roger J. said...

What a finih--reminded me of Franco Harris' immaculate reception! Got to sympathize with the refs--I would have gone with their call had I not seen the instant replay. I know refs do make bad calls but they are human beings, and I think that human element is part of the game. Just like the weather.

Congrats to both teams for one fine ball game.

Meade said...

Tony said...
"Looks like WI is developing a big loser problem. First there was the Brewers, now the UW Badgers. Who does the Pack play tomorrow?"

Yeah, yeah.
Well, we'll always have the UW women's hockey team. They know how to fight.
Like a girl.

Curious George said...

Mr. D said...
I did find it amazing that the Spartans didn't get called for a single penalty. I did see at least one penalty that didn't get called in the fateful 2nd quarter. Ball was knocked out of the game when a Spartan player went helmet-to-helmet. The play knocked Ball out of the game for the rest of the half. If that gets called, the Badgers are 1st and goal and have a chance to go up 21-9. It didn't, the Spartans blocked a field goal and things changed big time after that."

That play is not a penalty under college rules. The rule requires that the tackler initiate contact with the top of his helmet. That was not the case. It can also be called if the tackler targets a defenseless opponent and initiates contact above the shoulders. Also not the case.

AllenS said...

It was like a giant kick in the nuts. The last play. The last play!!

ndspinelli said...

Ironically, a few days ago we had a brief discussion here about Hail Mary passes. I doubt there are statistics but I think they're successful ~2% of the time. We only remember that 2%.

Michael said...

That game was awesome. As a Michigan State alum, I am super excited. As a UW Law grad, I am even more excited. The UW fans I went to law school with bordered on obnoxious.

Steve Koch said...

"Wisconsin is not a national championship team."

Not after the loss to MSU. If UW had finished this season undefeated (and yesterday's loss may well prove to be the only UW loss at the end of the season), UW would have been in good shape to go to the MNC game. The other MNC participant would presumably be the SEC champion.

Once you get to the MNC game game, you have a chance to win the game, and thus the MNC.

Curious George said...

"Steve Koch said...
"Wisconsin is not a national championship team."

Not after the loss to MSU. If UW had finished this season undefeated (and yesterday's loss may well prove to be the only UW loss at the end of the season), UW would have been in good shape to go to the MNC game. The other MNC participant would presumably be the SEC champion.

Once you get to the MNC game game, you have a chance to win the game, and thus the MNC."

Yeah, and if the Queen had balls she's be the king. Wisconsin is not a National Championship program.

Issob Morocco said...

Ann your punishment has one more licking to apply. I have been foreshadowing the Badgers loss TO MSU in my emails since summer. This Spartan team is not great but seems to find ways to win.

Perhaps the greatest joy was seeing the Trail of Badger Tears caravans heading west from Michigan on Sunday.

Great game by both teams, no quit in either and Wisco's QB is a great one. He makes Denard Robinson look like a 9th grade QB.
It looked from the NE Stands like he got in and the replay showed he broke the plane. TD. State Wins!!

I don't know if Wisco loses again until the Big Ten 11 Twelve Championship Game.

Go Green!

Saturday torn us asunder, Sunday our Packers brought us back together!

Go Pack Go!