Saturday is a moment of truth for Wisconsin and Jim Leonhard

A few thoughts on Wisconsin Badgers defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard before Saturday’s game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

If this particular subplot to the game between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Minnesota Golden Gophers did not exist, Jim Leonhard wouldn’t coach less vigorously. He wouldn’t care less passionately. He wouldn’t focus less intensely. Yet, the subplot exists, and it is fascinating: Two Broyles Award semifinalists will coach against each other:

The battle lines have been drawn even more sharply before Saturday’s kickoff in Minneapolis. The offensive coordinator for Minnesota and the defensive coordinator for Wisconsin are both on the Broyles Award semifinal list. The Gophers dutifully promoted the achievement of offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca, who has worked seamlessly with head coach P.J. Fleck to transform the Minnesota offense in a relatively short period of time:

The battle is fascinating enough on its own terms and merits. The Wisconsin defense versus the Minnesota offense is the heavyweight matchup in this game, given that Wisconsin roared to the top of the Big Ten on the strength of its defense in the first half of this season. That first half is what put Leonhard on the Broyles semifinalist list. It certainly hasn’t been the past four weeks.

Minnesota’s defense has played a part in the Gophers rising to the top tier of the Big Ten, but the offense is the main engine of Minnesota’s rise. The Gophers haven’t been winning slugfests; they have been winning with big numbers. When they contained Iowa’s offense, they still lost because their own offense had a miserable day in the red zone. Minnesota is the team which would like a 42-35 game. Wisconsin would prefer a 27-24 or 23-20 game. If that lower score is going to emerge, it is up to Leonhard to not only find the right plan for Minnesota; Leonhard needs to find a way to get this defense — especially the back seven — to defend the pass with a lot more consistency than the Badgers have shown in November.

The last truly great half of defense Wisconsin played — when adjusted for the quality of opponent — was the first half against Ohio State. Minnesota isn’t as good a team as Ohio State, but its offense certainly deserves to be taken seriously. Jim Leonhard and Kirk Ciarrocca are both Broyles semifinalists; Leonhard needs to show that his status has been fully deserved. If he shuts down Ciarrocca’s attack on Saturday, no one will question Leonhard’s Broyles credentials.