Tag: Gophers

Badgers 30 minutes from Indy, lead Gophers 10-7 at the half

Some takeaways from the first half of the Battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe

As expected, the battle between Wisconsin and Minnesota was intense and a tough fight for the first 30 minutes. Here’s how it happened:

Fast start for Gophers

After a scoreless drive from the Badgers to kick off the game, the Gophers got the ball and scored very quickly.

On first and 10, quarterback Tanner Morgan threw an incompletion to star wideout Rashod Bateman. Seconds later, Morgan went back to Bateman on a wide-open deep ball, scoring an easy 51-yard score to put Minnesota up 7-0.

15 seconds without the ball, and the Badgers already trailed against their biggest rivals.

Badgers have answers

Initially, Wisconsin had a solid drive that turned into a disappointing three points, but the Badgers finally got some points on the board, cutting the deficit to 7-3.

After forcing a punt on the defensive side, Wisconsin answered with a seven play, 82-yard long drive, keyed by a major catch and run from Jake Ferguson on third down.

All-American Jonathan Taylor capped off the drive with a 28-yard touchdown catch, impressively catching the ball and falling backwards into the end zone.

Neither team was especially impressive, and each squad a lost a turnover, but nevertheless, Wisconsin played well enough to hold the halftime lead, and be just one half away from a Big Ten championship appearance against the Buckeyes.

Badgers remain at No. 12 in latest CFP Rankings

The Wisconsin Badgers come in at No. 12 again, with a chance to rise after a potential win this week.

We are officially headed into Rivalry Week, or Week 14, of this college football season, and the Wisconsin Badgers remain at No. 12 in the College Football Playoff rankings…the biggest rankings of them all this time of year.

That should not come as much of a surprise, as the Badgers picked up a victory last week, but did not look very impressive at times against the visiting Boilermakers at Camp Randall.

In addition, they are the third-highest rated team with two losses, coming in just behind Florida and Penn State.

There were two pretty major moves featuring Big Ten Teams, though. The aforementioned Nittany Lions slid down two spots to No. 10, and the Minnesota Gophers took Penn State’s spot at No. 8.

Also, there is a new number one team this week, featuring the Ohio State Buckeyes (11-0) as the top team, taking the previous place of LSU.

Finally, the Michigan Wolverines come in at No. 13 with a major test at home against the Buckeyes this week, and the Iowa Hawkeyes are No. 17 in the current rankings.

One could argue the Big Ten is the best football conference in the land this year, with six teams in the top 17 of the rankings alone.

Though the team most likely to represent the conference would be the Buckeyes, both the Badgers and Gophers each have an outside shot to make it, of course needing to win Paul Bunyan’s Axe first this week to give the winning team a shot to face the Buckeyes.

Wisconsin remains at No. 14 in latest Amway Coaches’ Poll

Badgers stay in same spot in the most recent poll, powered by USA Today Sports

Following an up and down home victory against the Purdue Boilermakers, the Wisconsin Badgers remain stagnant at No. 14 in the latest Amway Coaches’ Poll, powered by USA Today Sports.

Overall, the Badgers (9-2, 6-2 Big Ten) did what they had to do, winning and keeping pace with two Big Ten losses to give themselves a major opportunity. Up next, Wisconsin has their biggest opportunity set up this season, to travel to Minnesota to face the Gophers for a berth in the Big Ten Championship Game.

Minnesota (10-1, 7-1), who suffered their first loss of the season a week ago, moved up two spots to No. 9 after knocking off the Northwestern Wildcats on the road.  The Badgers travel to play the Golden Gophers Nov. 30 in their final game of the regular season, with some major implications in the Big Ten West race, and of course to play for Paul Bunyan’s Axe.

Wisconsin is one of an impressive six Big Ten teams in the Amway Coaches’ poll. The Big Ten conference has proven yet again to be one of the toughest football conferences in the country, with five teams in the top 15 alone, and all six of the Big Ten teams just inside the top 20 of the poll.

 

 

CFP Rankings: Live Reaction!

Hello and welcome to the live chat for tonight’s unveiling of the latest College Football Playoff rankings.

[jwplayer OoFi41Mv-er0jUifI]

7:03 ET —

Hello and welcome to the live chat for tonight’s unveiling of the latest College Football Playoff rankings.  Where will everyone fall?  What changes if any will there be in the top four and what does Tua’s injury mean for Alabama’s chances?  We’ll discuss it all right here as the rankings get released over the next little bit.  Pull up a chair and follow along live with us at FIW!

7:05 ET —

Rankings are out so time for me to get typing, here they are with my immediate reaction to follow.  Meanwhile – did Joey Galloway just say he’s most excited to see where Texas A&M is rated?  Did I hear that correctly during the live broadcast?  Tell me I didn’t.  C’mon Joey!!

25 SMU
24 Appalachian State
23 USC
22  Iowa State
21 Oklahoma State
20 Boise State
19 Cincinnati
18 Memphis
17 Iowa
16 Notre Dame
15 Auburn
14 Baylor
13 Michigan
12 Wisconsin
11 Florida
10  Minnesota
9  Oklahoma
8  Penn State
7  Utah
6  ….hmmm

7:10 ET —
Top Six Released
1 LSU
2 Ohio State
3 Clemson
4 Georgia
5 Alabama
6 Oregon

7:11 ET —
What did Oklahoma do to tick off the committee I do have to ask.  The Sooners got a huge win, coming from behind to beat a previously unbeaten Baylor team, a win more impressive than any that is on the resume of Utah, Oregon, Penn State, Alabama, Georgia, Clemson or Ohio State.  Yet the loss at K-State is what is keeping them down?  Man alive, no love for the Big XII this year and I can’t say I agree with it.

7:14 ET –
Alabama stays at No. 5 and they deserve to.  I hate the idea this week that has been tossed around that if Tua is out that they’re not worthy of being a playoff team.  You can argue they don’t deserve a chance and I would, because they lost a home game to LSU and the Tigers should have to potentially beat Alabama another time to win it all.  But if they were number five a week ago and they won easily, they don’t deserve to fall, even if their star quarterback is out.  Those arguing the contrary, tell me how that worked out for Ohio State back in 2014.

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