Tag: wisconsin badgers football

ESPN ranks the Top 10 defenses ahead of the 2023 CFB season, including Texas A&M

According to ESPN, Texas A&M ranks among the best defenses in the nation ahead of the 2023 college football season, but where did they land within the Top 10?

As we slowly approach the thick of the offseason, the 2022 campaign is officially behind us, and for Texas A&M, the slate is clean after their 5-7 disaster has been put to bed once and for all. Possessing one of the more elite rosters in college football, the Aggies offense is led by sophomore quarterback Conner Weigman, five returning starters on the O-line, and a wide receiver rotation loaded with talent and experience.

However, A&M’s predominant strength is pointing toward the defense, as nearly every key starter outside of Antonio Johnson and Jaylon Jones return this season.

To quote the legendary Paul “Bear” Bryant, Defense wins championships, and in the new age of high-flying Air Coryell-like offensive schemes used throughout the college football landscape, recruiting the best athletes in the secondary, linebacker, and especially the defensive line is beyond crucial to compete year after year.

On Monday, ESPN staff writers combined their knowledge and opinions to rank the Top 10 defenses going into the 2023 season, including several blue-blood programs with a couple of surprises; nonetheless, this list is filled with contenders, not pretenders. So here are the Top 10 defenses for the 2023 campaign, and yes, the Aggies have made the list, but where?

Wisconsin Badgers greet the news: USC is on their 2024 Big Ten schedule

.@TheBadgersWire respects #USC (and we respect Wisconsin). The 2024 and 2025 games with these teams will be special.

Wisconsin under Luke Fickell. USC under Lincoln Riley. The Badgers and Trojans are led by two of the best head coaches in college football. Fickell once worked for former USC Athletic Director Mike Bohn at Cincinnati. There will be no shortage of plot points when USC hosts Wisconsin in the 2024 Big Ten season at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

Badgers Wire respects what USC and Riley bring to the table.

(h/t Ben Kenney of Badgers Wire)

“USC is on the rise under Lincoln Riley, coming close to a Playoff appearance in his first season at the helm. Heisman quarterback Caleb Williams will likely be in the NFL when 2024 rolls around, but the trip out to USC projects to be as tough as any other road trip in the conference,” Kenney wrote.

USC-Wisconsin is also a rematch of the 1963 Rose Bowl, one of the greatest Rose Bowls and college football games ever played. USC held off a late Wisconsin rally to win the game and John McKay’s first of four national championships with the Trojans.

USC-Wisconsin in 2024 at the Coliseum will be special.

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This is a new-look conference: Wisconsin’s Big Ten opponents set for 2024 and 2025

This is a new-look conference: Wisconsin’s Big Ten opponents set for 2024 and 2025

The Badgers officially have their Big Ten opponents for 2024 and 2025, and this is a brand new conference.

The first big news from the league? Divisions are gone, but a few matchups will be protected every season. For Wisconsin, it’s no surprise that they will see Minnesota every year in their rivalry matchup. Here is more on the details of the new scheduling from the Big Ten press release on Thursday afternoon:

The 2024 Big Ten football season will also debut the Flex Protect Plus model, which features a combination of protected opponents and rotating opponents for universities. Each member institution will continue to play nine intraconference games per season, and teams will play every other conference opponent at least twice – once home and once away – in a four-year period.

Conference schedules will include 11 protected matchups that will continue to be played annually and feature a combination of historic and geographic rivalries, as well as trophy games. These matchups were finalized in conjunction with all 16 member institutions to ensure the traditions of the Big Ten Conference remain strong as the conference evolves.

The guaranteed annual protected matchups are Illinois-Northwestern, Illinois-Purdue, Indiana-Purdue, Iowa-Minnesota, Iowa-Nebraska, Iowa-Wisconsin, Maryland-Rutgers, Michigan-Michigan State, Michigan-Ohio State, Minnesota-Wisconsin, and UCLA-USC. The other two-play opponents for each member institution will change every two years.

The 2024 season will conclude with the annual Big Ten Football Championship Game, which will feature the top two teams in the overall conference standings at the end of the regular season, with the winner earning the Big Ten Championship. Tiebreaking procedures will be announced later.

Here is a look at Wisconsin’s 2024 and 2025 Big Ten opponents. Get ready for some California trips:

Where Wisconsin football finished in every AP Poll since 2000

Where did the Badgers finish in every poll since 2000?

Wisconsin football has had a pair of successful decades across multiple regimes. Now, the Badgers turn towards a new coaching staff under Luke Fickell as Wisconsin looks to return to where it was just a few short years ago.

Expectations are a funny thing in college football. We have the AP Poll released before anybody has played a single game, and that creates buzz around certain teams headed into the year. Some teams live up to their hype, and others fail to reach it. Then you have situations like TCU in 2022, where a team that started the year unranked in the AP Poll goes on a Cinderella run to the College Football Playoff.

For Wisconsin, there have been years where the Badgers come from out of nowhere to rise up the polls and others where they fall short of preseason expectations.

Here is a look back at every AP Poll start and finish for Wisconsin football since 2000:

Report: Former Wisconsin HC Paul Chryst to become Texas assistant

Steve Sarkisian adds former Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst to his staff.

Steve Sarkisian is working to build an empire on the Forty Acres. Whether he will succeed remains to be seen, but the effort is clear. Continue reading “Report: Former Wisconsin HC Paul Chryst to become Texas assistant”

WATCH: Wisconsin’s new defensive coordinator is mic’d up

WATCH: Wisconsin’s new defensive coordinator is mic’d up

Wisconsin football has officially ushered in their new era, and part of that new era is a new coaching staff in Madison.

Wisconsin’s new defensive coordinator has had a long career in the Big Ten conference. Mike Tressel comes to Madison after having served as Luke Fickell’s defensive coordinator at Cincinnati from 2021-22. Before that, he spent the previous 13 seasons at Michigan State in various roles.

Tressel began his Big Ten coaching career as a graduate assistant at Ohio State in 2002-03. Spring ball may have come to an end, but Wisconsin football is still dishing out the mic’d up segments. Here is a look at Wisconsin’s new defensive coordinator:

Wisconsin center Joe Tippmann is headed to the New York Jets

The first Badger is off the board!

The first Wisconsin Badger is officially off the board in the 2023 NFL draft. With the No. 43 overall selection, the New York Jets have selected Wisconsin center Joe Tippmann.

Tippmann was regarded by many as the top center in the 2023 class, and the Jets were a team with tons of needs along the offensive line.

The 6-foot-6, 313-pound Badger offensive lineman will bring needed size and skill to the Jets. He has an excellent chance to be a day one starter in New York.

The Indiana native was a 2022 honorable mention All-Big Ten selection and played in 12 games as Wisconsin’s starting center. He allowed only one sack and five pressures over 338 snaps at center.

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Where Wisconsin Badgers ended up in NFL.com’s seven-round mock draft

Where Wisconsin Badgers ended up in NFL.com’s seven-round mock draft

The NFL draft is just days away, and a number of Badgers are anxiously awaiting to hear their name called at some point during the process.

NFL.com recently put together their latest seven-round mock draft, that has a trio of Badgers included. While no Badgers went in the first two rounds, a pair of players went within a few picks of each other in round three.

Overall, three Badgers were selected in the full mock draft. A pair went in the third round, while one ended up in the fourth round. Here is a look at where the three Badgers went:

 

WATCH: Braelon Allen scores a touchdown during Wisconsin’s ‘launch’ event

WATCH: Braelon Allen scores a touchdown during Wisconsin’s ‘launch’ event

Wisconsin football held their version of a spring game on Saturday, and the Badgers offense was on full display.

Unsurprisingly, running back Braelon Allen was one of the Badger standouts and he capped off an impressive drive with a three-yard score against Wisconsin’s defense.

Allen is heading into year three as Wisconsin’s lead back, coming off of a season where he led the Badgers with 1,242 yards on the year. Through two seasons in Madison, Allen has rushed for a total of 2,510 rushing yards and has led Wisconsin in each of the last two seasons in that category.

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Check out his spring practice score:

 

How many three-star recruits have been drafted out of Wisconsin?

How many three-star recruits have been drafted out of Wisconsin?

Wisconsin has always been a place where three-star recruits come, develop, and earn themselves a chance at playing in the NFL.

The Athletic recently put together an article about the best schools at developing three-star talent, and Wisconsin unsurprisingly made the list. The team with the highest percentage of three-stars drafted in the modern recruiting era? Ohio State, but they have had overall far less three-star players signed (68).

Where do the Badgers stand? In the modern recruiting era, Wisconsin has signed 186 three-star players, and 27 of them have gone on to be drafted. As far as totals go, that is the most three-star players to be drafted in the modern recruiting era.

Expect Keeanu Benton to add to that list shortly.

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