Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon will return for his junior season

Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon announced that he will bypass the NFL Draft and return for his junior season.

Going into next season Gordon will be on many Heisman watch lists after rushing for 1,466 yards and 12 touchdowns in a timeshare backfield with James White.

“After talking it over with my family and my coaches, I have decided to come back next year,” Gordon said. “I love the University of Wisconsin and feel that there is still a lot of room for growth. Academically, another year in school will help me get closer to completing my degree and on the field I hope to help my team get back the Big Ten championship.”

“With this decision out of the way I can now focus on helping my team prepare for the Capital One Bowl and a great opponent in South Carolina.”

Badgers coach Gary Andersen is happy that Gordon will be back to lead the vaunted Badgers rushign attack in 2014.

“Melvin is a great player and a great kid and we are very happy with his decision. We tried to be very supportive throughout the decision-making process and relayed all the information he needed to make an informed decision. I’m glad he can now focus on the bowl game and prepare for a great 2014.”

Gordon was a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award, given to the nation’s top running back and rushed for at least 140 yards in seven of Wisconsin’s 12 games. Only Heisman Trophy finalist Andre Williams of Boston College and Washington’s Bishop Sankey had more games of 140-plus rushing yards among Football Bowl Subdivision players this season, with eight apiece.

Pac-12 reprimands officials that blew the Wisconsin-Arizona St. game

The Pac-12 Conference has reprimanded the officials in Saturday night’s game between Wisconsin and Arizona State for their actions in the bizarre closing seconds.

The Pac-12 said the officials did not act with enough urgency or properly administer the end of game situation when Wisconsin quarterback Joel Stave awkwardly took a knee and the clock ran out on the Badgers in the ensuing confusion.



“This was an unusual situation to end the game,” Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said. “After a thorough review, we have determined that the officials fell short of the high standard in which Pac-12 games should be managed. We will continue to work with all our officials to ensure this type of situation never occurs again.”

The strange finish came after Wisconsin drove to Arizona State’s 13-yard line with 18 seconds left. Trying to set the Badgers up for a game-winning field goal, Stave ran left and tried to take a knee in the middle of the field.

He clipped one of his offensive linemen while trying to go down and plopped the ball onto the yard marker before hopping up quickly.

Players from both teams were confused by the play and the Sun Devils dove on the ball, thinking it was a fumble. Wisconsin lost precious seconds while the Arizona State players were pulled off and a few more when one of the officials held the Badgers at the line of scrimmage before allowing them to snap the ball.

Wisconsin tried to get a play off so it could spike the ball, but ran out of time. Arizona State won 32-30.
The Pac-12 said neither the referee nor anyone on his crew moved with appropriate urgency to clearly communicate that the ball was to be spotted so play could resume promptly.

Wisconsin trying to schedule a game against LSU in Lambeau Field

The Wisconsin Badgers football team has caught a lot of flak for their non-conference schedule in past years. But you have to give some credit to athletic director Barry Alvarez as he tries to beef up the slate in the near future.

The Badgers have a date with Alabama in 2015 at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas. A report in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says the Badgers are looking to add another SEC heavyweight to the schedule. Alvarez would like to add LSU to the schedule and play the game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.

Justin Doherty, UW associate athletic director for external relations, declined to say whether UW is pursuing such a game.

"I don't have anything I can tell you," he said after the regularly scheduled athletic board meeting.

"It has come up from time to time and it is something that we are pursuing," said Aaron Popkey, the Green Bay Packers' director of public affairs. "But it hasn't gotten to the point where there is anything on the books or where we're ready to announce.

"We continue to look into it and will certainly explore those opportunities."

With the BCS going to a College Football Playoff, strength of schedule might be looked upon as criteria to being included in the four team derby. Seeing how everyone loves the SEC, it's in the best interest to schedule a game like this and win. Considering that we've seen two SEC teams battle it out for the national championship (2012) and a two loss SEC team (LSU) win it all. A one loss Big Ten team might get shafted, whereas a one loss SEC team gets the benefit of the doubt.

Knowing how the SEC operates the Tigers may want a home game or a game in the Superdome in return.

But give some credit to Alvarez for looking toward the future and trying to schedule games that matter when it comes down to choosing the teams for a playoff.

DeVier Posey Hates Wisconsin

After Wisconsin knocked off number one Ohio State on the hardwood and the football field, Ohio State wide receiver DeVier Posey had some strong words for Wisconsin. From the almighty Twitter account.

"I'll be totally honest I hate wisconsin.. With a passion Yeah I said it !!! I can't wait to play them again next season!!! Just being honest."Watching a game like that gets yo competitive juices going something crazy !!! Can't wait."



I'm sure Buckeye big man Jared Sullinger feels the same way after Badger fans provided fuel for these two teams by spitting on Sullinger. I'm down with a lot of the antics college kids do, but this isn't one of them. As far as Posey goes, he was on the wrong end as a player and spectator and I see where he's coming from. He's also one of the Buckeye 5 who are suspended for the first five games of the year. He better hope the Buckeyes aren't in the toilet by then.

Also Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith feels the same way. He responded, via Twitter of course, with "Feel ya bro!!!" . Nothing like some good ol' Buckeye solidarity.

Your turn Wisconsin.  
 

 





 

A Big 0 For The Big Ten

Well, Gordon Gee. It's all up to your Ohio State Buckeyes to salvage the reputation of the battered and bruised Big Ten. That was a mighty pimp slap the rest of the college football world put on the boys from the midwest. Throw in Nebraska's loss to a mediocre Washington team they whacked by 35 earlier this season, that makes it a little bit worse.

For starters Northwestern fought the good fight in losing to Texas Tech 45-38. The Wildcats dug themselves too big of a hole to climb out of, but at least they made a game of it. More than what i can say about the next two games. That would be the simultaneous beatdown suffered by Michigan and Michigan State. The Michgan schools were outscored 101-21 and thoroughly embarassed by Alabama and Mississippi State. The Rodriguez era will end on an ugly note, no matter what David Brandon is saying. The Spartans are not ready for prime time. Penn State and Florida went down to the end until the Gators finally locked up an Outback Bowl victory with a pick 6, 37-24. Then in the Grandaddy of them all, the Rose Bowl, Wisconsin lost to an unbeaten TCU squad, 21-19. No shame in that, except if Ohio State president Gordon Gee didn't make those ridiculous comments about teams like TCU not playing anyone. It's not like anyone wants to sign up to play them. Anyway, how did that taste Gordon.

The bowl season actually started out pretty good for the Big Ten, with wins by Iowa and Illinois, only to see the roof cave in during the postseason. Five losses in five games. And I'm not feeling to confident about Ohio State, with the distractions created by the Buckeye 5 and all.   

The Bucky?

I bet there was alot of this going on after last week's win over Ohio State.