Badger football has taken us on a roller coaster ride this season. The arrival of Russell Wilson immediately brought with it the expectation not simply of a return trip to the Rose Bowl, but rather a first-time trip to the BCS Championship game. Even the most impartial of media types were talking as if the Big Ten title game was a foregone conclusion.
Well, two hail marys later these pundits are having to eat their words (myself included, although I did feel OSU would take down the Badgers after what happened in Madison last season). Wisconsin fans everywhere are having to be pulled off the ledge, dreading the thought of seeing their beloved Badgers close out the season on December 28th with Champs Sports Bowl patches on their jerseys.
Heck, remember the laughter that erupted when it was announced after the win over Indiana that the Badgers were now bowl eligible?
As if that mattered. Well, apparently it did.
Anyway, for those of you looking to get away from the disappointment that has occurred on the gridiron, Bo Ryan's squad can pretty confidently offer you a set of reasonable and excitement-worthy expectations that will almost surely be met come season's end.
National championship? Well, basketball is a whole different animal and a national title is a crapshoot even for the best teams in the nation. But Ryan has proven that the Badgers will have a shot each and every season, having qualified for the NCAA Tournament every year during his tenure in Madison.
Conference Championship? Again, they will definitely be in the hunt. With Ohio State returning sophomore forward Jared Sullinger and fellow sophomore Aaron Craft manning the point, the Buckeyes will enter the 2011-2012 season as the clear favorites to take home the Big Ten crown.
But you can be sure Ryan's crew will give the Buckeyes a run for their money. The Badgers knocked off a then-undefeated Buckeye team at the Kohl Center last season and will certainly have a shot to do the same come February 4th.
Ryan has never finished outside of the top 4 in the Big Ten. Ever. Not even Tom Izzo or Bob Knight, legends in the game, can claim that accomplishment. As long as Bo Ryan is manning the sidelines for the Badgers, you can be sure that UW will have a hand in the title race in the Big Ten.
This season, the Badgers also have a number of intriguing non-conference matchups. After last season's dismal home non-conference slate, this season includes trips to Madison by Marquette, UNLV, and always-dangerous Wofford, with the Badgers set to take a trip to Chapel Hill to face #1 UNC in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
So if you are beginning to tire of the angst brought on by the disappointment of the Badger football season, shift your focus over to the Kohl Center where a team ready to contend for a conference and maybe even a national title is just about ready to begin its season.
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