Closing Time: Let's Get American, College Football

We are not going to grade tribute uniforms because let's face it, they are A+'s every time out. I think it is so awesome to see schools every different week seem to make a tribute to the troops. Last week Fordham and Virginia Tech both had tribute uniforms, this week Louisiana Tech and North Carolina get into the action. While this is like choosing which child do you like the best, I think the Bulldogs look is a bit better than Carolina because I like how the red blends in with everything although I like UNC's starred stripe on top of the helmet. Sticking with our theme, if you missed a soldier coming back to see her daughter at the Wisconsin game, it is a must-watch and it might get dusty wherever you are watching it.

Read More

Managing Melvin Gordon's Expectations

If you watched the 2012 Big Ten Championship, you knew the Badgers had something special with Melvin
Gordon. He did not look like other Wisconsin running backs rather a new, dynamic breed who could score any time he touched the football. The redshirt sophomore has started off 2013 with an absolute bang in the month of September rushing for over 600 yards already. As the Badgers face their toughest test of the season against Ohio State this week, many people need to relax on a Gordon hyperbole... for now.

Gordon is not just leading the B1G in rushing right now, but the entire NCAA. No person has more yards than Gordon right now, and as USA Today's Paul Myerberg points out, he is doing it without the carries as a normal college running back making it that much more impressive. People deserve to be calling him the next great Wisconsin running back, but people need to restrain themselves a bit from calling him the winner of the 2013 Heisman trophy although he is in the conversation as we head into conference play.

Looking at Gordon's numbers, they jump off the page without question especially the Arizona State game last week when he faced a premier defensive front seven. Gordon averaged 9.2 yards a carry last week and that was his low for the season.  Gordon is basically getting a first down on every carry.  Despite having three touchdowns on Saturday, it was the first game of the season where Gordon did not have a 50-plus yard run. Gordon still did a bunch of little things to factor into the Badgers blowout victory against Purdue on Saturday afternoon. Ohio State has a young but talented defense. If he puts up some of the same numbers against the Buckeyes, the Gordon for Heisman talk will reach new levels.

Head coach Gary Andersen seems committed to the running back by committee plan. It is not a bad idea seeing as James White has 445 yards on the season and Corey Clement is playing great as a freshman as well. Any three of them would be starters with any team and the Badgers are able to wear down teams with the different approaches that each running back brings to the backfield. The rumble for Gordon to get more carries is likely warranted given how good his season has been already, but it might take the effectiveness out of why the Badgers use Gordon.

Gordon does not seem like Montee Ball where you can ride him for an entire game. On the other hand, White has the body type to carry the ball 30 times and take all the hits.  Gordon is a home run hitter and right now, Andersen is doing the smart thing by using him selectively. I would not be surprised if his carries keep slightly increasing, but Gordon does not strike me as a running back that can double as a bruiser for the team. For the third straight year, the Badgers have the best backfield in the nation and it is not a bad thing to have a triple threat of Gordon, White and Clement. Each of them will have a game where their style of running will come in need.

The Badgers do need to be a little more creative when it comes to Gordon in the passing game. He caught only two passes last year, but Gordon seems like the perfect running back to sneak out the backfield for a wheel route touchdown. Gordon not having a catch for the entire year is legitimately surprising. Additionally, he could be an complete terror in the screen game. Combine the size of the Badgers offensive line and Gordon's speed makes the screen is Paranormal Activity level scary.  Possibly, Gordon does not need more carries rather he needs to get involved in more parts of the offense.

Gordon has become the most interesting Badger. He continues the year he is having as a redshirt sophomore Gordon could declare for the NFL Draft and get drafted in the first two rounds. Gordon could also slow down some bit but still be a super solid option for the Badgers. Either way, the Kenosha product will be a major factor in how the Badgers finish this season.

Charlie.

Read More

SnoTap Badger Preview: Purdue vs. Wisconsin

The Solid Verbal, one of my favorite podcasts, talks about games being a 'Trap' and play an Adrimal Akbar sound drop for it.  Yes, Wisconsin is favored by three touchdowns and a field goal, yet at the same point, this is the team sandwiched in-between road games against Arizona State and Ohio State. Purdue is coming off what some might call a moral victory against Notre Dame last Saturday night. But the Badgers have a vice grip over Purdue in the last 10 years, and they look to tighten the screws for another year.

The biggest thing for Wisconsin on Saturday is to have a good first quarter. They had an awful way to finish a game on Saturday and while we can debate all day whose at the truest fault for the finish, it still ended in the worst way possible.  It is important to have a solid first quarter as a response to the disaster at Arizona State.  They come out and play Badger football, it should be smooth sailing although the first quarter ends with 0-0 after one quarter, things might get a little tight and everyone could start tensing up.

One of the other big things to watch this Saturday is the running back situation. Everyone and their mother believes Melvin Gordon should be the number one running back. He is dominating the college football world in the first three weeks of the season. As we talked about, Gordon's game-breaking abilities, few have in the Big Ten. Not to say James White is having a bad year, Gordon has just been that much better.

Andy Ludwig knows the offense more so than I do, but it seems like the logical move would be to have Gordon and White in the backfield at the same time as much as possible. I realize the Badgers focus more on an I-formation featuring a fullback and a running back, but it seems like a two running back system could be absolutely lethal for the competition.

Purdue comes into the B1G season with a 1-2 record. Cincinnati wiped the floor with them at home to open the year then they barely snuck by Indiana State the following week and had Notre Dame beat for the first three quarters.  There is no real leader on this team offensively and there might lie the problem with this team. The Boilermakers have yet to figure the run game out as Akeem Hunt has only rushed for 125 yards in the first three games. Rob Henry is putting up adequate numbers at the quarterback position, but nothing to make you think he is one of the better B1G quarterbacks. It looks like another rebuilding year for the men in West Lafayette.

The Badgers have won seven straight against Purdue. In the last four meetings between these two B1G squads, Wisconsin's lowest point total has been 34 with their highest being 62. Purdue did some fight last week, but I feel like Camp Randall with a motivated team and crowd will issue a rout on Saturday. Wisconsin 42  Purdue 17  

Read More

Tapping The Keg Podcast Episode 55

Tapping The Keg podcast back again for another week where we cover mostly Wisconsin sports this week compared to other weeks so if you are into local sports talk, here you go. Mitch Pratt and Charlie Tritschler talk about the Green Bay Packers to start ranging from the win on Sunday against Washington to team chemistry to a preview of Green Bay-Cincinnati.  We move on to talk about the Wisconsin Badger game that people are calling the Sun Devil Screwjob. Charlie stands by his point the Badgers did not play well with problems with the secondary and their playcalling. Additionally, our discussion turns to all college football talk including Lee Corso dealing with live animals.  We also chat about the Brewers for a bit regarding their loaded outfield, Jonathan Lucroy and more.

Read More

Blame the Badgers, not the Officials, for Saturday's Defeat.

Nothing gets the State of Wisconsin more mad than bad officiating in football.  Everyone feels like their team has a target on their back all while not realizing mistakes happen all over the college and pro football landscape. Pac-12 officials made the wrong call in the final moments of the Badger game allowing Arizona State to win the game, but Wisconsin should have never got to that point.  

The officials are probably the headline of most stories, but really what will get lost in the shuffle is how the Wisconsin defense could not keep up with Arizona State's up-tempo offense due to defensive coordinator David Aranda's blitzing nature. The Sun Devils had 93 total plays on Saturday night in the ninety degree heat and the Badgers could not keep up by the end of the game. Some of that had to do with the fact Aranda kept sending blitzes throughout the game causing the front line of the Badgers to wear down. There is nothing wrong with Aranda's blitz-happy way of doing things against the majority of the B1G, but when facing an up-tempo team, it is the sort of thing  that bites the Badgers in the ass. 

Although the front seven should not get all the blame for Arizona State wearing down the Badgers defense. The secondary did not have themselves a great game either. Taylor Kelly thrashed the secondary in the second half of the game. He probably would have had a bigger game than 352 yards if Arizona State's receivers could hang onto the football in the first half.  There is a great deal of work left to be done for Wisconsin when it comes to the secondary and definitely need to rethink their strategy when it comes to up-tempo offenses. 

Another major issue to the Badgers struggles on Saturday night was Joel Stave. He turned in one of his worst performances as a Badger. Stave did not really seem like the same quarterback after getting decked in the ribs in the second quarter of the game. There is nothing I can find that shows he suffered an injury, but it did seem like it altered his play throughout the rest of the game. Offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig seemed to give Stave opportunity after opportunity to try to rite the ship. He had a couple nice passes, but he did not do this job - be a compliment to the Badgers rushing attack. One thing that needs to be fixed immediately is Stave avoiding getting his passes knocked down. He is 6'5, that should not happen.  

The Badgers also will deal with an awkward situation with their running backs. Melvin Gordon had another gigantic game for the Badgers and he looks like the real deal this year. Gordon had 15 carries for 193 yards with two touchdowns averaging 12.9 yards a carry. All of those numbers are pretty impressive, but he deserves to be carrying the ball more often. Yes, James White has done a ton for this Badger team throughout the year and is a true unsung hero of his team in the last couple years yet Gordon is the better player no matter his age.

As for the officials, it was a stupid error by the officials. Stave did nothing wrong, but he was not demonstrative enough.  They should have called Arizona State for a delay of game on Anthony Jones without question, but if you will, this is the cherry on top of a disastrous fourth quarter for the Badgers.  One question that has not been asked, if Kyle French preferred the other hash, why did Wisconsin run the hitch route to the other side of the field Another question, with how good Gordon played on Saturday, why not try to see if he can get some more yardage?   The officials deserve some of the blame, but there is no guarantee French makes that kick.

The Badgers had a double-digit lead in the first half and could not deliver the knockout blow. The Badgers also had five point lead in the fourth quarter. Wisconsin has nobody to blame but themselves for this defeat in the desert.

Charlie.

Read More

SnoTap Badger Preview: Wisconsin at Arizona State

Unknown.

This is probably the best word to describe the matchup between 20th ranked Wisconsin against Arizona State on Saturday night in the desert on ESPN. Both teams are 2-0 for the season, but they have fattened up on cupcakes. No one really has a true read on either teams thus far this season. The Sun Devils could be the second or the top team in Pac-12 South this season while the Badgers might have a chance at another B1G title game appearance. Both teams could also finish with seven wins and play some meaningless bowl game that no one cares about in December.  All of that being said, this is one of the premier games of the weekend.

There is a tired old saying about sports where they say 'something gotta give' when it comes to the Badgers rush offense facing the Arizona State's front seven.  The Badgers running backs are off to a great start with James White, Melvin Gordon and Corey Clement all going for over 100 yards in the the first two games of the season. Each member of the three-headed rushing monster brings a different element to the table. White is a combination of a power runner as well as being able to break a run here and there. Clement can wear teams down and then Gordon is the first game-breaker for Wisconsin in a long time.

Gordon is as good of a player at Wisconsin in some time. I realize Montee Ball had a great established career at Wisconsin, but it seems like Gordon is ready to blow the doors off the whole B1G. Every time Gordon is in the backfield or split out wide, there is a chance that play is going for a touchdown. When is the last time the Badgers can say that about a player?  Ball and White can break a long run, but not to Gordon's levels where every time it could be a touchdown. That is such a luxury with the team, and sometimes it gets forgotten.

Enter in the competition of Arizona State's defensive front spearheaded by Will Sutton. The Sun Devils defensive tackle could have been a first or second round pick in last year's NFL Draft. He will probably be a top 20 pick next season. The thing I love about Sutton is he plays 3-4 defensive tackle and is able to get to the quarterback and in the backfield. Last year, he had 13 sacks, 23.5 tackles for a loss in a dominating year in the Pac-12 Sutton is not at this level and has a better attitude yet he reminds me a bit of Ndamukong Suh in the ways where he can push and have an effect on offensive linemen. I realized Suh never played 3-4, but I feel like Sutton makes a Suh-like impact. Sutton is not the only Arizona State defender the Badgers have to worry about on Saturday night.

Linebacker Carl Bradford is a terror on the outside who had 11.5 sacks last season then add Jaxon Hood who resides next to Sutton was a Freshman All-American last season and they are pretty high on ends Junior Onyeali and Davon Coleman.  This will be an entertaining as hell matchup to watch all of these beasts go up against the Badgers three-headed rushing attack.

For all of the reason above, this could be Joel Stave time in Tempe. Play action will play such a large part in what the Badgers do this weekend. Running the football is important, but keeping the tough front-seven on their toes is extremely so important.  If the Badgers come in with a predictable offense, they will get submerged by that defense. The other thing about Arizona State is their secondary is not at the same level as their front-seven so there might be some opportunities to go deep.  This will be a big game for Stave

The Sun Devils offense and the weather could go hand and hand Saturday night. The Sun Devils are a part of the revolution that is the up-tempo offense we are seeing pop up all over the country. Taylor Kelly is a pretty solid quarterback and probably does not get the credit as some of the other Pac-12 quarterbacks do nationally. Kelly also can make some plays on the run thus the Badgers need to contain him in the tackle box as much as possible. They also have two solid running backs in Marion Grice and D.J. Foster who can both change a game very quickly with their speed.

One thing people might be underestimating is the weather in the Valley of the Sun. On Saturday, the weather temperature will be 102 degrees with a low 82 degrees.  It will be 7:30 pm when kickoff starts meaning it will still be in the high eighties or hotter. This sounds weird, but August was a pretty tame month in Wisconsin when it came to weather meaning the Badgers really have not practiced in these types of weather conditions. Some Wisconsin Augusts feature deep south-like humidity and could make a grown man crumble to his knees.They had a couple hot days here and there, but it was not like other summers. This would make me nervous in the final two quarters of the game.

As for the game itself, it will be extremely competitive and a ton of fun to watch. I want to believe White and his two sidekicks could carry this team to victory, but I have trouble seeing them being able to handle all the different elements that Arizona State brings to the table. This will be a close, nail-biter and once again, the Badgers will be on the wrong en yet there will be a ton of encouraging things moving forward.

Arizona State 24 Wisconsin 23

Charlie.

Read More

SnoTap's Badger Preview: Game 1 - UMass vs. Wisconsin

This is a new thing we are doing here on Sports News on Tap, I realize we do a lot of college football stuff, but we tend to forget about the one team here in Wisconsin. I am here to change that and hopefully write some enjoyable stuff for you get prepared for the game. The only one I will probably not preview is Tennessee Tech next week unless I have some sort of angle on it but I doubt it. 

Umass at Wisconsin 11 am - Big Ten Network  

This year in Madison, Wisconsin is a different one. Sure, Camp Randall Stadium is the same, the beer bongs at 6 am will still happen, but there is a new head coach in town. Bret Bielema, one of the more successful yet disliked coaches in Wisconsin history, left for the Ozarks and the SEC at Arkansas. Insert Gary Andersoen, a man whom took Utah State from being in the doldrums to a team making consecutive bowl games. 

Andersen brings a whole new style to Madison. The Badgers are going to run the football, but they might not do the traditional Barry Alvarez I-formation jamming it down their opponent throats.  There will be more shotgun sets along with probably more creativity than what we have seen in the last 30 years of Badger football.  The defense will be changing as well led under new defensive coordinator David Aranda brings with him a 3-4 defense, something nontraditional to the B1G.  This all means the Badgers will definitely need a couple games to find their groove. 

Should we expect the Badgers to struggle early against UMass?  Possibly.  The Minutemen are one of the weaker teams in college football, but Wisconsin will definitely need to get their feet wet with the new systems. It will not be football magic where everyone clicks at the same time and the Badgers are a well oiled machine from the get-go. Although I highly doubt James White and Melvin Gordan will have any problems running the football. It will definitely take some time, and the biggest thing in these first two games which yes are cupcakes, is for the team to be prepared for road trips to Arizona State and Ohio State in the month of September. 

There are a bevy of solid players on this Badger team, but one area where there is still some unknown is at quarterback.  From my knowledge, Joel Stave will start the game, and then we will probably get some Curt Phillips action thrown in there. I am stunned how many Badger fans want Stave as their quarterback versus Phillips. I feel like the Van Wilder senior works better in Andersen's system even if he cannot pass like Stave. Maybe they will do something like South Carolina where Connor Shaw takes the primary snaps and Dylan Thompson comes in for the deep, accurate balls. I would like something that personally.  The quarterback position is what to watch for tomorrow.   

One thing that should excite Badger fans about the new regime is Aranda's commitment to blitzing teams. I honestly believe not enough defense employ the blitz. They worry about their kids getting overcommitted and then getting caught up in screens, hitches and short passes. But blitzes especially with guys like Chris Borland, Beau Allen who I think will be one of best defensive lineman in the country, and others, the Badgers can really make some noise attacking the quarterback. 

As for UMass, this is only their second year in FBS football.  They only have nine starters coming back in total and the Minutemen have to head to one of the toughest place to play in the country.  It is like whenever a small school heads to one of the bigger schools, if they keep it close by halftime, UMass will believe they have a shot at winning this game. Even though the Badgers are in tranisition, they need to put the foot on the throat often and early. 

Prediction: I do not see this being much of a game.  Sure it will not seem as fluid as people want it to be, but the Badgers will be just fine. 38-14 Badgers.   

Charlie. 

Read More

SnoTap College Football Preview: Tapping The Keg Episode 52

We talk all things college football for the latest Tapping The Keg podcast to get you ready for the seasonstarting on Thursday. The team we spent the most time with is the Wisconsin Badgers talking about their chances this season as well as their roster.  We then expand to the entire B1G looking at Ohio State, Michigan and others. The transition heads to the SEC discussing our fondness for Georgia and why we only save a couple words for Alabama.  Pac-12 sparks an interesting discussion talking about Stanford, Oregon and why Washington is truly the Milwaukee Bucks for college football; we also talk about the Pac-12 South. Big 12, ACC, American Athletic Conference and Notre Dame are also discussed in the final moments. Oh and we start with five minutes about the VMA's.

Charlie.

Read More

Grading The Wisconsin Badgers 'Red' Helmets

I am all in about the Wisconsin Badgers going with the red helmets. I feel like this would be better with white jerseys versus going all red everything making them looking like they are apart of the gang Lil Wayne talked about in a non-fake way. I really like these and I hope they bring them out for more than just one game against a D-1AA opponent. It feels like they are using this game as a trial balloon and gauging the fan reactio of the first game. I love it and I hope they use it for a massive B1G game. GRADE: B+ (H/T @UniWatch)

Read More

SnoTap College Football Preview: B1G Leaders

Finally, the college football previews are beginning on SnoTap. We are trying something new looking at divisions/conferences as a whole versus breaking down every team. We look at the power six conferences, Notre Dame and independents and mid-majors. 

After multiple years of still writing out Big Ten, I finally have succumbed to using B1G for all my posts moving forward. This is a conference wanting a seat at the biggest of big boys table, but they are still some paces away from truly being there. Ohio State and Michigan will probably not leave the top 15 all year, but there is not that third and fourth team who can bet there with them.  Hence there is the problem with the league as a whole.

END OF AN ERA as the legends and leaders are dead after next year along with a new realignment. For whatever it's worth, we did not do any cross divisional games in the ACC and that was probably a mistake. We make up for it here a bit.

FIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH
QB Braxton Miller (Ohio State) - We talked about Miller in the our '12 players to watch' earlier this month and the Ohio State quarterback will have a lot of eyes on him this year. Miller playing in his second year of Urban Meyer's system tends to mean a National Championship, Heisman or at least getting an unbeaten season. I think what might be lost on Miller's season in 2012 is he had over 1,200 yards of rushing and he average 5.6 yards a carry when he did run with the ball. Those are insane numbers for a quarterback and oh by the way, he also threw for over 2,000 yards.

QB Curt Phillips/Joel Stave (Wisconsin) - Ah nothing like a good ole quarterback battle. There is no signs right now as to who will be the quarterback of the Badgers this season. Both bring different aspects for the table whether it be Phillips' ability to run the football or Stave's deep ball.  They are unique talents and do different things for Gary Anderson.  My opinion is Phillips will get the job because Anderson's system needs a bit of a runner and with their running game, the Badgers should not be in many third and long situations.

WR Allen Robinson (Penn State) -  The Big Ten Receiver of the Year returns for another year and the best question for him is 'Who will be throwing the ball?  Great question as Matt McGloin graduated and it sounds like they might go with a true freshman. No matter whom the quarterback is, Robinson will be one of the best wide receivers in the B1G.  How many times have local Pennsylvania news programs have used 'Here's to you, Mr. Robinson' in their sports segments? Like all of them?  I bet all of them.

WR Cody Latimer (Indiana)  - While Robinson is a great player, Latimer is not a bad option at Indiana. He had an all-Big Ten year last year with over 800 yards of receiving with six touchdowns and averaging 67 yards per game. Latimer will have his quarterback, Cameron Coffman, back for another year and those two should be one of the best duos in the B1G.

LB Ryan Shazier (Ohio State) - He had a massive sophomore campaign and there is a reason why many expect Shazier to be drafted in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft if he decides to come out. Shazier had 115 tackles last season along with five sacks, three forced fumbles and one interception. He will be one of the leaders of the Ohio State defense along with Bradley Roby after he finishes his one-game suspension. Expect to be hearing Shazier's name a lot this season.

FIVE GAMES TO WATCH
Saturday September 28th - Wisconsin at Ohio State - Even though Badgers fans would probably love this game to be played in November, I still think this has a chance to be a great one. These two teams always play close games and last year's overtime thriller in Camp Randall was one of the best of the year.

Saturday October 5th - Penn State at Indiana -  So why is this a game to watch?  What could be so appealing about Indiana? Well the Hoosiers might be a bowl team this year for the first time since 2007. This is probably their toughest home game, and it could be their biggest win even if Penn State might not be one of the best in the Big Ten.

Saturday November 2nd - Ohio State at Purdue - For whatever reason, Ohio State struggles against Purdue. They have not won in West Lafayette since 2007 and they needed a late rally to beat the Boilermakers last year in Columbus. If you are looking for a game that might trip the Buckeyes, look no forward than to this one.

Saturday November 30th - Penn State at Wisconsin - I realize it is just two times, but I like how Wisconsin is now playing Penn State to end the year. Hopefully, this continues for at least a couple years. I like they have the yearly meeting at a specific date. Who knows, the Badgers might need this win to get into a bowl game although I doubt that happens, but you never know with college football.

Saturday November 30th - Ohio State at Michigan - Am I the only one whom wishes this would be played in late October. I realize the pageantry that comes with The Big Game being played at 11 am on ABC. It has been going on since I can remember watching college football, but with the Big Ten Championship the following week, it is very possible we will get a repeat game of these two teams.  Personally, I feel like this could dent Ohio State's chances at going undefeated for the season more than anything else on their schedule.

FIVE QUESTIONS TO PONDER
Ohio State running the table for the second straight year? - Their schedule and team set up to be the first B1G team back in the National Championship for the first time since 2007 when Ohio State lost their second straight National Championship final to an SEC team.  We did point out two of their pitfalls against Purdue and possibly playing Michigan twice, but this is Ohio State's best chance in recent memory to return to the National Championship game.  Although it is hard for any college team to have two straight undefeated seasons so the Buckeyes will need to keep their composure.

Which Wisconsin quarterback will come out on top? - It is starting to look like it is Curt Phillips' job to lose and I seem to be the only semi-Badger fan to be okay with this move by Gary Anderson if it does end up being Phillips.  Badger fans seem to like Joel Stave because he can throw the ball more accurately and farther but really Anderson's system values a running quarterback more so than pseudo pocket passer. My guess is Phillips gets until the end of September before an evaluation of his skills because he will face both Arizona State and Ohio State during that stretch.

Will the Gary Anderson era start off on the right foot? - We will have a longer Badger preview upcoming next Thursday or Friday, but as for today, it looks like the Badgers will be fine although it is hard to imagine them being a Rose Bowl team again this year. Anderson needs a year to implement his system plus it is tough when he is not dealing with Bret Bielema's recruits. Looking blindly at the schedule, it looks like a seven to nine win season. Ohio State is the one true difficult road games, but Minnesota, a night game at Illinois and Iowa will not be easy games.

What's the expectations for Bill O'Brien Year 2? - The Nittany Lions begin their second season of their four year suspension for the Jerry Sandusky scandal. Bill O'Brien loses some of his key cogs like McGloin and Michael Mauti so this year could be a little more difficult than expected. It is likely they are going with a true freshman at quarterback adding to the experience, but personally I believe the goal for the Nittany Lions should be six wins and everything else is gravy. They should strive for getting 'bowl-eligible' and anything else will be used to help get recruits for the future.

Braxton Miller will take a new step, but how big will that step be? - The statistics show players in  the second year under Meyer tends to develop to whole new levels. Tim Tebow won a Heisman and put up one of the best years ever for a college quarterback. Alex Smith made the leap as well and turned into the number one draft pick overall.  If Miller becomes as good of a passer as he is running the ball, holy shit Ohio State will be extremely lethal on offense. The one thing I might be worry about Miller is injuries. This is always a worry with running quarterbacks, but the Buckeyes did have a few scares with him last year.

Indiana, a bowl team? - The Hoosiers are bringing a lot back this year on both offense and defense. It seems like Kevin Wilson is putting this team in the right direction. With how many bowl games there are, I would not be surprised at all to see the Hoosiers there with six wins. I see six or seven wins on their schedule definitely. Indiana Hoosiers being a bowl team will probably get laughed at by some, but them being good only helps the B1G return to prominence.

PROJECTED FINISH
1.) Ohio State
2.) Wisconsin
3.) Penn State
4.) Indiana
5.) Purdue
6.) Illinois

O-H-I-O.

Charlie.

Read More

Tapping The Keg Podcast: Episode 50.

It is always nice when we can talk about local sports for almost our entire podcast, a lot of good topics to Charlie and Mitch start with PPR, our newest Packer segment sweeping the nation talking about the dreadful preseason game, Randall Cobb's injury and more.  We spend a little time on the Wisconsin Badgers quarterback battle between Joel Stave and Curt Phillips. Our next topic was supposed to be if Aramis Ramirez would be traded but we take baseball in all directions.
get into.

We discuss Larry Sanders potential extension and it ends up a comparison with Sanders/Brandon Jennnings, real interesting. Mitch and Charlie take aim at Adam's fantasy ratings and let me also repeat it takes some balls to do rankings, good job Adam. We finish talk about the Kendrick Lamar verse because well of course.

Charlie.

Read More

Snotap Buzz: Tuesday August 6th

Drake practically brought everyone in the rap game to OVOFest last night including a Diddy and Ma$e reunion. (Real TalkNY) 

My buddy Eric loves to send fake NBA trades and sent me one to send Boogie Cousins to Milwaukee. I love the idea, I love Boogie. Good article from Zach Lowe on him today. (Grantland) 

Steve Smith is awesome. Great accurate quote from the Panthers wide receiver. I could see a big year from him. (CBS Sports) 

The more I read, the more I like about new Wisconsin Badgers offensive line coach T.J. Woods. Sounds like a good one. (Bucky's Fifth Quarter) 

Jimmy Butler needs to wear a full cowboy getup to a game next year. We need it badly. Cowboy hat, western shirt, cowboy boots. (The Basketball Jones) 

Gabe Kapler for Brewers manager. (Baseball Prospectus) 

Read More