FTA = Failure To Appear
Putting an ugly exclamation point on a most disappointing season that started with a (in hindsight totally bogus) #4 national ranking, the Wisconsin Badgers “no showed” at Camp Randall Stadium on a gray and gloomy Saturday against the highly motivated, yet mediocre at best, Minnesota Golden Gophers. The game was not nearly as close as the blowout 37-15 final score would indicate.
The Badgers stunk in all aspects of the game — offense, defense, special teams, kicking, and coaching. The game essentially was over by the end of the listless first quarter.
The Badgers last lost to Minnesota when George W. Bush was in his first term! And, for what it’s worth, they also lost the “Paul Bunyon’s Ax Trophy.”
Coming off several weeks on the sidelines with a concussion, Badger QB Alex Hornibrook was truly horrible — interceptions, fumbles, missed receivers, lack of leadership, bad decisions, etc. The offensive line played like a group of oversized flag footballers, failing to open holes against a not very talented Gopher defense whose best player departed early as the result of a “targeting” call.
Star Badger running back Jonathan Taylor exceeded the 100 yard mark while having no discernible impact whatsoever on the outcome of the game, thus proving that flashy rushing stats in the 2018 version of the “Medium-Small Ten” can be deceiving. Meanwhile, the inept Badger defense made the very pedestrian Gopher offense look like the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Indeed, in so-called “crunch time” in the fourth quarter, the Badgers allowed a nine plus minute drive — the longest in the Big Ten this season!
The Gophers improved to 6-6, thus becoming “bowl eligible” a fairly meaningless, almost dubious, honor in this time of irrelevant, over-hyped post season games. The NCAA should let the top eight teams compete for the national championship and keep everyone else at home with the eggnog during the holiday season,
Last season, Coach Paul Chryst took the Badgers to new heights with a 13-1 record and a major bowl victory. But, this season the under achieving Badgers more closely resembled “Little Ten Bottom Feeders” Indiana, Illinois, and Rutgers than they did a “Top 25” outfit. After the game, Chryst expressed gratification that his 7-5 group would have a chance to “redeem” themselves in a totally meaningless “Grade C” bowl game. Based on their season finale, fans would be well advised to take in a holiday movie instead.
PWS
11-24-18
