I'll regurgitate some of the stuff I said in my Wisconsin analysis in post #15. Key Badgers are returning to practice and very quietly Barry Alvarez's team is preparing to thump Penn State. What is going on in Madison is the direct opposite in Happy Valley where lots of hoopla, player quotes etc are hitting the national media everyday.
Mark Zalewski returned to practice yesterday along with FB Ross Bernstein who is an absolute crusher as a blocker. Remember, none of these key players have played in the last 7 weeks, and any and all stats in last 5 games aren't all that relevant to what will happen on Saturday because of personnel changes. Do you people realize Wisky was playing a 218 pound DE? It was a real mess and Wisky is a different team this Sat.
Barry Alvarez has imposed a quiet gag order and practices are closed. In Purdue and Illinois games, he used a total of 18 plays from 3 different offensive formations for both of the entire games. All Barry is saying, "The players understand it. It's just trying to relax them, enjoy the game, enjoy what it is, enjoy the experience, and just go play, see what happens." The media will not get one more thing out of him until after the game Saturday afternoon.
I am sitting with 13 units @ +10.5 and have added 1 unit on the ML @ +400 today. These are the type of games Barry seldom ever loses,
but I am guaranteeing nothing.
Penn State's QB actually is a runningback, and until this season his completion % is 44%, currently he is barely above 50%, and if the Badgers keep their lanes, they will force him into turnovers (PSU has had zero TO's last 3 games).
Wisconsin has maybe the best punter in college FB, and the PSU return man fumbles as often as he fields a punt. :lol:
Penn States defensive line is excellent but I think Wisky OL can wear PSU down and exploit PSU's lack of depth. Badger OL is coming on especially tackles Joe Thomas who will be the best OL of many in the NFL someday(future first round draft choice)(Bucky currently have 20 OL in NFL, with-over 50% of them originally walkons, a tribute to Barry and his OL coach), and the other tackle Kraig Ubrick (also an original walkon) who has the unenviable job of handling PSU's best D-Lineman Tamba Hali. Wisconsin's guards are first year starters but have been in the Bucky program 5 years, and if Bernstein comes back TW we are in gravy because all we have to do is get Brian Calhoun out to the PSU linebackers and "the fun will begin". QB John Stocco is proving to be a solid QB and the Badger's skill WR's are head and shoulders above what is left at Penn State. PSU's WR Derrick Williams is a HUGE loss as he was their best deep threat. I'll take Wisky skill players in Williams, Orr, Daniels and Calhoun to throw at over anyone PSU throws out there.
As an added bonus, another injured Badger H-Back Owen Daniels has also returned to practice and is almost completely healthy and may play. I am more than content with my position. Once again Barry and his players are saying nothing the rest of the week, they will let their play on Saturday do the talking. When I look at this game, I keep asking myself how Wisky can win SU not how they can cover 10.5 pts.
Good luck!