There's no doubt the college football season is coming now.
On the day the Wisconsin football team reports to begin fall camp in preparation for its Sept. 1 opener against UNLV, the Badgers were presented with a top-10 preseason ranking.
The defending Big Ten champions will enter the 2011 season ranked No. 10, according to the preseason edition of the USA Today Coaches Poll released Thursday. UW is the highest-ranked Big Ten team and one of five league schools to earn a spot in the top 25.
With their highest preseason ranking since 2007, the Badgers will start the season ranked among the top 10 for the fourth time in school history. UW also ranked 10th in the 1999 preseason poll, was fifth in 2000 and seventh in the 2007 edition.
The Badgers began their run to the Rose Bowl last season with a preseason ranking of No. 12.
Oklahoma holds down the No. 1 spot, with Alabama, Oregon, LSU and Florida State rounding out the top five. Stanford checks in at No. 6, followed by Boise State, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and the Badgers.
The other Big Ten teams to earn a top-25 nod are league newcomer Nebraska (No. 11), Ohio State (No. 16), Michigan State (No. 17) and Penn State (No. 25). In addition, Iowa, Northwestern and Michigan also received votes.
Northern Illinois and Oregon State, two of the Badgers' non-conference foes, also received votes.
USA Today Coaches Poll - 2011 Preseason 1. Oklahoma (42) 2. Alabama (13 3. Oregon (2) 4. LSU (2) 5. Florida State 6. Stanford 7. Boise State 8. Oklahoma State 9. Texas A&M 10. Wisconsin 11. Nebraska 12. South Carolina 13. Virginia Tech. 14. Arkansas 15. TCU 16. Ohio State 17. Michigan State 18. Notre Dame 19. Auburn 20. Mississippi State 21. Missouri 22. Georgia 23. Florida 24. Texas 25. Penn State
UW head coach Bret Bielema opened his Thursday tour of the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place in Chicago with a press conference for the more than 500 credentialed media members at the 2011 edition of Big Ten Football Media Days.
On Russell Wilson: "No matter how good a football player Russell Wilson is, the first thing I wanted to find out is what kind of person he is. I always say that in recruiting, you recruit your own problems. I wanted to make sure that I wasn't recruiting somebody that was going to potentially be a problem at Wisconsin. He's a stand-up guy, great character. Just a really, really neat kid."
On Wilson's current status as Badgers' backup QB: "I haven't seen Russell Wilson compete one snap competitively in practice. I think I might know what will happen, but until it happens, that's where we're at."
On replacing key players from 2010: "As coaches we always concentrate on we're not trying to replace J.J. Watt, we're trying to replace his production. Who gives us an opportunity to do that. Practically we've look at our current players, have an opportunity to work with them and see where we can go." On the status of the Badgers' brand: "One of the first things I do every day, I'll come into my office and plug into a web page that's all about college football. I'll read the top 12 headlines. Most of the time, more than three-quarters of them are about negative things around college football. For us to stay in a positive light, means a lot for me, means a lot for us in recruiting. I think that's very evident in the kind of kids we're playing." On the team maintaining its focus: "We say at Wisconsin, if you don't like college football, don't come to Wisconsin. We have to get a framework in our mind to know that's what we're going to do. Don't let success go to your head, keep an even keel."
On recruiting quality players: "One thing we try to emphasize at Wisconsin, I tell my coaches, they're
all fathers, they all have children, If you are not willing to let a
recruit come in and baby-sit your children when you're not in the house,
don't recruit them."
The inaugural edition of the Big Ten Conference's "Players to Watch" list includes a pair of Badgers picked to do big things in the first season of divisional play.
The running back tandem of junior Montee Ball and sophomore James White were named to the Players to Watch list for the Leaders Division on Thursday as part of the 2011 Big Ten Media Days.
The Leaders Division list totaled seven names due to a tie in the voting and includes five returning All-Big Ten selections from 2010. In addition to being the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, White was named second-team all-conference, while Ball was an All-Big Ten honorable mention.
Ball and White join Illinois QB Nathan Scheelhaase, Indiana WR Damarlo Belcher, Ohio State C Mike Brewster and DT John Simon and Penn State LB Michael Mauti as honorees in the Leaders Division.
Five players were picked in the Legends Division, including quarterbacks Denard Robinson (Michigan), Kirk Cousins (Michigan State) and Dan Persa (Northwestern). Nebraska DT Jared Crick and LB Lavonte David give the Huskers a pair of Players to Watch in their first Big Ten season.
The Players to Watch list, which replaces the league's preseason all-conference teams, is selected by a panel of media that cover the Big Ten.
BIG TEN PLAYERS TO WATCH - 2011
Legends Division Denard Robinson, QB, Michigan Kirk Cousins, QB, Michigan State Jared Crick, DT, Nebraska Lavonte David, LB, Nebraska Dan Persa, QB, Northwestern
Leaders Division* Nathan Scheelhaase, QB, Illinois Damarlo Belcher, WR, Indiana Mike Brewster, C, Ohio State John Simon, DT, Ohio State Michael Mauti, LB, Penn State Montee Ball, RB, Wisconsin James White, RB, Wisconsin *Additional honorees due to tie
The season is still nearly two months away, but three members of the Wisconsin football team are already in the running for national player of the year honors.
The backfield trio of junior running back Montee Ball, sophomore running back James White and senior quarterback Russell Wilson each were named to the preseason watch list for the 2011 Maxwell Award this week.
The award, which is presented annually to the top player in college football, released an initial list of 66 players. With its trio, UW ties for the most representatives of any program in the nation, joining Arkansas, South Carolina and Texas A&M.
In all, 10 players from the Big Ten made the initial cut, with Michigan State (QB Kirk Cousins and RB Edwin Baker) the only other league team to have multiple representatives on the list.
The Maxwell Award went to Auburn quarterback Cam Newton in 2010.
Former Badger Ron Dayne is the only UW player to claim the honor, which he did as a senior in 1999 as part of an awards season that also saw him win the Heisman Trophy, Walter Camp Player of the Year Award and Doak Walker Award.
Ball is coming off a breakout season in 2010 that saw him rush for 996 yards -- at an average of 6.1 per carry -- and 18 touchdowns. As a freshman, White was the Badgers' leading rusher and finished the season with 1,052 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Wilson, a transfer from North Carolina State, threw for 3,563 yards and 28 touchdowns last season in leading the Wolfpack to a 9-4 record and win over West Virginia in the Champs Sports Bowl.
After a week of voting, Badgers fans have spoken with their pick for the top play of the 2010-11 season. In reality, the contest was probably over before it started.
The play that got the football Badgers' thrilling 31-18 win over No. 1-ranked Ohio State "underway with ... a ... bang" ran away with nearly half the votes.
Runner-up honors -- with 27.2 percent of the fan vote -- went to women's hockey's Kelly Nash, who tallied the game-winner in overtime to secure the WCHA Final Face-off crown over Minnesota.
Josh Gasser's buzzer-beating 3-pointer garnered 9.5 percent of the vote to finish third, and Landon Peacock's last-gasp pass for the Big Ten cross country title was fourth with 5.3 percent. Justin Schultz's overtime game-winner for the Badger men rounded out the top five with 4.3 percent.
Here's a look at the complete poll results: 48.7% David Gilreath - Football - Opening kickoff return for TD vs. Ohio State (Oct. 16) 27.2% Kelly Nash - Women's Hockey- OT game-winner in WCHA Final Face-Off (March 5) 9.5% Josh Gasser - Men's Basketball - Buzzer-beating 3-pointer at Michigan (Feb. 23) 5.3% Landon Peacock - Men's Cross Country - Late pass to win Big Ten title (Oct. 31) 4.3% Justin Schultz - Men's Hockey - OT game-winning goal vs. Canisius (Jan. 8) 3.5% Brad Nortman - Football - Fake punt to keep drive alive vs. Iowa (Oct. 23) 1.4% Lin Zastrow - Women's Basketball - Game-tying tip-in at buzzer vs. Wyoming (Dec. 15)
And, in case you want to see it again, the top play in UW sports for 2010-11:
The annual flood of preseason football rankings has begun with a trickle, as both Blue Ribbon Yearbook and Sporting News have released their early rundowns.
Both think highly of the defending Big Ten champion Badgers.
Sporting News' version, penned by Matt Hayes, delves deep by ranking the entire Football Bowl Subdivision, from No. 1 all the way to No. 120.
Badgers fans don't have to read that far down, however. Hayes has the Badgers pegged at No. 10 and quotes head coach Bret Bielema as, "Excited to be in the top 10! It's a great recognition of what we've accomplished in the past and what our team expects and is working to achieve in the future."
UW ranks second-highest among Big Ten teams, with new member Nebraska one spot ahead at No. 9. Sporting News also has the teams that shared the league's crown with Wisconsin in 2010 -- Michigan State and Ohio State -- among its top 20. The Spartans check in at No. 14, with the Buckeyes slotted 17th.
With Penn State at No. 24, the Big Ten owns one-fifth of the Sporting News' top 25.
LSU is the magazine's preseason favorite, ahead of No. 2 Oklahoma and No. 3 Alabama. Stanford and Oregon round out the top five.
Blue Ribbon Yearbook goes a different way with its top pick, seating the Sooners at No. 1. Alabama checks in at No. 2, with LSU, Stanford and Oregon completing the top five.
More importantly, Blue Ribbon pegs the Badgers at No. 13. That's four spots back of the top Big Ten team in its rankings, No. 9 Nebraska.
Also representing the league are Michigan State at No. 15 at Ohio State at No. 18. Sporting News College Football Top 120 Top 25 (Complete Listing) 1. LSU 2. Oklahoma 3. Alabama 4. Stanford 5. Oregon 6. Boise State 7. Florida State 8. Oklahoma State 9. Nebraska 10. Wisconsin 11. Arkansas 12. Texas A&M 13. Virginia Tech 14. Michigan State 15. Notre Dame 16. South Carolina 17. Ohio State 18. Auburn 19. TCU 20. Mississippi State 21. Utah 22. West Virginia 23. Arizona State 24. Penn State 25. USC Blue Ribbon Yearbook Preseason Top 25 1. Oklahoma 2. Alabama 3. LSU 4. Stanford 5. Oregon 6. Boise State 7. Florida State 8. Texas A&M 9. Nebraska 10. South Carolina 11. Virginia Tech 12. Oklahoma State 13. Wisconsin 14. Arkansas 15. Michigan State 16. Georgia 17. TCU 18. Ohio State 19. Notre Dame 20. Arizona State 21. Mississippi State 22. USC 23. West Virginia 24. Missouri 25. Southern Miss
Our look back on the top plays of 2010-11 concludes Tuesday as we look back on the play that set the stage for Wisconsin's thrilling win over No. 1-ranked Ohio State under the lights at Camp Randall Stadium.
Is it your choice for the best of 2010-11? Feel free to vote once per day for your favorite play, and we will announce the winner Wednesday.
David Gilreath - Football Opening kickoff return for TD vs. Ohio State (Oct. 16) The buildup to No. 16 Wisconsin's clash with No. 1-ranked Ohio State seemed almost unending, but it took just seconds for David Gilreath to show how the Badgers would respond to one of the most hyped games in their history. The senior took the opening kickoff and sprinted around and through the Buckeyes' coverage unit as part of a 97-yard return for touchdown, a score that paved the way for a 31-18 victory.
UW's first win over the nation's top-ranked team in 29 years set off one of the biggest celebrations in Camp Randall Stadium history -- and set the stage for a run to the Big Ten title.
Our look back on the top plays of 2010-11 continues Saturday as we look back on the play that finished off the Badgers' sweep of the WCHA regular-season and tournament titles with a dramatic overtime win over Border Battle rival Minnesota.
Is it your choice for the best of 2010-11? Feel free to vote once per day for your favorite play, and we will announce the winner Wednesday, June 29.
Kelly Nash - Women's Hockey OT game-winner to win WCHA Final Face-Off (March 5) With the WCHA Final Face-Off crown on the line in a rivalry matchup against Minnesota, the Badgers needed a lift in overtime. Their first lead of the game came with just 49 seconds to go in the extra period as senior Kelly Nash took a pass from fellow senior Geena Prough and wristed the game-winner past Gophers goaltender Noora Raty. The goal gave UW its fourth WCHA tournament title and kept the Badgers' unbeaten streak alive at 24 straight games.
Our look back on the top plays of 2010-11 continues Saturday as we look back on the play that kept the Badgers alive for an overtime period that allowed them to finish the non-conference slate with a big road win.
Is it your choice for the best of 2010-11? Feel free to vote once per day for your favorite play, and we will announce the winner Wednesday, June 29.
Lin Zastrow - Women's Basketball Game-tying tip-in at buzzer vs. Wyoming (Dec. 15) The Badgers grabbed a key road win at Wyoming in their non-conference finale, but the 63-59 victory wouldn't have been if not for a clutch play from their senior leader. The Badgers had their chance for the final shot of regulation, but Alyssa Karel's jumper with 12 seconds remaining rimmed out. Fellow senior Lin Zastrow played hero, however, tipping in the rebound to push the contest to overtime.
Our look back on the top plays of 2010-11 continues Friday as we look back on the play that had the Badgers' punter playing the unexpected hero as UW looked to rally for a Big Ten road win at Iowa.
Is it your choice for the best of 2010-11? Feel free to vote once per day for your favorite play, and we will announce the winner Wednesday, June 29.
Brad Nortman - Football Fake punt to keep drive alive vs. Iowa (Oct. 23) Facing a fourth-and-4 and backed up on their own 26 yard line, the 10th-ranked Badgers dipped into their bag of tricks to keep a crucial late-game drive alive against No. 12 Iowa. With blocks laid out perfectly ahead of him, punter Brad Nortman tucked the ball and ran 17 yards to give UW a first down that kept the series moving and helped bring the Heartland Trophy back to Madison. The drive eventually led to Montee Ball's game-winning score in a dramatic 31-30 victory inside hostile Kinnick Stadium.
