2010 Preview To Bet Wisconsin Badgers
Head Coach Brett Bielema and the Wisconsin Badgers are back in the good graces of online betting specialists. On the heels of a disappointing 2008 season, the 2009 Badgers bounced back in a big way, winning 10 games for just the 10th time in school history.
The Badgers flew well under the radar for most of the 2009 season. In fact, it took them seven weeks to break into the polls at all despite starting the season with five straight wins. It probably had something to do with the caliber of teams they were beating (opening with wins over Northern Illinois, Fresno State, and Wofford doesn’t exactly wow the viewing public). The Badgers gathered momentum as Big Ten play opened with close wins over Michigan State at home and as a slight road underdog at Minnesota. With the meat of the Big Ten schedule upon them, Wisconsin faced its two biggest tests: a road trip to Columbus to face Ohio State followed by a home date with Iowa. Despite outgaining Ohio State 368-184, the Badgers lost the turnover battle and the game. They followed it up by being held to their lowest rushing total of the year (87 yards) in a rough home loss to Iowa.
However, Wisconsin showed great character and behind the running of eventual Big Ten Offensive Play of the Year John Clay, they won four of their last five games (dropping only a late shootout at Northwestern) and earned a spot in the Champs Sports Bowl against No. 14 Miami. Despite being 3-point underdogs to the Canes, Wisconsin battered Miami and won a physical bowl matchup 20-13 to end the season with positive momentum. This was yet another season in which coach Bret Bielema took less than spectacular talent and molded it into an effective and cohesive whole. Quarterback Scott Tolzien was turnover-prone at times, but he developed into a generally competent signal caller whose passing game was credible enough to take heat off of Clay. Defenses were off balance to the point that Clay’s bulldozing and straight-ahead power running style were appreciably effective. Wisconsin didn’t demolish opponents with a devastating vertical passing game or any kind of aerial fireworks, but the Badgers were able to make enough downfield incisions in opposing secondaries. UW softened up the back four of a defense to make run support a more problematic issue.
2010 Preview To Bet Ohio State Buckeyes
NCAA football betting experts know what to expect from Wisconsin. On offense, the Badgers are going to line up with a fullback, a tight end, and a big offensive line and they’re going to run the football. The 2010 season in Madison will be no different. John Clay returns in the backfield after having offseason surgery on both of his ankles. Wisconsin coaches hope that the surgery and the return of both backups will ease the load on Clay. It also helps that quarterback Scott Tolzien and wide receiver Nick Toon are back to provide balance in the passing game. All five offensive line starters return as well. There should be no drop in production for 2010. Defensively, six starters return from a unit that allowed only 306 yards per game in 2009.
The schedule should also make Wisconsin an attractive option for sports betting analysts. The Badgers have seven home games, get Ohio State at home, get a crucial bye after Iowa, and avoid Penn State. The non-conference slate of an odd road game at UNLV followed by home games with San Jose State, Arizona State, and Austin Peay make Wisconsin a good bet to win 10 games again and be in the thick of the Big Ten race in December.
Talent is always good, of course, but what will make Wisconsin a hard team for opponents in 2010 is that the Badgers will have appreciably seasoned talent. Tolzien should benefit from another year of reps and practice time, which will enable him to enjoy an even better rapport with his receiving corps. The belief fostered by the impressive win over Miami in the 2009 Champs Sports Bowl should fuel quite a lot of optimism in and around Camp Randall Stadium.
Let’s be clear: Ohio State and Iowa should rule the roost in the Big Ten, and it will be difficult for Wisconsin to break into the top two of the league and steal away an at-large BCS bowl bid. However, aside from those two games, the Badgers should be favored in each and every game they’ll play. As long as they avoid an upset in conference action, they should win 10 in 2010.