Badger Bits: The Oregon Ducks and our eerily similar pasts
by Louis Bien on Dec 26, 2011 9:00 AM CST
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It is late on Christmas Day, so I will save you the psychobabble, except to say that it is officially game week, kids, and you should all be excited/sad that the final stanza of what has been on of the most intriguing seasons of college football ever is nigh upon us. I also want to point out that a fanatic Oregon football historian who goes by the name of "benzduck" dug deep to compare the history of our beloved football teams, and found some seriously spooky similarities.
The 2012 Rose Bowl is a great matchup for a number of reasons. Offensive football makes for great viewing, and the eternal Brawn v. Speed conundrum in football is always worth revisiting. Even more compelling is that both teams are essentially long lost twin brothers. Both teams went 30-plus years without Rose Bowls, before breaking through in the mid-90's under Mike Belotti and Barry Alvarez, respectively. Both men would go on to become the athletic directors at their schools, hiring the coaches who are currently striving to bring their teams to even bigger heights.
It will be a travesty if this game doesn't turn out to be an instant classic. Which means I probably jinxed it. So while I set myself up for almost certain disappointment, let me just get out of the way the necessary "happy holidays and all that."
Happy holidays and all that.
Monday's Links:
A number of pretty good player profiles came out over the holidays:
Kevin Zeitler talks about his obsession with football growing up, and how he almost went to Michigan.
Peter Konz talks about prepping for the Rose Bowl, and says he still has no idea whether he will go pro or not.
Greg Russo will get to dress one last for the Badgers, and hopefully coming away with a victory.
The Wisconsin State Journal compares the kicking and punting units for both squads, giving an edge to the Badgers. Also, a look back at the win over Indiana.
Aaron Henry has his family up for graduation, six Badgers earn invites to the Senior Bowl, and notes on the development of young players for next season.
Photo galleries from the Journal Sentinel: Aaron Henry and Bradie Ewing, the offensive line, and Jacob Pedersen.
Off Tackle Empire gets in the holiday spirit with a B1G Holiday letter and a salute to 80's hair bands.
Wrapping up: The Wisconsin experience.
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Hey, who you calling a "fanatic?"
fa·nat·ic /fəˈnatik/
Noun: A person filled with excessive and single-minded zeal, esp. for an extreme religious or political cause.
Adjective: Filled with or expressing excessive zeal.
Synonyms:
noun. zealot – bigot
adjective. fanatical – rabid – bigoted – phrenetic – frenetic
Single-minded, I’ll grant you. But I’m married to a Badger. This tends to dampen my natural inclination towards fanaticism, especially on this topic.
See you in Pasadena. Thanks for the linky.
The "Beano Cook" of ATQ
Don't listen to this fanatic, Louis.
Santa Claus' #1 fan
by Bill Musgrave on Dec 26, 2011 3:37 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
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Badgers Football Schedule
| UNLV | Thu 09/01 | W 51 - 17 |
Oregon St.
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Sat 09/10 | W 35 - 0 |
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@
Northern Illinois
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Sat 09/17 | W 49 - 7 |
| South Dakota Coyotes | Sat 09/24 | W 59 - 10 |
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Nebraska
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Sat 10/01 | W 48 - 17 |
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Indiana
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Sat 10/15 | W 59 - 7 |
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@
Michigan St.
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Sat 10/22 | L 31 - 37 |
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@
Ohio St.
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Sat 10/29 | L 29 - 33 |
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Purdue
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Sat 11/05 | W 62 - 17 |
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@
Minnesota
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Sat 11/12 | W 42 - 13 |
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@
Illinois
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Sat 11/19 | W 28 - 17 |
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Penn St.
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Sat 11/26 | W 45 - 7 |
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@
Michigan St.
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Sat 12/03 | W 42 - 39 |
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@
Oregon
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Mon 01/02 | L 38 - 45 |
