B5Q Blogopean Union: hey, the women’s basketball team won a game!

Good morning! This is going to be a daily(ish) post that discusses the goings on of the rest of the Big Ten Conference, and the country as needed. Much like the European Union, the Big Ten is a loosely confederated group of entities that sometimes have the same goals (like free movement of people between countries or not winning national titles in football or basketball) and sometimes accept new members that they later regret (Estonia or Nebraska).

We hope that you will use this post to comment on things happening around the conference and also as a sort of daily open thread to discuss breaking news or argue about Spotted Cow (which we NO LONGER DO).

• Sydney Hilley’s sustained, consistent excellence will be hard to replace next season. All the more reason to enjoy her playing for the Badgers now!

• Look, I’m all for improved player safety measures in football...but there has to be a change to the targeting rule. Disqualifying Wilder from the game, after the first play no less, affected the outcome (would Wisconsin have won with Wilder in? Ehhhhh, I don’t know, but it was still a big deal) and unfairly punished a player for something out of his control. Chris Autman-Bell ducked his head and Wilder, while going to make a legal tackle, hit him in the helmet with his shoulder. At least for Wilder, he won’t have to miss any of the bowl game and gets one more chance to take the field for UW.

• Tyler Wahl’s post offense has been a revelation early in the season. If he is going to be a consistent threat on post-ups like this...that vastly improves Wisconsin’s offense.

• The defense, in general, for the men’s basketball team has been clicking so far this year and it has been extremely enjoyable to watch. Getting good quality shots on offense has been a nice surprise too. I am pleasantly surprised at how well this young team is playing already.

• I am as shocked as the next person, but the Badgers went out west for a mini-tournament and won their first game! After beating Boise State they did lose to Colorado, but splitting their games in the Rocky Mountain Hoops Classic is a definite win for Marisa Moseley’s squad. Julie Pospisilova was named to the all-tournament team.

• Since their OT win over Minnesota on Nov. 5, the men’s hockey team is 0-6-1 after scoring one (1) goal in their weekend series against Clarkson. Yikes.

• You can read Navy Badger’s recap of the Garden State Grapple, which Wisconsin swept, right here, but some of the youngsters on the team also had a good weekend at a tournament in Ames, Iowa.

• Hey, Michigan beat Ohio State in football! That’s crazy! Here are three things we learned about the Wolverines, how the fans helped Michigan win, and is Michigan DE Aidan Hutchinson the best player in the country?
• Ohio State fans are so soft. They lose ONE rivalry game and they have been melting down online since. Here’s the stock market report for the Buckeyes after the loss.
• Rutgers women’s soccer is going to the Final Four. J.J. is probably ecstatic.
• Rutgers wrestling also did well at the Garden State Grapple.
• Update on MSU’s men’s hoops after their Battle 4 Atlantis trip.
• Thanks to Wisconsin losing to Minnesota, Iowa is going to the Big Ten Title game. Do they have a QB controversy?
• Penn State, much like Wisconsin, just finished a major “what if” football season.
• A quick volleyball bracket analysis from Corn Nation.
• Purdue pummels Indiana to regain Old Oaken Bucket.
• Northwestern had an awful football season, capped off by their bed crapping against Illinois, and Wildcats fans are...not happy.
• No. 2 Maryland women’s hoops got beat down by No. 7 Stanford.
• Bret Bielema’s first season in Illinois is over. How did it go?
• Indiana fired their offensive coordinator and Hoosiers fans are pleased.
• The Daily Gopher’s recap of the Axe game. QB Tanner Morgan is coming back for another season.