On Saturday evening, I'll be glued to my TV, watching the Badgers play a tough Ohio State team for the Big 10 Championship.
Twice, I watched the Badgers play USC for what was the mythical national championship at the Rose Bowl. In both cases, I came away disappointed, but not disheartened, because in both cases, the Badgers showed they were there to win it, or at least show they belonged there.
Although this OSU game is not the national championship, it's the first step to getting there, and OSU would be about as good a start as you could have to show you belong.
If the Badgers do win this one, and I think they will, it could be the beginning of something even bigger, and better, on the recruiting trail. Especially since we're hearing announcers, week after week, talking about how Wisconsin's program turns young men into NFL players at an ever increasingly rate. "If you're a running back," One announcer said, "and you don't accept an offer to Wisconsin, you're making a terrible mistake. There is no other school that can turn raw talent into proven NFL running backs." Another announcer commented; "As you look at the Wisconsin roster, you see more players that were originally walk-ons performing at a 5-star level. It's their coaching, and dedication to playing, that makes that happen. Look around the NFL, and you'll see players on offense, and defense, who played at Wisconsin, and many came into their program without scholarships. This doesn't happen by accident, it happens because they are that well coached."
I'm picking the Badgers to win this one. I think Jim Leonhard's defense wants to claim a national title.
Badgers 24 OSU 17
