Football

This Ain’t Your Fathers Big Ten Conference

“I’m back.” – Michael Jordan/Drew Hamm

Published

2 months ago

August 8, 2023

Sep 1, 2018; University Park, PA, USA; A detailed view of the Big Ten logo on the field prior to the game between the Appalachian State Mountaineers and the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports

Well, well, well…look what the cat dragged in!

After about a month and a half off here I am back again, writing about our beloved Wisconsin Badgers. Luckily not much has happened in the realm of college sports nor the Big Ten specifically in that time, so we can just dive right in to talking about UW’s tight end depth!

For those who don’t know me, my name is Drew Hamm and I’m the new guy around here. I have been writing about the Badgers online for a long time (at SB Nation; Bucky’s 5th Quarter; and my newsletter, Badgers Ball Knower) and been a fan of the teams for even longer than that. I was born in Philadelphia, grew up in the Philly suburbs, and have lived in the Upper Midwest (Madison; Chicago; Twin Cities) since 2003. I’m the son of a Badger, I’m married to a Badger, and have two kids who will hopefully grow up to be Badgers. I like to think I bring my refined East Coast sensibilities, of throwing batteries at opponents and my own team alike, to the Midwest via my writing.

My role here at BadgerNotes will be a bit amorphous to start. I’m quite excited that Dillon invited me to join the team, but we decided that we don’t really want to pigeonhole myself off the bat. I will be offering opinion pieces, potentially mailbags, and probably some women’s basketball coverage, but I also want to be responsive to what the readers here want.

Buckle up … Because Ive Got Some Thoughts on All the Big Ten Conference Realignment Stuff

Now that we’ve gotten the formalities out of the way, allow me to say that I absolutely can’t stand what is happening with realignment in college sports. Oregon and Washington are two great schools with great fan bases that I think are pretty cool and who should also NEVER BE IN THE BIG TEN EVEN IF THERE IS A FIRE!

College football’s slow, agonizing descent into becoming NFL Lite is as painful for fans as it is lucrative for TV executives. College football is an inherently regional sport and while you may not have been a geography major in school, I’m assuming you know that New Jersey and Oregon are not in the same region of the country. The Big Ten, in their endless greed and inability to live up to their “leaders and legends” moniker, has destroyed the college football we know and love.

Jim Delany, Kevin Warren, and the new Big Ten commissioner whose name I don’t remember (and won’t look up!) have done their jobs wonderfully. They have provided Maximum Value for the shareholders (university bigwigs and television executives) and they don’t care what rivalries and traditions they bust up in the process.

The most disappointing part of all of this? I won’t stop watching. I’m a little piggie and I need my B1G slop. Wisconsin vs. Rutgers in football on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT? Wisconsin at Washington in basketball on a Wednesday night at 11 p.m. CT? Big Ten Volleyball media days in Los Angeles? Yeah, I’ll keep watching that shit because I’m weak-willed. I’d love to take a principled stand and tell the Big Ten to take a long walk off a short pier, but I’ve literally spent my whole life (nearly four decades) supporting Wisconsin athletics. That’s not something you just turn off in one offseason.

This is what the decision makers in college athletics are counting on, by the way. They know we, the true perverts, won’t ever stop turning on the Big Ten Network to watch Howard Griffith break down Iowa’s rushing attack. However, while they won’t lose you and me…they will lose casual fans. They’ll also lose the next generation of fans because there will be nothing to connect the kids to their parents.

My dad went to Wisconsin and hated Iowa and Minnesota. Then, 30 years later, I went to Wisconsin…AND ALSO HATED IOWA AND MINNESOTA! Who are my kids going to hate? Maryland? Oregon?? Nebraska?????? Christ, that’s bleak. The Big Ten is going to make a bunch of money here in the short term but then what of the long term if there are no new fans? The people who made these decisions, who will be long gone to their private islands by this point, don’t care about the fans, the league, or the athletes in it yet we’ll be left to pick up the pieces. If there are any left.

Anyways, happy to join the team on a positive and uplifting note! If you’d like more of this, plus plenty of Sports Shouting, you can follow me on Twitter dot com @drewhamm5!

Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Drew Hamm on Twitter @DrewHamm5

Follow this link and use promo code: BADGERNOTES for 25% off your next True Classic order.

Join the Badger Notes watch party and stream Wisconsin Badgers games by following this link.

*Subscribe to BadgerNotes After Dark on Youtube and wherever you find podcasts, the official Wisconsin Badgers podcast of the Big Banter Sports Network.

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Football

Wisconsin Football Week 5 Stock Report: Bye Week Blues

Published

12 hours ago

September 27, 2023

Christian Borman

Sep 10, 2022; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers logo on a flag prior to the game against the Washington State Cougars at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

The Wisconsin Badgers football team enters their bye week with a 3-1 overall record. I’m sure many fans hoped and expected the Badgers to be 4-0 heading into the bye, but 3-1 is still a pretty good start. With a victory over Purdue last Friday, the Badgers are already 1/5 of the way to being bowl-eligible, so there’s that too.

Here is the Week 5 BadgerNotes Stock Report.

Wisconsin Football Stock Report: Stock Up

Wisconsin’s Standing in the Big Ten West

We are just getting into conference play and the Wisconsin football team is already at the top of the standings. They are currently the only team in the west division that doesn’t have a conference loss.

The Gophers lost an embarrassing game to the Northwestern Wildcats in overtime after being up 31-10 with just over two minutes left in the third quarter.

Nebraska lost to Minnesota in Week 1.

Iowa just got destroyed by Penn State last week, 31-0.

Purdue lost to Wisconsin last week, dropping their conference record to 0-1.

Now, with the Badgers having a bye this week, there’s a situation where the rest of the West will continue to cannibalize and lose games that will give the Wisconsin football team an even larger lead without even playing a game. Right now, the Badgers are sitting pretty well in the division.

Wisconsin Football Stock Report: Stock Down

Bye Weeks

Boo! Bye weeks suck. Having to wait more than two weeks between Wisconsin football games sucks, especially now that their offense started to get rolling. Now there’s a chance the team could lose the rhythm they worked to get into the past few weeks.

On the positive side, if there are any Wisconsin football players who are banged up, this bye week will give them some time to heal up before they play another game.

Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers football news, notes, opinions, and analysis. You can also follow Christian Borman on Twitter @christianborman.

Follow this link and use promo code: BADGERNOTES for 25% off your next True Classic order.

Join the Badger Notes watch party and stream Wisconsin Badgers games by following this link.

*Subscribe to BadgerNotes After Dark on Youtube and wherever you find podcasts, the official Wisconsin Badgers podcast of the Big Banter Sports Network.

Football

Special Teams: The Unsung Heroes of Wisconsin Football

Published

15 hours ago

September 27, 2023

Jake Maier

Wisconsin Badgers football punter Atticus Bertrams

Wisconsin punter Atticus Bertrams (49) punts for 42 yds during the second quarter of the game against Buffalo on Saturday September 2, 2023 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.

The Wisconsin Badgers football program is headed into the bye week on a high note following a 38-17 win over Purdue. The Badgers had some very apparent struggles throughout the first four games of the season, but there was a lot to like about UW’s performance against the Boilermakers.

It doesn’t get talked about nearly enough, but Wisconsin has had some excellent play from the special teams unit thus far. The excitement around the program was at an all-time high for some of the other phases — and I’m certainly not here to blame anyone for that — but we must give credit where it’s due. Wisconsin has some real promise with its special teams, and they deserve some praise.

Special Teams: The Unsung Heroes of Wisconsin Football

Nathanial Vakos

We need to talk about Nathanial Vakos. The former Ohio transfer has undoubtedly been one of the biggest bright spots for Wisconsin through the first four games of the 2023 season.

So far, Vakos has nailed all seven field goal attempts and been perfect on extra-point tries. After his performance against Purdue, where he went 3-for-3 on field goal opportunities and hit three extra point attempts, Vakos earned Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week honors. Against Washington State, Vakos also hit all three of his field goal attempts, with his longest coming in at 49 yards, which remains his longest field goal of the season.

Having a kicker of Vakos’ caliber is a blessing that can’t be understated. While he may not get the most attention due to his role on the special teams, he certainly deserves his flowers for how he has fared through the first four weeks of the 2023 season.

Atticus Bertrams

Another player who doesn’t get enough recognition is Atticus Bertrams. The freshman has quietly put together a solid 2023 season thus far. Through four games, the Australia native has punted 16 times for an average of 42.5 yards per punt. On top of that, Bertrams has only had one punt returned. Last week against Purdue, Bertrams had just two punts, but his longest boot came in at 60 yards, his longest of the season.

Although he is an unheralded member of the special teams, the freshman has been impressive, considering he never punted in a game before the 2023 season. His marks aren’t the most impressive, but there is a solid foundation for the Australian native.

Wisconsin Football WR/Returner Chimere Dike

Though Vakos has been the most impressive player on the special teams — in my opinion — Chimere Dike has done an excellent job on return opportunities.

Dike was impressive during his performance against Purdue, logging returns for 39 and 34 yards. With those marks, Dike is now second in the Big Ten on punt returns, with an average of 9.6 yards per return. On top of that, he’s fourth in the conference on kickoff returns, logging an average of 32 yards per return.

The senior receiver has undoubtedly been one of the biggest bright spots for the Wisconsin football program early in their 2023 campaign. You’d love to see him break off one of his returns for six, and that certainly isn’t out of the question with his skillset.

The special teams unit has played a big role to start the season, and their contributions will continue to be crucial as the season chugs along.

As it stands, the Wisconsin Badgers football team is 3-1 heading into the bye week. UW will take on Rutgers on October 7th in Madison as both teams look to improve to 4-1.

Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here. Also, like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers football news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Jake Maier on Twitter @JakeJMaier.

Follow this link and use promo code: BADGERNOTES for 25% off your next True Classic order.

Join the Badger Notes watch party and stream Wisconsin Badgers games by following this link.

*Subscribe to BadgerNotes After Dark on Youtube and wherever you find podcasts, the official Wisconsin Badgers podcast of the Big Banter Sports Network.

FB Recruiting

Wisconsin Football Named a Recruiting Finalist for NFL Pro Bowler’s Son

Published

18 hours ago

September 27, 2023

Dillon Graff

Wisconsin Badgers Football head coach Luke Fickell

Sep 16, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell prior to the game against the Georgia Southern Eagles at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin Badgers football team received some good news on the recruiting front Tuesday evening. The coveted Eugene Hilton Jr., a promising 2025 wide receiver hailing from Zionsville, Indiana, made a significant move by narrowing his list of potential schools to six, and the Badgers proudly found their place among them.

As Hilton Jr. looks ahead to his collegiate journey, he’ll weigh his options between a few notable programs. The final six schools in his consideration are Ole Miss, Kentucky, Missouri, Florida International University (FIU), Miami, and our very own University of Wisconsin.

TOP 6 ‼️
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Thanks to all the coaches who have been recruiting me through this process. Where we going 👀 pic.twitter.com/P3Ndhnk0iz

— Eugene Hilton Jr (@EugeneHiltonJr) September 27, 2023

Wisconsin Football Recruiting Still in the Mix for Son of an NFL Pro Bowler

According to the industry-generated composite recruiting rankings, Eugene Hilton Jr. is the No. 393 player in the 2025 cycle, the No. 55 WR, and the No. 4 recruit to hail from Indiana.

Currently, Hilton is considered a three-star recruit and one of the top 2025 pass-catching prospects in the Midwest — and the Badgers would be happy to add him to a verbal commits list that already includes quarterback Landyn Locke and defensive back Remington Moss.

Now, if the name Hilton sounds a tad familiar to Wisconsin football fans, you’re spot on. This dynamic young talent happens to be the offspring of none other than former NFL pro-bowler T.Y. Hilton. During his illustrious NFL career, the elder Hilton made a name for himself with the Indianapolis Colts and the Dallas Cowboys.

With the Badgers making the cut in Hilton Jr.’s selection process, it’s a testament to the allure and potential of Wisconsin football & its ability to attract new talent because of their air raid offense.

As the recruiting process unfolds, all eyes will be on Eugene Hilton Jr. as he evaluates his options. While the path to securing his commitment may be winding, one thing is clear: Wisconsin Badgers football is very much in the running for the talented young wideout.

Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.