Wisconsin Boots Lance Smith Off Team

Last season Wisconsin running back Lance Smith was not allowed to travel with the team on road trips thanks to pleading guilty to charges of battery and disorderly conduct after getting into a fight with his girlfriend. As long as he followed the rules of the of the first-offenders program he was put into afterwards, Smith was going to avoid any jail time and could continue playing for the Badgers.

Then a month ago it was announced that Bret Bielema had suspended Smith when he failed to live up to the requirements of the program, and on Monday Bielema decided he didn't want to deal with Smith's antics any longer...

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Illinois: A Basketball Wasteland

Since I took the day off yesterday to recover from my weekend, I didn't get to say anything about the Illini's run in the Big Ten tournament, or anything else about the NCAA tournament. Of course, since this blog is focused on Chicago sports, I guess I don't really have a reason to anyway.

After all, not a single team from the state of Illinois made the field of 65.

No Illinois.

No Southern Illinois.

No Illinois State.

No Bradley.

Nobody.

It's just the latest blow in what's been a horrible year to be a sports fan in the city of Chicago and Illinois in general. The Bulls wouldn't even have made it.

Luckily for me, I still have Notre Dame to fall back on, but I'd be lying if I said I was a huge Irish basketball supporter. Though, to be honest, thanks to the Big Ten Network and Comcast, I was actually able to see more Notre Dame games this season than Illini games, which is probably a good thing when you consider how bad Illinois was this year.

Speaking of the Illini, while their run to the championship game of the Big Ten was a nice way to end the season, I never let the thought that they might actually win the thing enter my head. I am a lot more encouraged about next season because of it though.

As for my other thoughts on this year's tournament....

• Indiana's #8 Seed - I've heard a lot of complaints from Indiana fans over the team's #8 seed, but people need to shut up. The Hoosiers don't deserve much more than what they've gotten. Just look at the way they finished their season. First they lost their coach, and then they finished up their schedule with a blowout loss to Michigan State, a loss against Penn State, and an early exit from the Big Ten tournament at the hands of Minnesota. Combine that with the fact that the Big Ten just sucks this year, and Indiana should just shut up and be happy with where they are.
• Notre Dame - While I'll be rooting for Notre Dame in the tournament, I'll only get to do so for one weekend. Even if they win their first round game against George Mason and beat Washington State in the 2nd round, that will only get them a date with the Tar Heels in the Sweet 16.
• Butler's #7 Seed - If you need further proof that the tournament committee just hates mid-major schools, look no further than Butler. The Bulldogs finished the season with a 29-3 record, are ranked #11 in the AP poll and #10 in the coaches poll, yet they get a #7 seed? I'm no genius, but the math just doesn't work out there.
  
• The Big Ten's Only Hope - The Big Ten only got four teams into the tournament, and by my estimation, they'll be lucky to get even one team into the Sweet 16. The best bet to do it is Wisconsin, but a likely date with USC in the second round won't be an easy test for the Badgers.
• Best 1st Round Matchup - This one's pretty easy, it's USC/Kansas State in the Midwest region. Two fabulous freshman in O.J. Mayo and possible player of the year Michael Beasley facing off should make for a very exciting game to watch. One that I see the Trojans winning.
• My Final Four - As a rule, I never have more than two #1 seeds in my Final Four, but this year I can't see any other scenario. I see no Cinderella's or major upsets, and my Final Four consists of: North Carolina, Kansas, UCLA, and Texas. The final game will be North Carolina and UCLA.

Oh, and of course, we're still taking entries in the Foul Balls March Madness Pool.

Foul Balls College Football Rankings - Week 3

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Southern Cal	--
2	LSU	--
3	Florida	2
4	West Virginia	1
5	Oklahoma	1
6	Texas	--
7	Ohio State	5
8	California	1
9	Penn State	1
10	South Carolina	4
11	Wisconsin	2
12	Rutgers	1
13	Oregon	4
14	Boston College	7
15	Alabama	11
16	Kentucky	10
17	Clemson	3
18	Louisville	8
19	Virginia Tech	3
20	Texas A&M	4
21	Hawaii	5
22	Georgia	1
23	Missouri	3
24	Michigan State	2
25	Nebraska	12

Dropped Out: Georgia Tech (#15), UCLA (#16), Tennessee (#18), Arkansas (#19), South Florida (#25).

It should be noted that since I was at my sister's wedding on Saturday, I hardly got to watch any football at all. So my ballot this week is probably a bit off since all I have to go on is what I read about each game.

I knocked Georgia Tech, UCLA, Tennessee, and Arkansas out all because they lost. South Florida I took out because their win over Auburn doesn't look as impressive now that Auburn lost to Mississippi State this weekend.

Alabama and Kentucky are new to the poll this week after big wins over Arkansas and Louisville respectively. I doubt I'm the only person who thought Kentucky would beat Louisville this weekend, but it still came as a surprise to most. Get used to hearing the name Andre Woodson in the coming weeks, because he's making the Wildcats a viable threat in the SEC.

I ranked Ohio State the highest among Big Ten teams, because after an impressive victory on the road against Washington, they deserve it. Penn State had some struggles early against Buffalo, and Wisconsin gave up too many points to The Citadel.

As for Nebraska, a 12 spot drop after losing to USC may be a bit much, but that's just how things worked out.

As always, your thoughts and opinions are welcome in the comments.

Foul Balls College Football Preview - Wisconsin Badgers

With the college football season just round the corner, Foul Ballshas decided it's about time we busted out our college football previews. Each weekday we will break down a team from the Big Ten Conference and tell you all the important things you need to know about them. After we're done covering the Big Ten, we'll move on to Notre Dame and other Chicago area schools. We'll be going from worst to first, and today we look at the Wisconsin Badgers.

2006 Record - 12-1, 7-1 2nd Big Ten

2007 Projection - 10-2

Most Important Player - That would be P.J. Hill. Wisconsin has always been known for its strong running attack, and even though they've opened things up under Bret Bielema, they're still a running team. Hill led the Big Ten in rushing yards as a freshman last season with 1,569 yards and 15 touchdowns. With an unsettled quarterback position, Hill is going to have to carry the load again this season. That could be good and bad news for the Badgers, though. There's no doubt they want the ball in Hill's hands, but there's also a strong question about his durability. It's going to be answered this season.

Who to watch on offense - They never get the credit they deserve, but the offensive line in Madison is strong, as usual. Four of the five starters from last season return, but the one player missing is a big loss, Outland Trophy winner Joe Thomas. Still, with Marcus Coleman, Eric Vanden Huevel, Andy Kemp and Kraig Urbik, things should be fine up front. Now who they'll be protecting, that's another story. The Badgers haven't named their starting quarterback yet, but odds are it will be Tyler Donovan. Donovan made the start in the Badgers last two regular season games in '06 and performed well in place of John Stocco. If it isn't Donovan, Kansas State transfer Allan Evridge will be taking the snaps. Whoever plays quarterback will have a nice big target in tight end Travis Beckum. If Beckum can learn to become a better blocker, he'll be one of the nation's premier tight ends. Luke Swan is a burner at wideout, and has the best hands on the team. Also watch out for Paul Hubbard who is very big (6'4, 215) and fast.

Who to watch on defense - The defense loses four starters from last year's team, but the least affected spot would be the defensive line. The Badgers will still be strong up front with Jason Chapman at tackle. Chapman is so quick off of the snap that he usually looks like he's offside on every play. There's also Matt Shaughnessy at defensive end who appears poised to become a monster this season. The linebackers are strong and fast. Jonathan Casillas plays the weakside, and is the second fastest player on the team. He's joined byDeAndre Levy on the other side, and Elijah Hodge in the middle. Hodge is the younger brother of the former Iowa backer Abdul Hodge, and most people believe Elijah is more athletic and has better instincts than his big bro, which is good news for Badgers fans. An area of concern is that Wisconsin will be starting two inexperienced safeties. One of them is Shane Carter, the extremely younger brother of former NFL great Cris Carter. Luckily for both safeties, Jack Ikegwuonu is playing one of the corner spots and he usually doesn't need any help from his safeties.

Impact Freshmen - Much like P.J. Hill burst onto the scene as a freshman last season, there's another possible impact freshman at running back. The Badgers will go into the season with Lance Smith penciled in as Hill's backup, but I don't think it will be long before John Clay takes over that spot. Also, keep an eye out for David Gilbreath at wide receiver.

Possible Upset - 10/13 @Penn State. The Badgers first real test of the season won't come until their seventh game. The Badgers struggled last season in a 13-3 victory over PSU in Madison, now they'll have to face them in Happy Valley. There's a very real possibility that the Badgers hopes of an undefeated season will end here.

Coaching - It's going to be hard for Bret Bielema to improve on his first season as the man in charge in Madison. Along with offensive coordinator Paul Chryst, and defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz, this is one of the best staffs in the Big Ten already. With them running the show, the Badgers are going to be good for a long time.

Bowl Expectations - A BCS bowl game is not out of the question for the Badgers. Of course neither is a Big Ten title or trip to the national championship game. The good news for the Badgers is they get Michigan at Camp Randall Stadium. The bad news is they have to make trips to Happy Valley and Columbus. If the Badgers can come out of those three games 2-1, they'll be playing in a BCS bowl.

Previous Previews

• Penn State Nittany Lions
• Ohio State Buckeyes
• Purdue Boilermakers
• Iowa Hawkeyes
• Minnesota Golden Gophers
• Indiana Hoosiers
  
• Illinois Fighting Illini
• Michigan State Spartans
• Northwestern Wildcats

That's Gotta Hurt

I'd be remiss if I didn't talk a little bit about yesterday's big #1 vs. #2 matchup between Ohio State and Wisconsin. Sure, it wasn't really the top two teams in the country, since Wisconsin lost earlier in the week to Michigan State, and I'm still not convinced they're better than UCLA, North Carolina, or Florida (even with the recent Heels and Gators losses).

The game was pretty ugly though, and Ohio State managed to walk away with the 49-48 win, and the absolutely meaningless Big Ten regular season championship. Good news boys, you're guaranteed a spot in the NIT!! (Ok, so maybe being #1 in both polls is cool too.)

You know what the ugliest part of the game was? Brian Butch's injury.

Hey!! Elbows aren't supposed to bend that way!!

Walk it off, Sally.

I Hope the Badgers Enjoyed it While it Lasted

With all the slack that the Big Ten has taken this season in college basketball, I have to admit it was pretty nice to see Ohio State and Wisconsin at #1 and #2 in the polls this week.

Take that, Big Ten haters.

Of course, then the Badgers had to go and ruin the whole thing.

Drew Neitzel and the Michigan St. Spartans took it to the Badgers in East Lansing on Tuesday night, beating them 64-55. Neitzel scored 28 points to lead the Spartans over Wisconsin.

Maybe the Badgers were too busy pumping themselves up about being ranked #1 in the AP poll and #2 in the coaches poll, and thought they could coast past the Spartans. But that's just my opinion. Badgers head coach Bo Ryan has a different reason entirely.

"I don't think that had anything to do with it. Michigan State played better."

This loss is pretty big for the Badgers (26-3, 12-2 Big Ten). It could effectively kill any chance they had at attaining a #1 seed in the tournament, and it moves them a half game behind Ohio State in the Big Ten standings. They play Penn State on Wednesday (God help us all if they somehow lose that one) before hosting the Buckeyes on Sunday.

The game won't have that same #1 versus #2 shine to it after this loss, but it will probably be the game that decides who goes into the Big Ten Tournament with the top seed.

As far as Michigan State (20-8, 7-6 Big Ten) is concerned, this win is huuuge. (Not to mention the ramifications that are being felt in Champaign. Thanks a lot, Wisconsin.) They're trying to gain an entry into the Dance for the tenth straight season, and I think a win over Wisconsin counts as one of those "signature wins" we hear so much about at this time of year.

Indiana Stops the Badgers, and Kevin Durant is Awesome

You know, Big Ten basketball is a lot more fun when the Illini aren't mediocre, but it's still my duty to chronicle what goes on.

Wisconsin is the best team in the Big Ten this season, but their 17-game win streak came to an end last night in Bloomington when the resurgent Indiana Hoosiers beat them 71-66.

A.J. Ratliff scored 18 of his 20 points for Indiana in the second half, including a couple of key three-pointers to get Indiana a ten point lead with ten minutes left. Alando Tucker (23 points) did everything he could for the Badgers, and Kammron Taylor tied the game at 59-59 with a couple of threes, but Ratliff took over again down the stretch.

Ratliff scored six of the Badgers next eight points, and gave Indiana a 70-66 lead with a minute left.

This win is a big one for a Hoosier program that hasn't really lived up to its own expectations the last few seasons. It's Kelvin Sampson's first season, and a week after Indiana got back into the top 25, this win over the #2 team in the country could be that cornerstone victory for the program.

God knows, the fans enjoyed it.

Bobby Knight would not approve.

Elsewhere in the world of college basketball, there is Kevin Durant. All the talk coming into this college season seemed to center on Greg Oden. Oden was hyped as the best freshman to enter college basketball in a long time, and although Oden has been a very good player for the Buckeyes, he might not even be the best freshman in the country.

Or the #1 pick in the NBA draft next season.

No, that might go to the Longhorns Kevin Durant. I haven't gotten much of a chance to see the freshman play, but everytime I see a Longhorns box score, there's only one name that pops out.

In last night's Longhorn victory over Bobby Knight and Texas Tech in Lubbock, Durant scored 37 points and had 23 rebounds.

37 points.

23 rebounds.

Damn.

Durant outscored Texas Tech 24-22 in the second half, and has earned Bob Knight's respect.

"He's really good. The guy is 6-9, he is mobile, he's quick, he's fast. I mean what more does he have to do. There's no secret thing that he drinks before the game."

Knight went on to say he would love to "choke coach that kid." Durant is averaging 25 points and 11.6 rebounds per game.

Wisconsin Holds on Against Ohio State

Now that the college football season has ended, you can expect to see a lot more college basketball coverage here. We haven't written much about it yet this season, but that doesn't mean we aren't paying attention.

One team we've been paying a lot of attention to is Ohio State. Their 72-69 loss to the Wisconsin Badgers last night in Madison was their third of the season. All three have all come on the road against North Carolina, Florida, and now Wisconsin.

If you look at the coaches poll, you'll see that those three teams are ranked #1,#2,#3.

Last night it was apparent that the Buckeyes couldn't overcome the Badgers and their home crowd. The Badgers outplayed Ohio State for the most part but let the Buckeyes get back within three at the end, thanks to some horrible foul shooting late and putting it on cruise control in the last minute.

Alando Tucker didn't have his best game of the season (17 points 6 rebounds), but he made the big shots for Wisconsin when he needed to. The Badgers were led by Kammron Taylor's 25 points, and Marcus Landry's 10 points and 4 blocks.

The thing we don't quite grasp is the way Ohio State plays. Maybe we're crazy, but if we had a manchild like the seven foot Greg Oden on our team, we'd feed him the ball constantly. Right now, that's not what the Buckeyes do at all. Their perimeter players just pass the ball back and forth outside the three-point arc, and fire up three-pointers one after the other.

Just throw the ball down low! Even when the Buckeyes drove the lane, their guards wouldn't dish off to Oden. Instead they'd go for the layup themselves, and as a result, Marcus Landry and the Badgers swatted 7 Buckeyes shots.

Ohio State didn't get Oden involved in the offense until late in the second half, when it was too little too late. Ohio State is a young team, with a lot of potential, but if they don't start utilizing their best players, they won't win the Big Ten and they won't get to the Final Four.