Preseason Look at the Wisconsin Badger Football

The Wisconsin Badgers coming into the 2009 football season have a lot on their plate getting ready for their season opener at home against Northern Illinois. After a shocking horrendous 2008 season where the Badgers were only able to muster 7 wins on the year with 4 of those wins coming off of their preseason schedule. Leaving the Badgers with only 3 conference wins in a less than stellar big ten conference. The Badgers 7 wins was just enough to allow them a bid in a BCS bowl game. A bowl game, in which they would face off against a very good Florida State team whose record of 8 wins and 4 losses, left the Badgers with a glimmer of hope to pull off the win over this ACC team.

The Seminoles of Florida State had an ACC record of 5 wins and 3 losses and showed up to the Champs Sports Bowl ready to take on the Badgers. Which is more than you could say about the Badgers, because when all was said and done, Florida State turned this high expectation bowl game into a laugher, knocking off the Badgers in convincing fashion, 42-13. This crushing loss is one of the worst in the history of the program. However the Badgers problems did not stop after the season ended. The Wisconsin Badgers Program had a lot of personnel decisions to make include the starting quarterback for the 2009 season.

The second problem the Badgers had was the upcoming NFL Draft, where they were assured to lose their senior defensive end Matt Shaughnessy and their defensive quarterback, middle linebacker DeAndre Levy, and anchor to their offensive line, right tackle Kraig Urbik. Little did the Badgers program realize that two other main cogs in their offensive machine would throw their names into the NFL Draft and abruptly end their tenure at the University of Wisconsin. All Big Ten tight end Travis Beckum, who would later be projected as the 3 rd best tight end in that years’ draft, and work horse tail back P.J. Hill, who had a few injury problems while at Wisconsin, but when healthy was hard to stop.

There were zero Badgers taken within the first two round of the NFL Draft, but round 3 would say otherwise. Immediately the Oakland Raiders, with the number 71 pick in the draft or number 7 in round 3, would take the Badgers defensive end Matt Shaughnessy. Five picks later, linebacker DeAndre Levy was taken by Green Bay Packers divisional rival the 0-16 Detroit Lions. But not all of the Badgers available for this draft would go to under achieving teams. Three picks later with the 79 th pick in the draft, the Super Bowl winning Pittsburgh Steelers selected offensive tackle Kraig Urbik. Finally with the last Badger to be selected in the NFL Draft, tight end Travis Beckum was selected to the New York football Giants with pick number 100. Unfortunately the road was not as successful for some. Underclassman P.J. Hill who passed on college to join the NFL, eventually went undrafted.

With all of these players gone from the Wisconsin Badgers, there were many holes to fill. A few of the offensive bright spots that the Badgers have left to work with are break out tail back John Clay, who when P.J. Hill was injured or went out with fatigue, came in to have a very respectable season. Receiving the ball, the Badgers still were able to keep tight end Garret Graham and number one wide receiver for the Badgers David Gilreath. There is still a large problem at the quarterback position however. With current quarterback Dustin Scherer coming off a less than stellar first year behind center, Badger fans are anxious to see if someone will step in to take his place.

The Badgers, who are not a team known for explosive passing but instead known for smash mouth run football, have 3 non conference teams to start their 2009 schedule before kicking off their Big Ten schedule. With all 3 non conference games at home against Northern Illinois, Fresno State, and Wofford, the Badgers have time to figure out their quarterback in question before they throw him to the wolves of the Big Ten Conference. As the Badgers regularly do when creating a schedule, they will play 3 non conference teams before their Big Ten schedule will begin which is minus games versus Illinois and Penn State, and finish with another non conference game at Hawaii. It is safe to call this year a rebuilding year after the terrible meltdown that the Badger showed during last season’s Big Ten schedule. Only time will tell how far the Badgers run game lead by John Clay will be able to carry this struggling team.

> More 2009 College Football Previews from CollegeSports-fans.com