Bielema Ball

What an embarrassing day for the Badgers and more specifically Coach Bielema. In a game that should have no doubt been a win for Bucky, Bielema, I mean the Badgers blew it and suffered a 25-24 loss in East Lansing. I understand that the players are ultimately the ones who have to get the job done on the field, but let me show you four instances that they had to not only overcome the Spartans but they had to overcome their own coach and his stupidity.

1. End of the first half, the Badgers are driving up 7-6. They have all of their timeouts left. They took their first timeout with about 35 seconds or so left and then ran another play. That play netted a first down for the Badgers inside of Michigan State's 20 yard line with approximately :27 seconds left. Instead of using one of the remaining two time outs, Bielema orders QB Dustin Scherer to spike the ball. It's now second down and two timeouts remaining. Possibly a good chance to run the ball because of your abundance of timeouts. Instead, another dropback, incompletion and it leaves 3rd and 10 with two timeouts still on the board. Well, of course it's an obvious passing situation, which the defense is waiting for, another incompletion and a field goal attempt rather a touchdown leaves the score 10-6 at half, and two time outs left on the board.

2. Up 24-13 and with Michigan State on the brink, Coach Bielema comes up with maybe his most ridiculous move of the day. Instead of preparing his defense to put the game on ice, he spends his energy arguing what should have been a pointless 5 yard penalty on his team. He is flagged 15 yards and puts State on the 44 yard line where they promptly shove it down the Badgers throat in 5 plays to bring the score to 24-19. Way to put your players in a position to win, Coach.

3. Penalties are a direct reflection of the discipline and attention to detail of your coach, in my opinion. Well, on the biggest play of the game, 3rd and 1 with a chance to seal it, a holding penalty, followed by an illegal motion penalty. 3rd and 16, incomplete pass, delay of game penalty, punt. Opportunity for the Spartans.

4. After giving up a couple of long passes down the middle of the field that set Michigan State up for the opportunity, the Badgers tightened and forced a 4th down. With the clock ticking down, Michigan State without the benefit of a time out, the Spartans rush their field goal team onto the field to attempt a pressure packed, rushed, disorganized field goal attempt. Instead, what does Bret Bielema do? He calls a time out. I don't care if you have 6 players on the field defensively in that situation, you're still in a better position than the kicking team. Absoultely ridiculous. He tries to mask it by calling a timeout to "ice" the kicker. Which by the way is one of the dumbest ideas in football. Maybe the only thing dumber is the squib kick to try to run time off the clock, but that's for another time.

As a football team, you are a reflection of your coach, your leader. The Badgers played an undisciplined, disorganized and mistake filled football game. The same kind that Bielema coached.