This Saturday, the Indiana football program literally became the doormat for the Big Ten Conference when the Wisconsin Badgers defeated them 83-20 at Camp Randall Stadium. The Hoosiers are now 4-6 and have yet to win a conference game in six tries.
Forget about the Hoosiers though, the big story is how #7 Wisconsin tied the mark for the most points in a Big Ten Conference game ever. The 83 points is also the most points scored in school history since 1915.
At first glance, the 45 points in the second half may look like the Badgers ran up the score, but here are four reasons why the 83 points were appropriate and warranted.
By: Nick Grays
1.) In an age where the BCS standings determine where a football team goes bowling, it’s fairly important where that team ends up in those standings. Especially if that team has a shot at a BCS bowl. Assuming the Badgers don’t drop a game against Michigan or Northwestern, they will be one of those teams.
Coming into Saturday’s contest, the Badgers were ranked 14th in the computer rankings, an aspect which was holding them back in the standings. After an 83-point outburst, that number should go up.
Moreover, #9 Ohio State will have a much tougher time passing up the Badgers in the standings seeing that they lost in Madison and beat the same Hoosiers team by only 28 at the Horseshoe in Columbus.
2.) In order to avoid “running up the score,” what were the Badgers suppose to do? Of their 598 total yards, 338 of them came on the ground. Running backs James White and Montee Ball combined for five of the eleven touchdowns. You can’t blame a team for running up the score when they continue to use the running game.
3.) Sure, the Badgers didn’t run for every play in the second half, but isn’t it enough when a team is primarily running the ball. At the same time, you could argue the Badgers needed to pass the ball because the running game is their so-called “bread-and-butter,” part of the offense.
With 7:26 left in the fourth quarter, back-up QB Jon Budmayr launched a long pass to Jerad Abbredaris which resulted in a 74-yard touchdown. This is the one play which many think is a perfect example of “running up the score.”
However, can you really expect the back-up QB to lay down and not attempt to make a big play in his rare opportunity at running the offense?
4.) The last and arguably the most significant reason the Badgers didn’t “run up the score,” is because Indiana has a defense. The squad may have quit somewhere in the second half, but that doesn’t mean the Badgers should be criticized for continuing to play their game. Hoosiers’ Head Coach Bill Lynch agrees.
“That’s our job to stop them. I’ve always felt it’s our job to stop the team and play the game. We didn’t do that very well. I have no problem with that. They are a great football team,” said Lynch after being asked if the Badgers were running up the score.
There are my four reasons, what do you think? Let me know if the Badgers did run up the score or anything else regarding the team by commenting below.
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