Thank Goodness Saturday Is Almost Here » Brats & Beer

November 10, 2006
posted under: Badgers football

You know, I never really got the whole T.G.I.F., Thank God It’s Friday thing. I understand the part about the weekend being here and all that, but I’m not sure that Fridays themselves are really worth celebrating; you still have to go to work, then you have a couple too many hi-balls while bitching about work at some happy hour, which leaves you with a nice hangover to start off the weekend. Really, Fridays kinda suck big donkey balls.

Saturdays, though, are perfect because there’s nothing to do except lay around and watch football all day. There is wall-to-wall football coverage on multiple channels for almost 12 hours most Saturdays, how could it be more perfect than that? Thank God It’s Friday? No, Thank God It’s Almost Saturday.

And this is the Saturday we’ve all be waiting for. The Wisconsin Badgers take on the hated Hawkeyes with a chance to finally end the streak of four straight losses to Iowa. I still can’t believe that with all the success UW had under Barry Alvarez they just couldn’t get out from behind that eight ball, but now it’s up to Bret Bielema and his boys to set the record straight.

The Badgers defense looked unstoppable last week, holding Penn State to just 201 yards of offense and three points, and if they can maintain that level of ferocious play at Kinnick Stadium then there’s no chance for Drew Tate and his butt posse. Iowa’s defense has surrendered 18.5 points per game this year and ranks sixth in the conference against the run (133.2 yards/game). Look for PJ Hill, who is second in the country with 1,370 yards rushing, to have another big day.

Of course, the Badgers might need Hill to have a great game more than ever this week with the possibility that John Stocco might not play. Stocco, who suffered a shoulder injury last week against the Nittany Lions, did practice this week and looks ready to go, but Bielema won’t make a decision on who will start until gameday. Tyler Donovan will get the nod if Stocco can’t go.

There is a lot obviously riding on this game tomorrow, not the least of which is Wisconsin’s standings in the polls. A road win to close out the conference schedule might finally prove to the voters — and maybe the stupid computers, too — that UW deserves better than a #15 ranking in the BCS. (It also wouldn’t hurt if Tennessee upset Arkansas and Oregon beat USC.)

But in the end tomorrow’s game isn’t about polls or standings or bowl bids, it’s just about beating Iowa. You can keep your BCS and bowl games, it’ll be enough to see Wisconsin thrash Iowa in front of that crowd of knuckle-draggers at Kinnick.

Go Badgers!