Benster and D Pick Your Games -- Everyone Is Upset With the Vikings Edition

So as it turns out the Vikings are in some dangerous waters heading into a critical game against the LOLions. And the Packers got a pretty good win in Pittsburgh and are now able to fully turn the page on Aaron leaving. 

A tidy synopsis.

And by the time this post goes up either the Blue Jays will be celebrating a deserved world title or the World Series is going to be decided this weekend. 

Unless the game goes 18 innings again.

Also, Luke Fickell can be fired at any time and I am confident that the Wisconsin state government won't pull whatever the heck the Louisiana government is doing with the LSU coaching search down in Baton Rouge. 

They apparently have all their other problems solved, so they have ample time to tend to their football program. Must be nice.

I am feeling the HYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYPPPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEE! and ready to pick some games. Watch me work. 

 Michigan State Sparty The Spartan (+3.5) vs. Minnesota Golden Elite Rowers of the Boat The Gophers quite rightly deserved all of the criticism that they got. Losing to Iowa by that much in a rivalry game is unacceptable to the Gopher fans. The Gophers are playing for bowl eligibility again this week, and while Sparty is getting better, I think that the Gophers are going to come out with a point to prove at home. So while Sparty is going to be a much better outfit down the road, this feels like a get right game for the Gophers. Lindsey in particular is going to have a great game in my view, and after the week that Minnesota sports has had, something has to go right. Row Row Row Your Boat Elitely 34, Sparty 17.

One problem with the supersized Big Ten is it becomes difficult to actually follow all the teams, so I'll be honest and admit I don't know about the Spartans, who haven't been very visible. 

Sparty enjoys a Spartan Swirl, but might be swirling the bowl?

Since the game is here, I'll assume the Gophers will prevail. My one hunch about what happened last week? I think Iowa is a lot better than most people realize, so maybe the Gophers weren't as inept as they appeared. Gophers 27, Spartans 20.

Minnesota Vikings (+8.5) vs. Detroit LOLions So it's never a good thing when the Athletic calls out the Vikings and puts out an article saying that JJ McCarthy needs to be great or else the fallout is going to be bad. The Vikings looked bad against the Chargers, and are facing a game that both they and the Lions need to win in order to keep place with the Packers. To expand on what I said last week, the Vikings should have kept Darnold, because the guy did not deserve to lose his job even if the last two games wound up being tough ones for the Vikings. My concern about McCarthy is that he is being put in position to win with a team that was put around him to win now, and that is putting him a position where if he fails then the Vikings are in a position to be blown up. The Vikings have spent a lot of money and made a lot of moves to get talent around McCarthy, but spending all the money on guys besides the quarterback position and hoping that McCarthy is the guy is dangerous. The Vikings should have paid Darnold, or had an open quarterback competition instead of handing McCarthy a Ferrari at 16 years old before knowing how well he can drive a car. As for the actual game, the Lions are the desperate team at home, and should the Vikings lose this game I wouldn't be surprised if serious questions about the core of this team are going to be asked. Lions 31, Vikings 9. 

You couldn't pay Darnold and everyone else, so the Vikings made a decision. Ordinarily if your quarterback is on a rookie contract, you can reward everyone else, which is the way most NFL teams operate. The key is whether McCarthy has it or not. We still don't have enough of a sample size to know for sure. One thing I do know - you can't help your club in the tub. Lions will be nasty, because this current incarnation is always that way. By the way, is Adam Thielen still on the team? Lions 27, Vikings 13.

Carolina Panthers (+13.5) vs. Glorious Green Bay Packers Last week really was a huge step for the Packers, and I was really pleased. To go on the road against a quality Steelers team and win very comfortably showed us that the Packers are closer to the team that made the Lions and Commanders look really bad than the team who looked bad against the Cowboys and Browns. This game against Carolina makes me nervous. The Panthers are getting better, and two years ago almost pulled off an upset on Christmas Eve against the Packers. For whatever reason, Carolina plays the Packers tough and some Packers fans are assuming that this game is an easy W before the Eagles come to town next weekend on Monday Night Football. The good news is that the Panthers are going to be banged up on the offensive line, and that should allow Micah and Gary to go hunt Bryce Young. So while I think this game is going to be a lot closer than people expect, the Packers are going to pull this one out. Packers 24, Panthers 16. 

I do not know if the Panthers are good or not. They've won four games. They've also been crushed a few times. The point spread seems ridiculous to me, but I think the Packers are better. Packers 34, Panthers 24.

Enjoy your football this weekend. Ben out.

Benster and D Pick Your Games --The Vikings Get Screwed By The Schedule Edition

The Vikings playing a game on Thursday Night Football in LA is a terrible idea and the NFL needs to do something about what games can and cannot be placed on Thursday Night Football. 

Needs to, but won't. It's definitely a pet peeve of mine as well.

We'll talk about that later. Meanwhile, the Badgers need to get serious about the football program. Chris McIntosh needs to do the right thing and understand that spending over $20 million on Fickell's buyout is a cost that you have to eat. He and the administration realize that the Big Ten has a big media contract and can easily cover the costs of a coaching change. 

Firing Fickell is an admission of failure for McIntosh, so that might have something to do with it.

 I am feeling the HYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPEEEEE! and ready to pick some games. Watch me work. 

 Minnesota Golden Elite Rowers of the Boat (+8.5) vs. Iowa Hawkeyes Well, as it turns out all of the predictions that the Gophers would be irrelevant in the 18 team Big Ten are all wrong. Now being a Wisconsin fan, this game is between the two archrivals, and sadly they both can't lose. PJ has proven he can beat Iowa in Iowa City, and getting the Pig back would go a long way to make his seat even cooler than it already is. The problem is that Iowa City is a tough place to win, and the 4th quarter is going to be played under Kinnick At Night conditions. I'll pick Iowa to win a close one because they are at home. Hawkeyes 21, Row Row Row Your Boat Elitely 19. 

Fleck drives me nuts because I think he's a blowhard, but he's built a solid program. Winning at Kinnick is tough, though. Iowa 27, Minnesota 20.

Beloved Wisconsin Badgers (+31.5) vs. Oregon Quack Quack This must be like what watching the Badgers in the dark ages must have been for older fans. 

It is.

Uh, I'm working here, old dude. Ahem. The good news for the Badgers is that Oregon is traveling back cross country from Rutgers last week and the upcoming bye week would be an excellent time for the Badgers to pull the trigger on a coaching change. The report that the Badgers are going to keep Fickell made me very fru strated. Look, I understand that the schedule has been brutal this year and having to rely on  third-string QB Hunter Simmons because of injuries would be hard for any coach. But the problem is that at some point someone needs to realize that not scoring any points in weeks and losing by 37 at home to Iowa isn't acceptable. I just am glad that the Badgers are going to be very good in hoops. Getting to the Sweet 16 is my goal, but that is a problem I can handle compared to football. Oregon is very good and needs this one to keep themselves in playoff contention since the SEC is going to beat themselves up. What is going to help the Badgers is that they are far away from the angry fans like myself and Oregon shoots themselves in the foot. Badgers 35, Quack Quack 21 

I realize you never pick against the Badgers or the Packers, but c'mon, man. Oregon 35, Wisconsin 0.

 Minnesota Vikings (+3) vs. Los Angeles Chargers I'll talk about the scheduling of this game later, but the Vikings have bigger issues then Amazon's greed. The Vikings shot themselves in the foot multiple times in the red zone. Carson Wentz was a disaster, and it is obvious that the Eagles were going to win because despite their offense shutting off in the first half, the Vikings crossing into the red zone wasn't a good thing. I'll say something that people in the Twin Cities don't want to admit. This team is a bigger paper tiger then the Bears are. Remember, the Vikings have gotten themselves a ton of talent for this "competitive rebuild", and it hasn't worked. Dallas Turner is danger of being a bigger bust than Troy Williamson, JJ McCarthy is being put in a position where he might not succeed, Justin Jefferson's contract should have gone to Sam Darnold, and the Vikings have won zero playoff games since 2019 despite the NFL media constantly talking about how much of an elite coach KOC is. The Vikings threw away their draft capital to further lock in a team that is in the worst place a team can be. You know where that is, Vikings fans? This Vikings core might win 1 playoff game, but will lose in the Divisional round to a real contender. The Chargers are a team that looks like they want to go further, and made needed changes with getting in Jim Harbaugh. I highly suggest that the Vikings consider taking a good long look at what they are doing, because Vikings fans deserve better than what they are getting. Go Back To San Diego 35, Vikings 10. 

Sometimes in life you gamble. Sometimes you lose. We don't know if J.J. McCarthy is up to NFL standards and the Vikings live in a tough division. I also saw the Vikings haven't won a Thursday night road game since the 1970s. Don't know if that's true, but if it is the Vikings need to avoid such things. The Chargers are up and down, but after getting their doors blown off last week I have to think they'll be motivated. Chargers 27, Vikings 24.

 Glorious Green Bay Packers (-3) vs. Pittsburgh Yinzers Oh boy, this game is going to cause a lot of overreactions. So obviously this is the first time that Aaron Rodgers is going to start against us. I'm too young to have seen Brett Favre at the height of his powers, so Aaron gave me almost two decades of brilliance and a Super Bowl run that I will always cherish. But now I will have to do something that I never wanted to do, and that is root against Aaron as an opponent. While it is far from fair to judge the decision to hand the keys of the Packers over to Jordan Love on one game, this game is going to give us a data point. The Packers have never won in Pittsburgh in my lifetime, and are going to have to play a lot better after the narrow escape against the Cardinals. Winning in Pittsburgh means blocking the Steelers and their high end pass rush. Thank God that this game isn't in Lambeau, because I lived through that circus once before and I never want to see a former legend come into Lambeau in an opposing uniform again. The Packers are going to play better this week despite Aaron being at his best. Despite my harsh words when he left, I will always have fond memories of Aaron. But he is an opponent of the Packers, and I will root for my team the same way I root for the Packers against Russ. Packers 31, Steelers 25. 

If the Packers can rush the passer, they win. If not, they lose. The last time the Packers won in Pittsburgh, the Packers quarterback was (checking notes) Bart Starr. Think they're due. Packers 27, Steelers 20.

 And now, it is time for a Very Special Comment. The Vikings have gotten hosed with their schedule this year. Two straight international games is bad enough as it is, but now they have to fly to LA on a short week. I understand that the NFL needs to balance games between their network partners, but there is a difference between a Monday night to Sunday gap going coast to coast and going Sunday to Thursday. If the NFL and Amazon want the best product on display, they need to make two simple changes. The first one is that only divisional games or teams that are in the next time zone are allowed on Thursday nights. The reason I would make an exception for divisional games is because the Chiefs playing one of their AFC West rivals is okay with me and it's fair to Amazon to not be cut off from showcasing a handful of AFC West games that doesn't exist. 

The other rule for Thursday Night Football is that the NFL and/or Amazon is responsible for refunding all expenses for any fans that get screwed over by flexing games to Thursday nights. Both companies can easily afford to do that, and that would make it harder for a Thursday flex. The bottom line is that the Vikings have already had to take one for the NFL by having to play on Christmas Day and do two international games back to back. The NFL should be ashamed of themselves for this. The NFL is going to kill the golden goose with all of these standalone games and making even diehards like me have to figure out where to watch. I remember when it was Sunday afternoons, Sunday Night Football, and Monday Night Football. Sure you had the Kickoff game, Thanksgiving, and a couple of random Saturday games in December, but it was easy to remember. Don't be like college football where you have games all over the map and on 100 different channels and streaming services. 

It is getting difficult and I agree, the Vikings are getting especially hosed this season. I'd like to see the NFL do better as well.

Enjoy your football this weekend. Ben out.

Benster and D Pick Your Games -- Don't Complain About Beating The Bengals Edition

So a quick note, this is being written during the Minnesota-Nebraska game. By the time this goes up, we shall know if the Gophers are having a good night, and the Old Dude is watching the Brewers game.

Now that the Brewers have meekly submitted to the Evil Empire, I am also planning my strategy for No Kings Day tomorrow. Think I'll do this for breakfast:

That cereal has all the vitamins you need. But does it have all the Geritol you need?

Not likely.

Well, you'd better get over to a Rexall or something. Isn't that the drug store you used to use, or did you use an apothecary?

Aren't you supposed to be writing a predictions post?

Well, if you would stop going on about your various elderly ailments, I might be able to. By your leave. So, as I was saying, I am not doing a Very Special Comment on the Badgers because I've already laid out my concerns. That being said, the only reason Fickell probably still has a job is because the donors haven't ponied up the cash to can both him and the AD. At least men's basketball is ranked inside the top 25 preseason. 

Greg Gard saves the day again!

 I am feeling the HYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEE! and ready to pick some games. Watch me work. 

A School In Columbus (-25.5) vs. Beloved Wisconsin Badgers The Buckeyes are probably the best team in the nation, and even a hater like myself has no trouble admitting that. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Julian Sayin might be the best Buckeye quarterback of them all by the time he leaves, and Jeremiah Smith has a very strong argument to be the Heisman winner. The Badgers frankly are going to need a full reset in the offseason. But there is a glimmer of hope. Ohio State has been a little bit of a slow starter and has relied on their talent to bail themselves out in the late second and early third quarters. Given that they don't have a tough game until Michigan thanks to Penn State's implosion, the temptation is there for the Buckeyes to be looking ahead a bit to Thanksgiving weekend in Ann Arbor. Now this won't be an easy game for the Badgers by any stretch of the imagination. Stranger things have happened. Badgers 21, Buckeyes 18. 

21-18, huh? I don't think David Gilreath is walking through that door. The fear is that Cardale Jones is. Ohio State 59, Wisconsin 0.

Philadelphia Tush Push Merchants (-2) vs. Minnesota Vikings The Vikings are going to roll with Carson Wentz, and there is obviously some history between him and the Eagles. The Eagles are coming off a stunning loss to the Giants, and probably need to get the ball to AJ Brown a bit more. If I am the Vikings, it is time for Justin Jefferson to take over this game. He is getting quarterback money to perform in big games and this is the first big game that the Vikings have had this year. Look at what his LSU teammate Ja'Marr Chase did last night for the Bengals in a game that the Bengals needed to have. With all due respect to all of the Vikings skill position players, KOC should have the Griddy Man lead what I think is going to be a successful hunt of an Eagles team that is in turmoil Vikings 38, Eagles 7

Well, the Eagles are a mess, but dude, really? I don't have a good read on the Vikings yet - they've been gone so long I'm not sure if they need to worry about ICE when they take the field. Eagles need this one badly and while the Vikings are capable (at least rumor has it), I don't see it going that way. Eagles 24, Vikings 21.

Glorious Green Bay Packers (-7) vs. Arizona Cardinals There was a lot of complaining about how the Packers struggled last week, and some of my fellow Packers fans need to remember that winning an NFL game is hard. A lot of credit to the Bengals for playing hard last week, and they ended up beating the Steelers last night. The Cardinals ended up playing fairly well last year against the Packers, and the Packers have played a bunch of tight games out in Arizona in my lifetime. Now is about the time for Micah Parsons to take over the games. He was brought here for a lot of money and draft capital, and Jeff Hafley should let Parsons loose to hunt. Jordan Love ended up playing well last week outside of an interception that wasn't his fault, and it was great to see Matthew Golden really take a step forward. The Packers should win this one in a game that will be tight early but open up a bit in the 3rd quarter. Packers 35, Cardinals 18. 

I need to see the Packers prove they can win on the road. I think they will this week. Packers 27, Cardinals 19.

Enjoy your football this weekend. Ben out.

Benster and D Pick Your Games --The Packers Are Worrying Me Edition

Something tells me that a lot of people at Camp Randall are going to be worrying about the Brewers being pushed to the brink by the Cubs. While I am a Twins fan, I think I speak for the both of us when I say that the Brewers winning tomorrow night would be much appreciated. 

Few things in my lifetime of being a sports fan have been as frustrating as being a Brewers fan. Perennial bridesmaids. I am likely jinxing my beloved Crew by doing this, but this is what I want to see after tomorrow night's affair in Milwaukee:

Harry Caray masks only $19.99!

Meanwhile, the Packers are playing a game that a lot of us are overlooking. I am feeling the HYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEE! and ready to pick some games. Watch me work. 

Purdon't Spoilermakers (+7.5) vs. Minnesota Golden Elite Rowers of the Boat The Gophers have looked good outside of the Cal game, and this shouldn't be too difficult a game. Purdue is still a dumpster fire, and the Gophers aren't going to get ambushed again like Rutgers a few weeks ago. Drake Lindsey should be a good Big Ten quarterback as he gets experience, and frankly has looked more impressive than Bryce Underwood. That isn't a typo, by the way. I look for the Gophers to jump out in front of Purdue early and PJ will then choke the life out of the game as per his typical gameplan. What I would like to see is PJ to let Lindsey start leading the offense a bit more. I know that he is a freshman, but I think you have to give him a chance to grow. Row Row Row Your Boat Elitely 45, Spoilermakers 13

I didn't think the Gophers looked very good against Ohio State, but your mileage may vary. Purdue is a mess and the Gophers should be able to handle them without too much difficulty. Gophers 31, Purdue 14.

Iowa Hawkeyes (-3) vs. Beloved Wisconsin Badgers The Badger defense deserves a lot of credit for playing Michigan tough. The problem was that the offense didn't score enough points to win. If Fickell wants to keep his job, he is going to have to beat Iowa and the Gophers. He hasn't beaten Iowa and the facts are clear -- the Badgers don't have the phyiscal edge. Wisconsin-Iowa games are typically going to be low scoring types of games, and the Badgers are going to need to take advantage of their chances. A Wisconsin win is going to give Fickell some relief, because the Badgers need to get back to winning against our rivals. It's been arguably the biggest failure of Fickell's tenure. Badgers 21, Hawkeyes 14.

Iowa takes care of business. That's been the hallmark of this team for nearly 50 years now. The Badgers were like that until very recently. They aren't now. Iowa 28, Wisconsin 16.

Cincinatti Bungals (+14.5) vs. Glorious Green Bay Packers This game is going to be a lot closer than people think. I realize that the Bengals are banged up badly and looked terrible against the Lions. But the Bengals are an NFL team and you never assume that winning in the NFL is a given. The Packers are also going to be banged up, and Matt LaFleur is notorious for not being prepared coming off a bye week. What I would like to see from the Packers is for less mental mistakes. The Packer special teams also has been rightfully called out, and I hope that Love is going to have a really good game after a couple of uneven performances against the Browns and Cowboys. The Packers should win, but the Bengals are going to come into Lambeau with a point to prove. I hope that we see the Packers who looked like world beaters against the Lions and Commanders instead of the paper tigers we saw against the Cowboys and Browns. Packers 38, Bengals 21. 

Hope is not a strategy, but the Bengals bringing in Joe Flacco midweek to start tells you everything you need to know about this game. I think the Packers will win this one comfortably. Packers 38, Bengals 14.

 Enjoy your football this weekend. Ben out.

Benster and D Pick Your Games -- How Can The Badgers Get Their Identity Back? Edition

Frankly, the Packers tying the Cowboys was a weird ending to a weirdnight. If Michael Irvin wants to question if the clock was properly set on that last throw by Love, he should have no issues admitting that Dak could have been called for intentional grounding late in the 4th quarter. But the Packers tied because of their own mistakes, which we need to acknowledge instead of blaming the officials. 

I see some things I don't like about that team. I am hoping they can fix a few things on the bye, but the lack of discipline is especially concerning.

 So what I wanted to talk about last week was how the Badgers can get back their identity, but thanks to the Mistake By The Lake by the Packers, the Badgers got a break. 

Your wrath may be delayed, but it always arrives.

Got that right, Geritol Fan! But that comes later. I am feeling the HYYYYYYYYYYPPPEEEEEEE! and ready to pick some games. Watch me work. 

Michigan Hail To The Sign Stealers Valiant (+17.5) vs. Beloved Wisconsin Badgers So the Badgers have won two games they should have won, lost a game that surprised nobody, and served up one of the worst performances against a Big Ten team at Camp Randall that I have ever seen against Maryland two weeks ago. The Badgers are facing an October gauntlet, and frankly things are going to be difficult. However, Michigan is a team that I wonder about. The Wolverines have struggled offensively the past two years and while I think Bryce Underwood is going to be a good quarterback in the Big Ten, he is still a freshman QB going on the road in Big Ten play. What killed the Badgers against Maryland was shooting themselves in the foot in the first quarter. So while I am under no illusions that the Badgers should be favorites, the Badgers are going to surprise someone this month. If I am a Michigan fan, this is the type of game that I would be worried about. Badgers 20, Wolverines 17. 

Maybe, but frankly the Badgers haven't showed us much. I would like to know what the preferred quarterback could do, but he's still on the shelf and once again the Badgers are going with an undersized gamer who should be holding a clipboard. I think the Badgers don't get embarrassed this week, but I don't see a victory. Michigan 27, Wisconsin 19.

 A School In Columbus (-23.5) vs. Minnesota Golden Elite Rowers Of The Boat The Gophers deserve credit for winning against a game Rutgers team last week. The Gophers had a 1st quarter that wasn't great by any means, but made enough plays in the second half. The problem for the Gophers is that Ohio State is an impressive team. I wasn't too sure about Julian Sayin, but he might be better for the Buckeyes than CJ Stroud. Now, you might be thinking that I have an agenda and am going to point out that Ohio State struggled through a game Washington team out in Seattle and got a break thanks to a terrible fake field goal that the Huskies called. But the Buckeyes did what they had to do on the road in conference play. PJ can't coach scared and turtle like he has done in the past against the Buckeyes. He has to give his players a chance and coach to win. Sadly for the Gophers, this is a talent gap game. Buckeyes 67, Row Row Row Your Boat Elitely 23. 

I agree there's a talent gap, but the Gophers aren't Ball State. They'll give a decent accounting of themselves. Ohio State 34, Gophers 20.

Minnesota Vikings (-3.5) vs. Cleveland Browns, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium The Vikes are going to be very shorthanded up front against the Browns. When you have to start a third string center who hasn't played center in a long time against a very aggressive defensive coordinator in Jim Schwartz, this could spell disaster. I would imagine that KOC is going to be smart enough to not do what the Packers did and let the Browns hang around. If Carson Wentz is smart, he is going to need to get the ball out. What I really want to see from the Vikings is something that I feel the Twin Cities media and Vikings fans don't want to admit. Justin Jefferson is a great player, but when he is getting quarterback money he needs to take over a game. The Vikings have failed to advance in the playoffs with him, and when the Vikings need their stars to step up he tends to go missing at times. Something tells me that Jordan Addison might be the key guy for the Vikings to rely on instead of Jefferson. If the Griddy Man wants to prove me wrong, now would be a good time. Vikings 16, Browns 10. 

I personally wouldn't rely on Addison until he proves he can stay off the police blotter, but that's me. Cleveland is a pretty good defensive team and at this point in his career Carson Wentz is just a guy, but the Browns have a rookie quarterback going and Brian Flores will confuse the hell out of Dillon Gabriel. Vikings 16, Browns 3.

And now it is time for something that isn't a Very Special Comment. 

Well, what is it?

I am going to try a reasoned analysis here.

This could be a first.

No, I'm capable of it. Sometimes a guy has to step away from the shtick. You might consider it some time, Old Dude. 

So let's be reasonable. The Badgers need to understand that trying to go too quickly away from their roots hasn't been working. While Fickell deserves a huge part of the blame, Chris McIntosh hired Fickell and made the decision to get rid of Paul Chryst. I realize that NIL is going to make it harder to be a program that develops players, but the Badgers need to take what they do have and build on what works. What are the keys to that? 

 Offensive Line Success: Wisconsin should be getting in state kids who are very good offensive linemen, and focus on being one of the best places for guys to develop and go to the NFL as best prepared to be successful. The offensive line tradition is the bedrock on which Barry Alvarez built the program. 

Running Backs Matter: Wisconsin has always had a rich tradition of running backs. Fickell should be selling players in both the transfer portal and recruits that Wisconsin knows how to develop running backs. Guys like Melvin Gordon, James White, and Jonathan Taylor used Wisconsin to become running backs who played key roles on good NFL teams. Fickell should be making sure that guys know that a running back at Wisconsin is going to get them prepared to play in the NFL and have success in the NFL. 

Don't Take Away Things This Fanbase Expects: Fickell's biggest mistake was moving too quickly to the Air Raid. While I agree that getting better QB play was a key priority, the reason that the fanbase was ticked is that the Badgers are losing their strengths and things fans want to see from Wisconsin. What made Wisconsin good was more than just being in the Big Ten West. The defense was tough, the offensive line was the heart of the team, and running backs knew that they were next in line to a tradition of success. 

What Fickell did by going away from those traditions was similar to what Rich Rodriguez did at Michigan. The Wolverines never played the spread offense, and it seemed like Rodriguez didn't get what Michigan fans expected. Notice how Michigan has gone with coaches that have had at least some connection to the school since. So, who should be the next head coach? 

So you're firing Fickell?

Yes. And I have a list. 

Thought I'd throw in a little culture there.

Ah, more cultural references from the 19th Century! Don't you understand I'm working here?

Okay, I'll let you get back to it, but surely Gilbert and Sullivan are better than random Paul Finebaum sightings, right?

I'll give you that. Now shush. This list is in no particular order, and assumes that Jim Leonhard ain't coming home. Another assumption in this list is that McIntosh is either fired or resolves to make sure that the next coach understands what it takes to be successful in Madison. 

Dave Aranda: Bit of a longshot, but he was a very successful defensive coordinator for the Badgers and would get the benefit of the doubt from most fans. 

Alex Golesh: Would be the hot name based on his success at USF. Has Big Ten ties and would know how to use NIL to get us back to where we should be. 

Todd Monken: A fellow Knox alum, Monken had a lot of success at Georgia and is one of the most respected offensive minds in football. Given that John Harbaugh isn't likely to leave the Ravens, could entice elite QB prospects by leveraging his time working with Lamar Jackson 

Will Stein: He is the offensive coordinator at Oregon. He has had a lot of success with different quarterbacks at Oregon, and seems to have a lot of freedom running the offense because Lanning comes from a defensive background. Also seems like a good recruiter. 

Glenn Schumann: He is currently the defensive coordinator at Georgia. Schumann has been Kirby Smart's longtime right hand man, and has spent time with both Smart and Saban. Would be someone who is young and can come in and build the program back up knowing what it takes to compete at the top of the college football world. 

Enjoy your football this week, and also good luck to the Brewers. While I am not a Brewers fan, the Old Dude would love to see his Brewers win the World Series. Ben out.