Can Wisconsin make the playoff just running the ball nonstop?
That seems to be the question everybody is asking after they took a blowtorch to the Michigan Wolverines this past weekend, and FiveThirtyEight took a hard look at whether or not in the spread era the old school rushing attack can work. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
FiveThirtyEight wrote the following in part on Tuesday afternoon about the Wisconsin offense:
In the spread-offense era, Wisconsin would be quite the party-crasher. The Badgers this season have averaged one snap every 31 seconds, playing at a slower tempo than any of the 20 playoff teams to date. Just 41.4 percent of their play calls are passes, fewer than any playoff finalist except Georgia in 2017. Chryst’s team has run more than half of its plays (118 of 224) from under center and huddled before 99.1 percent of its snaps.
The fact we’re even having this conversation is awesome. Everybody thinks you have to run the spread in order to win in the modern day college football world.
It’s just not true. It’s just not true.
You know what wins football games? Being tougher than the team you’re lining up against is what gets the job done.
We took the football and ran it down Michigan’s throat. It wasn’t even close. They thought they could play football with the big boys.
Then, reality punched them in the mouth, and they found out real quick that our rushing attack was going to bulldoze them.
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Later in the article, FiveThirtyEight floats the possibility of matchups against Clemson and Alabama. I say bring it on.
Those might be the two fastest teams in America. We might be the strongest in the trenches. It’s a challenge that every football fan in America should welcome.
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All I know right now is that we play Northwestern on Saturday, and I’m open to the challenge. It’s a great time of the year, and I love the way the wind is blowing.
Go, Badgers, go!
