Wisconsin Football: Why Danny O'Brien Should Pick Wisconsin over Penn State

Danny O'Brien has been a busy man. The former Maryland quarterback is juggling quite a few priorities as he prepares to get his degree this spring. 

First, the Terps gave him his release after he gave them an All-Star season in 2010. 

When Vanderbilt was essentially listed on the do-not-call list, Maryland officials drew the ire of national press. The Commmodores were removed as forbidden fruit in short order, and schools across the country got to courting the signal-caller in earnest. While Bret Bielema has been very tight-lipped about the situation, other schools have been much more candid when asked about taking on the transfer. 

Case in point, CBS Sports' Adam Bittner recently broke news that Penn State has entered the fray as a suitor for O'Brien's services.

But when it comes to evaluating a landing spot, Wisconsin has so much more to offer than a still-smoldering Happy Valley. 

To start, Russell Wilson's success provides some incredible clarity into how a recent castoff can thrive. Wilson set the world of college football on fire, and he did it for the same reasons O'Brien should consider. 

Apparently the icing on the recruiting cake for the former NC State star was the guys who love cake themselves: the revered Wisconsin offensive line. Brimming with talent, the Badgers behemoths are without equal in the conference or in the country. The unit may be best known for paving lanes for running backs, but good quarterbacks can practically go on vacation with the time the up-front guys can provide. 

That leads into the next greatest asset for a promising quarterback—All-American tailbacks to take the pressure off. The play-action last year was deadly because every defensive unit was afraid to abandon the run. Every time they did, Montee Ball made them pay dearly.

Previous Wisconsin quarterbacks saw incredible success by handing off, but throw in an iota of playmaking ability and that offense is unstoppable. 

Penn State is a great school with an amazing legacy—but that legacy will need to be rebuilt in the next five years, while O'Brien has only two to make an impact.

Wisconsin should be the top of his list moving forward, while the Nittany Lions should settle for Miss Congeniality in this beauty pageant.