Why the Wisconsin Badgers Deserve to Be Talked About as Serious BCS Contenders

Sit down here, national sports media. It's time we had a talk.

I know we don't spend much time together anymore, you are so busy hanging around Tuscaloosa and Baton Rouge with the cool kids, or gossiping about who is going out with who these days (did you hear Texas A&M was hanging around all the SEC guys? For shame!), to notice me, eating bratwurst by the fistfull over at the Big Ten table in the corner.

Well, it is time you started paying attention over here, because this girl, maybe you know her. Everyone used to know her as the chubby, slow friend of that hot girl who got mixed up with that 28-year-old dropout—you know the guy. He wears a sweater-vest "ironically" to seem cool, but got busted boosting cars with her one night she was out with him and now she got probation and a drug problem.

Well, that chubby, slow girl has been hitting the treadmill the last year or so, and in July she got the Russell Wilson makeover, and ooooh boy, she is lookin' fine. I think she's hot enough to win BCS Queen.

But here's the thing, I don't think she has the votes right now to make BCS Queen court, because, let's face it, nobody really pays any attention to her. That's where you come in.

It is time to give Wisconsin some love. What does a girl have to do? Isn't it enough to be Top 10 nationally in rushing offense (10th, 242 ypg), total offense (eighth, 523 ypg) and scoring offense (third, 48 ppg)? What about fielding a defense that is 10th in total yards allowed (264 ypg) and second in points allowed (10 ppg)?

The fact of the matter is: Wisconsin deserves to be in serious contention for a spot in the BCS title game, and it is up to the national media to take notice and let people know that Wisconsin football is for real (even if the rest of the Big Ten is not). Need a crib sheet, national media? Take this one:

1. Wisconsin has the best player in the country right now

This isn't an insult to some of the other great players out there, just a simple observation:  Russell Wilson is outplaying them all.  Take a look at just how statistically dominant the Badger signal caller has been:

- 22nd in passing yards per game (278) with a higher completion percentage (74.77) than everyone but one player—UNC quarterback Bryn Renner—ranked in the top 100 passing yards per game.

- Second in the nation in pass efficiency (216.89) and 34 points better than the third rated passer.  For comparison sake if you look 34 points below the third place quarterback, Clint Trickett, you would get all the way to the 34th rated passer in the nation.  Wilson is that far ahead of the pack (only behind Baylor's RGIII, but how's that loss to Kansas State taste?).

- 20th in total offense at 306 yards per game, and second in the Big Ten behind Denard Robinson.

- Currently Wilson has 13 passing touchdowns to just one interception, and another two rushing touchdowns.

What you can't see by just looking at the numbers is how well Wilson fits within the offense.  

Against Nebraska on Saturday, Wilson was continually a step ahead of the defense.  The Husker pass rush occasionally flushed him from the pocket, but Wilson moved in and out of Nebraska defenders looking for a receiver downfield and not pulling the ball down to run until all other options were off the table.

Wilson is able to make all the plays the offense requires—anything from hand offs to the running back duo or throws to Nick Toon splitting the safeties on a post route—but more importantly, Wilson is assurance that no play has to lose yards.  

The few times a defense is able to get ahead of the Wisconsin offense, Wilson is there to find an opening and regain the advantage.

Wisconsin's offense was a great last year with Scott Tolzien running the show.  This year it is nearly unstoppable.

2. Wisconsin has the most complete offense in the country

Not only does the statistical dominance paint the picture of an offense that is well-rounded and deadly in almost every area, but the amount of experience and talent on the Wisconsin offense is second to none.

We have already discussed the quarterback situation, so how about the rest of the backfield.  Montee Ball and James White return and both were 1,000-yard rushers a year ago (I'll round Ball's 996 up, if you don't mind) with a combined 32 touchdowns, and both had an average yards per carry of over six.

So far this year it has been Ball getting the majority of carries (93) and he has gained 511 yards (102 ypg) at 5.5 ypc with 13 touchdowns, including four against the Nebraska defense last weekend.  

Ball has also added another dimension to his game: receiving.  So far Ball has caught six passes for 120 yards and a touchdown this year.  White has provided a steady change of pace, gaining 332 yards (5.9 ypc) on 56 carries so far this year with three touchdowns of his own.

The biggest question mark for the offense coming into the season was at receiver, where only Nick Toon returned.  After a slow start to the season, Toon has broken out the last few games and now has 447 yards and six touchdowns on just 25 catches.  

Opposite Toon has been sophomore Jared Abbrederis stepping into a major role after contributing last year.  Abbrederis has 20 catches, 328 yards and two touchdowns on the season.  

And when the one-two punch on the outside is covered, Wilson can look to emerging sophomore tight end Jacob Pedersen, who has already nearly doubled his numbers from last year with 14 catches for 224 yards and four touchdowns.  

What was once a question mark has now become an area of strength, as Nebraska can attest after watching Toon and Abbrederis slice through their defensive backfield at will last Saturday.

Blocking for these skill position players is, as always, a deep, experienced and above all else, huge offensive line.  

Center Peter Konz returns for his third year of starting duty.  The 6'5'' 315 pounder was honorable mention all-Big Ten last year and named to the Rimington Trophy watch list.  

Next to him are guards Travis Frederick (6'4'' 330lbs) and Kevin Zeitler (6'4'' 315lbs) a sophomore and senior respectively.  

Frederick filled in for four starts on the line as a true freshman before red-shirting last year, while Zeitler returns after being the primary starter at guard in 2010.  

Ricky Wagner (6'6'' 320lbs) moved to left tackle this year after starting most of 2010 as the other bookend, and Wagner could be the next in the progression of Wisconsin left tackles that end up playing in the NFL.  

On the other side, Josh Oglesby returns after sitting out most of 2010 with an injury.  He started 10 games at right tackle in 2009, so starting experience is nothing new.

As it stands, there isn't one position on Wisconsin's offense that is a weakness.  The offensive line boasts tons of experience all over the place, and combined with Wisconsin's history of producing NFL lineman, there is no doubt the line is one of the best in the country.  

The backs and receivers are perfect compliments to Russell Wilson, who himself has mastered the offense and provided a new dimension for Paul Chryst to explore.  Add it all up and you get an offense that is clicking on an otherworldly level.

3. The defense is pretty good too

When you play opposite Russell Wilson, Montee Ball and the rest, it is easy to get overlooked, but the Wisconsin defense has done everything asked of it and more so far this year.

As far as pure yardage defense goes, the Badgers are 28th in rush yards allowed at just over 100 yards per game, and eighth in pass yards allowed at 161 yards per game.  This is good for the 10th best total defense in the nation at 264 yards per game.  

On a yards per play basis the Badgers are holding opponents to just three yards per rush and six yards per pass attempt—both very good—for just 4.4 yards per offensive play.  

Because of such strong yardage defense, Wisconsin is able to field the second best scoring defense (10 ppg) in the country despite only forcing six turnovers.

Defensive linemen Beau Allen and David Gilbert lead the way with three sacks apiece and 3.5 TFLs, while linebackers Mike Taylor and Chris Borland have over 40 tackles, each and one and two on the team in total TFLs.  

In the defensive backfield, Antonio Fenelus has been excellent so far this season, with an interception and three passes deflected.  

The Wisconsin defense doesn't have the star power it did last year when it relied on JJ Watt (who was ranked first or second on the team in something like five defensive statistics) but it has made up for that with strong contributions from every position.

While the Wisconsin defense isn't going to "wow" with big plays like LSU, or completely and utterly dominate like Alabama, it is good at putting other teams in long yardage situations, forcing punts and getting the ball back to the Badger offense.  

So far in 2011 Wisconsin's defense rates out better in Football Outsider's S&P+ rankings than the 2010 defense did all of last season.

So come on national sports media, give my girl Wisconsin some love.  She's the complete package.