Episode 133 – 2012 Big Ten Championship Game Preview

Wisconsin and Nebraska collide in the Big Ten championship game Saturday night.

The Big Ten is still getting used to this whole championship game idea, but at least the two schools meeting in Indianapolis are pretty well adjusted to it. Wisconsin returns to Indianapolis this week to make their second straight trip representing the Leaders Division, although this year they arrive thanks to NCAA sanctions to undefeated Ohio State and second place Penn State. Nebraska, on the other hand, earned their place in the game in their second season in the Big Ten, and two trips to the Big 12 championship game are still fresh in the memories of a number of Huskers.

Can Wisconsin defend their conference crown and return to the Rose Bowl, or can Bo Pelini and his Huskers finally get that conference championship monkey off their backs? Regardless of the outcome, it should make for a competitive and entertaining game.

To preview the championship game from both perspectives I was happy to welcome two past guests to this special Big Ten championship game preview podcast. We begin by discussing Nebraska with Brandon Cavanaugh (@eightlaces) from Rant Sports. In the second half we talk about Wisconsin with Andy Coppens (@andycoppens) from Madtown Badgers and Delany’s Dozen.

Don’t forget, this podcast can be heard at anytime on Stitcher Radio (and click here for a promo code to get started and a chance to win $100)!

A portion of this podcast will be featured in our first ever encore presentation Friday evening, airing live on Pioneer Digital TV channels 150 and 152 in Oklahoma, and parts of Texas and Kansas where available. Click here for more information, and stay tuned for some announcements for the podcast and site coming soon.

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Episode 108: Reaction to Danny O’Brien signing with Wisconsin

Brief discussion with Andy Coppens of Madtown Badgers

On Wednesday quarterback Danny O’Brien was officially introduced as the newest member of the Wisconsin Badgers. So much for that Penn State sweatshirt I suppose.

Danny O'Brien, heading to the land of cheese. Photo: US Presswire.

This is the second season in a row Wisconsin has welcomed a quarterback transfer from the ACC, leaving some to wonder if the conference is becoming a farm system for Wisconsin quarterbacks. While Danny O’Brien is not Russell Wilson, he is still decidedly better than any other option the Badgers had to look forward to going in to 2012.

I explored some of the common questions that will come with O’Brien’s transfer to Wisconsin yesterday on Examiner, but I wanted to be sure to get the opinions of someone closer to the Wisconsin program than me. So if we are discussing Wisconsin, odds are you know who we are bringing on.

Andy Coppens, editor and featured columnist over at Madtown Badgers, was kind enough to spend a few minutes this morning reacting to the news. You may remember we touched a bit on the state of the quarterback situation in our last podcast, which ironically was also with Andy. Be sure to listen to that when you have the time so you can compare and contrast the quarterback situation in Madison.

Have a listen to the podcast below, then make sure you are subscribed in iTunes, and following the show on Get Glue! Follow Madtown Badgers on Twitter @MTBadgers (follow me too). And don’t forget, this podcast can be heard at anytime on Stitcher Radio (and click here for a promo code to get started and a chance to win $100)!

A portion of this podcast will be featured in our first ever encore presentation Friday evening, airing live on Pioneer Digital TV channels 150 and 152 in Oklahoma, and parts of Texas and Kansas where available. Click here for more information.

If the audio widget does not show up for you, click here to listen.

Hype this up on BallHyped.

Follow on Twitter @No2MinWarning and Like No 2-Minute Warning on Facebook.

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Episode 107: Wisconsin Badgers look to support Montee Ball

Can Badgers make it three straight Big Ten football championships in 2012?

Montee Ball will have a tough act to follow after a stellar 2011 season.

So how do you top the kind of season Wisconsin had in 2011? Simple. Win the Rose Bowl.

Wisconsin enters the spring having come off another Rose Bowl defeat, their second in a row, and with the postseason ban being served by Ohio State, new coaches at Illinois and Penn State and the likes of Indiana and Purdue mostly an afterthought in the Big Ten’s Leaders Division, why wouldn’t Wisconsin be expected to return to the Big Ten Championship Game in 2012?

The Badgers find themselves in somewhat familiar territory. At this time last year the team was coming off a Rose Bowl loss to TCU and looking for someone who could manage the offense at quarterback. Veteran starter Scott Tolzien had moved on and Brett Bielema scrambled to find a quarterback who could replace him. It turned out that nobody currently on the roster seemed equipped to lead a team that seemed pretty solid everywhere else.

Enter Russell Wilson, the transfer quarterback from N.C. State.

Wilson gave the Badgers a very strong player to fill the one glaring hole on the team. After leading Wisconsin to the Rose Bowl and a Big Ten title, Wilson has moved on, leaving Bielema once again scratching his head trying to figure out the quarterback situation. Might the solution once again be found in the ACC, with former Maryland quarterback Danny O’Brien now college football’s equivalent of a free agent testing the market?

Regardless if Wisconsin is a player for O’Brien or not, and there are some differences between last year and this year, the offense is still expected to run through Montee Ball. Ball emerged as a legitimate Heisman contender as the season progressed as he broke a scoring record previously held by Barry Sanders (he was pretty good). This season teams should be more prepared for him, but will they be able to slow him down?

You can’t stop him. You can only hope to contain him. So will it be All Montee Ball Everything in 2012, on his way to New York for a shot at Wisconsin’s third Heisman Trophy? Who else on offense, and for that matter the defense, will step up for Wisconsin in the fall?

On today’s podcast we have Andy Coppens, editor and featured columnist for Madtown Badgers. We take a look at the search for a quarterback at Wisconsin, Montee Ball’s value to the team, and the strong linebacker duo of Chris Borland and Mike Taylor. What else should be a concern for the Badgers this spring? How about the coaching staff changes, as Paul Chryst has moved on to take the head-coaching job at Pittsburgh.

Have a listen to the podcast below, then make sure you are subscribed in iTunes, and following the show on Get Glue! Follow Mad Town Badgers on Twitter @MTBadgers (follow me too). And don’t forget, this podcast can be heard at anytime on Stitcher Radio (and click here for a promo code to get started and a chance to win $100)!

A portion of this podcast will be featured in our first ever encore presentation Friday evening, airing live on Pioneer Digital TV channels 150 and 152 in Oklahoma, and parts of Texas and Kansas where available. Click here for more information.

If the audio widget does not show up for you, click here to listen.

Hype this up on BallHyped.

Follow on Twitter @No2MinWarning and Like No 2-Minute Warning on Facebook.

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Blog Talk Radio: Big Ten preview, #7 Wisconsin vs. #8 Nebraska

Andy Coppens from Wisco Badgers

We preview the big game between Wisconsin and Nebraska with Andy Coppens from Wisco Badgers.

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