BY BARRY ALVAREZ
UW Director of Athletics
MADISON, Wis. — I don't think there were many people looking at our schedule in August and saying that this team was a slam dunk to win 10 games and play for the Big Ten championship.
But we're going back to Indianapolis for the fourth time in six years.
Nobody else can say that. Nobody has been there more times.
It speaks volumes for the winning culture that has been established here — we've had three different coaches take teams to the title game — and the foundation that we have built.
We take a lot of pride in the fact that we've been one of the most consistent programs in the country. Many times, we don't get all the fanfare that some others do.
But when you look at all the 10-win seasons and the success that we've had over the years, it's impressive to keep that string going this season with a young team, a team that should only get better.
I saw the makings of this in the opener — our 16-14 victory over LSU at Lambeau Field.
It was obvious our guys didn't read the press clippings on LSU because everyone had them picked in the Top 4. Most people had them in the final four of the College Football Playoff.
I heard one media guy say that Leonard Fournette was Superman and you could put 11 in the box and not stop him. But our players weren't intimidated or influenced by anyone else's comments.
They just went out and competed with LSU and they really outhit them for four quarters. I thought the game and final score was closer than it should have been.
Looking back on the season, the Georgia State scare (a 23-17 win) probably helped more than it hurt us. You have to take something out of every game and you have to learn from every game.
Whether Georgia State did a great job, or we weren't quite prepared for them, they came out and moved the ball and they had a chance to win the game.
They were probably a team that shouldn't be on the field with us. But it's a great lesson that if you're not prepared, anybody can beat you. That's an old adage, Coachspeak. But it's a fact.
So, I think that probably got their attention and got them ready for Michigan State.
At that point for the Big Ten opener, the Spartans thought they were a good team; a physical team just like the last several they've had; a 10-win team that gave them a chance to win the league.
But our guys took their will away. You could see that in their body language late in that contest. Our guys outlasted them and we were more physical. That was impressive.
Obviously, you concern yourself with the tough losses (14-7 at Michigan and 30-23 to Ohio State in overtime). But I thought that this was a resilient group and it would bounce back.
They played two very good opponents, Top-5 teams, right to the wire and they had a chance to win both games. You can come back from something like that. They played pretty well and they knew it.
It was pointed out all year how hard it can be to play and win with two quarterbacks (fifth-year senior Bart Houston and redshirt freshman Alex Hornibrook). But Paul Chryst really handled it well.
You need to get both guys to buy into it when you've got a senior and he's being removed for a freshman. Just the fact that Paul kept Bart involved in everything paid huge dividends.
It paid off in the Minnesota game after Alex got hurt.
We didn't play well in that first half. We couldn't establish anything on offense. We dropped passes. And as much time as we spend on the kicking game, their 69-yard return was a huge play.
We had just scored to take the lead and they came right back with an answer, so I knew we weren't hitting on all cylinders. We had some mistakes on fits and they gashed us on some runs.
Responsibilities were overlooked on a couple of their options and you hoped that you could clean that up and come back strong in the second half. And the players did. They really responded well.
Now, I'm really looking forward to seeing this team play Saturday night in Indianapolis. But I hate it that I'm going to be in Texas watching it on television with the playoff selection committee.
As a group, we'll sit together in one room — I don't know how many TVs that they will have going — and we'll watch every championship game. It will be hard for me not being there at Lucas Oil Stadium.
But if you're wondering if I'll curb my enthusiasm and not say anything when we make a play or when something good happens for us … No, hell no.
