Lucas: ‘Stuff’ can change, but Badgers have sights set on new schedule
August 06, 2020 | Football, Mike Lucas
Sanborn says preparation will be the constant during uncertain lead-up to kickoff
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BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. — Prior to the Big Ten releasing its retooled 10-game football schedule Wednesday morning, Wisconsin inside linebacker Jack Sanborn was asked about his expectations for the start of the 2020 season, which had previously been reduced to involving conference opponents only.
"I've always said I'm an optimistic person," Sanborn reiterated. "The second you start thinking, 'Oh, we might not be starting camp or we might not have a season,' that's when you're going to slack off and when the time comes to play then you're not going to be prepared.
"It's all day-by-day. If stuff changes, stuff changes. You've got to be ready."
Wednesday offered a little patch of blue sky — the schedule release — in what has otherwise been a cloudy forecast for college football. It's still fluid. And there are no guarantees that the Big Ten season will be played. That was the candid messaging from first-year league commissioner Kevin Warren.
But, at least, there is a plan in place, including contingency plans if "stuff" changes.
"All we can do is be organized, be methodical, be very thoughtful," Warren said on Big Ten Network, "and make sure that we're treating our student-athletes with the utmost respect and decorum creating an environment … that is safe, that is healthy.
"It would be purely speculation for me to sit here today and say, 'This is what percent I think we'll have a season.' I know from my standpoint, I'm taking this entire process, this entire journey on a day-to-day basis. I'm staying focused, I'm staying prayerful to do the right thing."
The Badgers hope to open the season as originally scheduled on Sept. 4 against Indiana at Camp Randall Stadium. But instead of hosting Nebraska on Nov. 16, they will travel to Lincoln on Sept. 19. Instead of traveling to Purdue on Nov. 14, they will play the Boilermakers on Oct. 10 in Madison.
The 10th opponent will be Rutgers on Nov. 21 at Camp Randall. The Scarlet Knights, who have lost 39 of their last 48 games, are one of four crossover foes from the Big Ten's East Division. The others are Indiana, Maryland (Oct. 3 in College Park) and Michigan (Oct. 31 in Ann Arbor).
The Border Battle home game with Minnesota has been moved up from Oct. 10 to Sept. 26. The last time these two Axe rivals didn't play the final game of the regular season was seven years ago. However, they have played as early as Oct. 3 in 2009 and Oct. 9 in 2010.
Meanwhile, the traditional Michigan-Ohio State game has been rescheduled for week seven and Oct. 24 in Columbus, the first time in 87 years that "The Game" has not been staged in November; and the first time it has not closed out their regular season since World War II.
Former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer called the move "heartbreaking" during a BTN interview.
"The powers to be have given this a lot of thought, they're doing what's best," he conceded. "Everyone's focus is on No. 1, health and safety. Number two, get them on the field and play if we can."
Later, he emphasized that coaches must concentrate on coaching and if they do "You're going to see those programs thrive because when the athletic director gets the go-ahead and he gives you the thumbs up, your team better be ready to play and if you're focused on your team, you will be."
If there is a competitive advantage to be gained from the Wolverines and Buckeyes squaring off in late October, the reality is this: The Badgers will face Michigan the following Saturday in the Big House. It's one of the many twists in a schedule that is clearly at the mercy of the coronavirus pandemic.
Adaptability is at the heart of everything. For instance, each of the games the first two weekends could be moved to late November and early December thereby assuring some wiggle room should there be a COVID-19 outbreak forcing a program to "pause" during the preseason training camp.
The Big Ten championship game could be played as late as Dec. 19, if necessary.
In one scenario, the Badgers could play Indiana on Nov. 28 and Northwestern on Dec. 5, if "stuff" changes. Moreover, each team shares a bye in weeks five through seven with its week three and four opponents. In this case, Wisconsin is scheduled to play Nebraska and Minnesota on those dates.
The Badgers, Cornhuskers and Gophers all have byes in week seven (Oct. 17).
Flexibility is a critical component to playing a season. To whatever extent one can be played.
"We're going to face those challenges," Indiana head coach Tom Allen, whose team is coming off its best season (8-5) since 1993, declared Wednesday on BTN, "and focus on that which we can control, which is our preparation and how we handle this pretty difficult situation.
"It's about communication, it's about trust, it's about our players understanding that we're in a different era right now. It's not just Indiana. It's every state in this country, it's every country in this world. We're all dealing with this issue of this COVID virus.
"So, we have to work together, we have to trust each other, and we've got to be disciplined and make some sacrifices to be able to have the opportunities for things we love to do."
• • • •
The word association was elementary for Sanborn.
You say, "Butkus" and he says?
"Linebacker. All-time Chicago Bear."
Sanborn is from Deer Park, Illinois, a 40-mile drive from Chicago; known for broad shoulders, Buckingham Fountain, deep-dish pizza, Navy Pier, Al Capone, The Bean, Wrigleyville, Michael Jordan, the "L" trains and Butkus, Dick Butkus, the college football and Pro Football Hall of Fame middle linebacker.
"Obviously growing up in Illinois and being a Bears fan, you always hear about the legend of Dick Butkus," said Sanborn, a product of Lake Zurich High School. "Early on, I was drawn to Brian Urlacher. Even if you didn't play linebacker, he was one of your favorite players, if you were a Bears fan.
"And then as I got older and went through high school, I really liked watching Luke Kuechly (who just retired). He's just a guy who plays the linebacker position the right way. He's someone who is so smart on the field and he's so good at the mental side of the game."
Spawning the conversation was Sanborn's inclusion on three preseason watch lists: The Lott IMPACT Trophy (named after Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott and won by J.J. Watt in 2010); the Bednarik Award (presented to the Defensive Player of the Year and honoring an old school, two-way player nicknamed "Concrete Charlie" aka Chuck Bednarik); and the Butkus Award.
The latter has gone to the top linebacker in college football since 1985 when Oklahoma's Brian Bosworth was the first recipient. He also won in '86. The last Big Ten player to win the award — Butkus was an All-American at the University of Illinois — was Ohio State's James Laurinaitis in 2007.
"It's always great to get recognition — and I'm grateful for it — but at the same time, I know it's a preseason watch list and what really matters is what you do during the season," said Sanborn.
Entering his second season as a starter, he's taking a measured approach.
"Honestly, they always say that experience is the best teacher, and all that experience that I learned from just playing a full college football season (in 2019) is something anyone can benefit from," said Sanborn, who started all 14 games and led the defense in tackles (80).
Being quick on your feet is not just a literal quality.
"Things happen and you just have to move on, whether it's the next play, the next series, or the next game. That's something I learned a lot just because you never know when you're going to be counted on to make a play, you never know when that opportunity is going to come up.
"And it's up to you if you're going to take advantage of that opportunity or not."
Sanborn admitted that it's different not having Chris Orr in the facility.
"It's a little more quiet maybe," he said, laughing. The animated, high-energy Orr was known for his chatter. "Ever since I've been here, he has always been there for me. But it's just what college football is. Every year, you have a new team. Players move on, whether to the next level or not."
Now that Sanborn is the most experienced inside linebacker in the room, he said, "It gives me an opportunity to teach a lot of guys a lot of things that I learned from last year. I'm someone that people can come and talk to whenever they need help or they're not sure exactly what they're doing."
In this context, Leo Chenal has been a quick study. As a freshman, he appeared in 11 games.
"I love Leo," Sanborn enthused. "He's a crazy kid, a freak athlete. I met his brother John (a UW fullback) my freshman year in the dorms, so I've always known of Leo. Our relationship has continued to grow, especially the last couple of months."
Whereas fifth-year senior Mike Maskalunas is the reliable veteran — "You can always count on him to do his job, whatever it may be; he's a guy that everyone on the team, including myself, has a lot of respect for," Sanborn said — one of the young prospects is Maema Njongmeta (pronounced MOO-mah jong-MET-ah), a redshirt freshman.
"He's at the stage right now where he's trying to learn his job and his role, inside and out, and really have a better understanding of our defense," Sanborn said of Njongmeta. "He's a smart guy and just a matter of time before he's clicking on all cylinders."
There are many pieces to the puzzle on both sides of the ball, and it remains to be seen how they all fit together, especially since the Badgers have just begun taking some baby steps to ensure their preparedness in advance of the opening of training camp.
"It was refreshing to be back in the (meeting) room, especially to be doing it in person (rather than) Zoom calls," Sanborn said. "The groups are still limited in size. But it's nice to be moving a little forward in the right direction to have some sense of normalcy back to our schedule.
"Just getting on the field a little with Coach Bostad felt really good."
Bob Bostad coaches the inside linebackers.
"His number one priority is us — our health and our family's health," Sanborn said of Bostad. "He has been there for us through it all. And I believe that he's trying to progress his way through all of this, too, because it's unchartered territory that we've all been in."
Bostad and all of the other UW assistants have followed the lead of head coach Paul Chryst. "Coach Bostad," Sanborn said, "has been trying to give everybody that calm sense we're going to get through this, it's going to be all right. He's also just making sure that all of us are staying ready."
Ready for a training camp, ready for a season, ready if "stuff" changes.
