MADISON, Wis. -- The way Dezmen Southward sees it, college
football rankings generally have a way of working out for teams good enough to
win when it matters most.
Southward, the Badgers' senior safety, believes if
Wisconsin's football team beats Penn State in the regular-season finale on
Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium, BCS rankings will be kind to UW.
But what if Wisconsin, at 10-2 and winners of seven
consecutive games, doesn't make a BCS bowl game as an at-large team?
"We would definitely be shafted," Southward said
Monday. "Officially shafted."
Despite Southward's plea, the possibility remains Wisconsin
could earn double-digit wins and still not achieve its BCS goal. Wisconsin
moved up four spots to No. 15 in the latest BCS rankings released Sunday night
-- one spot from qualifying for a potential at-large BCS bowl spot.
However, Wisconsin does not control its BCS destiny just
yet. A Michigan State victory in the Big Ten championship game against No. 3
Ohio State would give the Spartans a spot in the Rose Bowl and the Buckeyes the
Big Ten's at-large BCS position. Because only two teams can earn a BCS bowl bid
from one conference, Wisconsin would be left out and instead head to a
lesser-tier game -- presumably the Capital One Bowl.
Badgers coach Gary Andersen has been mum on the BCS subject
most of the season, saying that Wisconsin needed to take care of its own
business and worry about bowl games later. On Monday during his weekly news
conference, however, he issued his strongest remarks.
"The best thing I say about that is, if they can find a
way to win this game against Penn State, do I think that they deserve that
opportunity to play in a BCS bowl game?" Andersen said. "Absolutely,
yes.
"I don't have a bunch of say in that, but I do believe
that. I think that they've put themselves in the elite of the elite position in
the Big Ten conference, and to do what they've done, if they can win on
Saturday, then I believe they should be given that opportunity. I don't get
into the formulas. I don't know the formulas. But I would be in full support if
they got that opportunity."
When the BCS standings were released for the first time on
Oct. 20, Wisconsin was nowhere to be found in the top 25. The Badgers crept in
at No. 24 one week later but didn't crack the top 20 until a 51-3 victory
against Indiana on Nov. 16. UW made its biggest one-week leap of the season
following its 20-7 victory against then-No. 25 Minnesota on Saturday.
Badgers quarterback Joel Stave's brother, Bryan, is a senior
at Wisconsin. Bryan is constantly in his younger brother's ear about all the
BCS bowl possibilities.
"He continues to stay very involved with it," Joel
Stave said. "Kind of letting me know where we're at. He knows everyone in
the country who needs to win and to lose. I'm not super concerned about that.
Most importantly, we need to win or we take ourselves right out of it."
If Wisconsin does manage to beat Penn State, it would appear
only one result would prevent the Badgers from achieving an at-large spot: that
Michigan State victory against Ohio State on Dec. 7.
Badgers linebacker Chris Borland said the team certainly
would have a rooting interest for Ohio State during the game. Either way, he
remained confident that Wisconsin was worthy of being a BCS team.
"I think our play speaks for itself," Borland
said. "I think we've put together a run, been playing good in all phases,
playing well in all phases. We really
are a one-loss team."
He was referring to the game that has commonly been referred
to as the "Debacle in the Desert," in which Arizona State escaped
with a 32-30 victory on a controversial finish when time ran out on Wisconsin
before it could attempt a potential game-winning field goal.
Badgers players recognize they can't control the BCS
computer numbers or opinions of voters. All that remains for them to control is
a victory on senior day against the Nittany Lions.
"It's a huge game," UW tight end Jacob Pedersen
said. "You've got to come out on top. There's a lot of things at stake for
us this week, and we've just got to take care of Penn State."
McEvoy at safety: Andersen was asked whether safety Tanner
McEvoy would be moved back to quarterback when the Badgers began spring
practice. McEvoy opened the season in a battle to be the starting quarterback
but ultimately became one of the team's most reliable safeties.
"We had zero conversation and zero thoughts,"
Andersen said. "He's the safety, starting safety in two or three of our
packages, and that's where he's going to remain for the rest of the season and
for the next two games, and then we evaluate everything, just like we do at the
end of the year, and do what we can do moving forward.
"As well as he's done and he continues to progress,
pretty good opportunity for him to come in as a starter and continue in that
position. Or you can come in and get yourself in a quarterback battle or
whatever it is. Again, we'll address it. We'll see where it is, but not until
we get through the next two games."
This season, McEvoy has recorded 23 tackles with one
interception and five passes defended, which is tied for third on the team.
Skirmish addressed: Following Wisconsin's victory against
Minnesota on Saturday, Badgers players symbolically chopped down one goal post
with the annual traveling trophy known as Paul Bunyan's Axe. Players then
proceeded toward the other end zone, where Minnesota's team was still standing.
Gophers players and stadium personnel surrounded the goal
post and did not allow Wisconsin players to pass, which created a brief
skirmish that involved back-and-forth yelling. Andersen noted an on-field
security officer pointed a finger in his face as Andersen was trying to move his
players away from the field.
On Monday, Andersen said he would not address the situation
with the Big Ten and considered it a dead issue.
"No, no, that's water under the bridge," Andersen
said. "The biggest thing I would say is ultimately at the end, both teams
handled it. The kids on the team both handled this as pretty good in the
setting in the situation. When I was down there -- and I wasn't down there for
very long -- I was caught up in it for just a brief moment.
"But all the other stuff, we've moved along, and away
we go. I can learn from it. Probably everybody can learn a little something
from it, and we'll go onward."
Thanksgiving plans: Andersen said Wisconsin would follow
standard operating procedure with practices this week through Wednesday. The
Badgers will hold an early-morning Thursday practice and then disperse for
Thanksgiving.
"I want them to get into a family environment,"
Andersen said. "I encourage as many as would like to come to my house for
Thanksgiving or come to an assistant's for Thanksgiving. So I want them to be
in a family environment. Now, the great thing here is we have so many young men
that can drive home because we give them that opportunity.
"If they're smart, they'll probably try to come to my
house about 1 o'clock and then push that other one off until a little bit later
in the day and double dip. That's what I would do if I was a young kid. They'll
be in a great family environment, and they'll have some fun."
As for Andersen's turkey-making route?
"I definitely don't cook it," he said. "I
would embarrass my father if I tried to carve a turkey. So I'm going to stay
away from that and eat as little as possible, too. Really trying to pride
myself on not eating too much. We'll have some fun watching football, and it will
be fun to be around those kids. It will be a good environment."
