Bret Bielema's greed willed the Michigan State Spartans to victory.
Michigan State contently played to live another offensive series, to play out a tie game in overtime. The Wisconsin Badger head coach had other visions: he wanted the ball back to win in regulation.
Bieliema called two timeouts on back-to-back downs helping the Spartans preserve clock and set up the game-winning, wild, up-for-grabs "500" touchdown.
Michigan State 37, Wisconsin 31.
Play for the win on the road; play for overtime at home.
That old adage cut down the high ground on which the Badgers were standing in the BCS rankings.
It made their successful head coach look like a spoiled-rotten kid after not getting his way.
Aggressive and no apologies, Bielema has proven he is an above-average coach, winning 55 of 72 games (76.4 percent).
His team's recent dominance, outscoring teams 301-58 in going 6-0 prior to Saturday night's game got to his head.
The first timeout was questionable.
The Badgers stopped the clock with 42 seconds left after a 10 yard sack of Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins set up a second-and-20. Cousins then completed a 12-yard pass to B.J. Cunningham to set up third-and-8.
The second was downright moronic. There wasn't enough time for the Badgers to set something up even if they recorded a third-down stop.
Figure five seconds for an incomplete pass, nine seconds for the punt of say 40 yards. Let's pretend returner Jared Abbrederis runs back the hypothetical punt 12 yards. Three more seconds. Now the Badgers have the ball first-and-10 from their own 36 yard line with 12 seconds remaining. A long completion of say 20 yards would take six seconds and move the offense to Michigan State's 46. Timeout. And still out of field goal range with maybe time for one more short throw that would have to go out of bounds.
Small chance.
Saying Bielema was correct in calling the timeouts is a tad short-sided. Given that Michigan State continued to huddle up and walk to the line of scrimmage during the game-winning drive showed the world the Spartans and venerable coach Mike Dantonio were content on playing for the so called "crapshoot" that is overtime. Does that mean they were dumb to not be going for the win until Bielema gave them reason to by freezing the clock?
Don't think so.
After the second timeout Cousins found Keshawn Martin for an 11-yard gain and a first down. Three plays later, off an end zone deflection, former Spartans backup quarterback Keith Nichol wrestled his way across the goal-line for the small chance, game-winning, 44-yard touchdown.
Figure five seconds for an incomplete pass, nine seconds for the punt of say 40 yards. Let's pretend returner Jared Abbrederis runs back the hypothetical punt 12 yards. Three more seconds. Now the Badgers have the ball first-and-10 from their own 36 yard line with 12 seconds remaining. A long completion of say 20 yards would take six seconds and move the offense to Michigan State's 46. Timeout. And still out of field goal range with maybe time for one more short throw that would have to go out of bounds.
Small chance.
Saying Bielema was correct in calling the timeouts is a tad short-sided. Given that Michigan State continued to huddle up and walk to the line of scrimmage during the game-winning drive showed the world the Spartans and venerable coach Mike Dantonio were content on playing for the so called "crapshoot" that is overtime. Does that mean they were dumb to not be going for the win until Bielema gave them reason to by freezing the clock?
Don't think so.
After the second timeout Cousins found Keshawn Martin for an 11-yard gain and a first down. Three plays later, off an end zone deflection, former Spartans backup quarterback Keith Nichol wrestled his way across the goal-line for the small chance, game-winning, 44-yard touchdown.
Bielema gave credence to Michigan State's offense to try and kill the Badgers before an extra frame.
Not only did MSU do just that, it also essentially killed UW's shot at the BCS title game.
Wisconsin whined all week leading up to the game that at sixth in the BCS rankings, the team was being disrespected.
Now the Badgers will be lucky to remain in the top 10 after Saturday's loss.
As for the BCS title game?
Small chance.
Now the Badgers will be lucky to remain in the top 10 after Saturday's loss.
As for the BCS title game?
Small chance.
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