Woe to the Badgers

Not again.
Not this.
Not now.
Wisconsin has reached levels of dreadful few thought possible. It's natural disaster bad, a ride with Charon across the River Styx bad. And one is culpable: coach Bret Bielema.
Holding an 11-point advantage on Michigan State in the fourth quarter the Badgers seemingly were coming out of the funk that dragged them to an 0-4 start in the Big Ten.
Leave it to the '08 Badgers to pull a disappearing act with no curtain or trap door. Like magic, UW lost. There wasn't an encore -- except from those bleeding green and white.
Two plays stand out: a 38-yard completion to tight end Charlie Gantt on third-and-17 with 8:51 to play and Wisconsin ahead 24-13, and a holding penalty on third-and-short late in the game that cost the Badgers a lead-cushioning field goal try.
Not since 1996 had Wisconsin blown a double-digit fourth quarter edge at the start of the season. It has happened twice in six games.
Not since October 20, 2001 versus Illinois had Wisconsin lost a game when leading in football's version of "Miller Time," the fourth quarter.
It has happened three times this season.
Wisconsin has been in these said games -- against Michigan, Ohio State and now Michigan State -- so talent isn't the trouble.
A letdown is clearly occurring. Wisconsin is not executing, nor is it stepping up, particularly on defense, in pressure situations. When the Badgers have needed a stop, one isn't readily available;
too much immaturity amongst the starters.
The position coaches and coordinators are responsible for in-game execution and player development. Bielema oversees them.
The winningest Big Ten coach in a debut season seems to have allowed early success trigger the auto-pilot mechanism in his head. Wisconsin has crashed.
Bielema continues to hold man crushes on less talented players (although it has lessened in recent weeks), while the true play-makers watch from the sidelines. Think P.J. Hill over John Clay.
He's stubborn.
Paul Chryst's pro-style offense -- a fullback, not a receiver constitutes the 11th man on the field on offense -- and archaic play-calling are cancerous to the team's overall success, yet Bielema sticks by his friend.
The saying goes, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." Good. Bielema's one of the youngest head coaches at the Division I level.
Maybe he'll learn.
Until then, don't get too excited when the Badgers are up big in the fourth quarter. They may just mimic what Latrell Sprewell did to P.J. Carlesimo: choke.