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Heading into this season the Wisconsin Badgers as always faced one of the same questions they have trouble answering every year: Who is going to play QB? The question should be more like, who is going to be taking the ball from center and handing the ball off? The Wisconsin football program that has built its success on a strong and punishing run game and ball control offense always seems to have had inconsistent play at the QB position for as far back as I can remember. I know that former Badgers QB Jim Sorgi(Indianapolis Colts) and Brooks Bollinger(Detroit Lions) are currently on NFL rosters(Do not ask me how, I still can not believe it myself). This year was no different as coming into camp it was a wide open race between QB Dustin Sherer, Curt Phillips, and Scott Tolzien. However, QB Dustin Sherer did finish the last seven games of the season last year as the starter and coming out of spring practice QB Curt Phillips looked as the frontrunner in a close race between Sherer and Phillips.
So, who wins the starting job out of fall camp? No, not Sherer or Phillips as expected but QB Scott Tolzien. Who? QB Scott Tolzien’s consistent play at QB this year has been one of the biggest surprises thus far and biggest reason as to why the Badgers are off to a 4-0 start. I can not believe it. It is almost like the Badgers are throwing the ball to run instead of running to throw as they have in the past. Through the first four games of the season, QB Scott Tolzien has a rating of 164.30, 884 yards passing, and 8 TD. I need to check the books, but he may be on pace to become Wisconsin’s first 3,000 yard passer in a long time. The Badgers finally have a QB that can play the position at a consistent level. This is huge. Those number I just ran off are great, but the biggest of is no turnovers. In the past, Wisonsin QB have turned the ball over a lot. Wisconsin is not a team that is going to come from behind and win. However, if they do get up on you they are a team that does not surrender leads very easily. Aldo opposing defenses will be forced to play the Badgers honest and will not be able to load the box to stop RB John Clay and RB Zach Brown. This will only make the Badgers more productive on the ground as they were in the past. That is a scary thought because in the past teams knew exactly what was coming and still could not prevent Wisconsin from producing 1,000 yard rushers year in and year out including RB Ron Dayne who is the 1999 Heisman Memorial Trophy Winner, NCAA All-time career leading rusher(7,125 yards), and 2-time Rose Bowl MVP. The biggest difference this will make is in preparation. In the past opposing teams only had to woory about the Badgers ground game, now opposing teams will actually have to sopend time in practice on defending the Badgers passing attack(Haha I can not believe I jsut said that). This is less time that can be spent on Wisconsin's bread n' butter: running the football. The Badgers as always also have great play at the TE position as well. TE Garret Grahamn and Lance Kendricks can not only block as they are expected to, but can catch the ball downfield as well. They are two good and well-rounded TE. They can block on run formations and catch the ball downfield in passing sets, enabling them as double threats. The Badgers have a tough game next week against hated rival Minnesota Gophers on the road at the new TCF Bank Stadium. It would be great to keep the Gophers from taking back Paul Bunyan’s Axe in the first game at their new stadium in College Football’s Most Played Rivalry(118 meetings). Who knows, maybe QB Scott Tolzien and the Badgers could find themselves playing in a New Year’s Day Bowl Game by the end of the season. GO BADGERS!!!
QB Scott Tolzien
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