LouisEly

The last sentence is it - it's a chance for UW to evaluate Leonhard on an interim basis, and it's a chance for Leonhard to evaluate being a HC on an interim basis. Leonhard really is a family man and really does enjoy his life right now and, like you said, he turned down the GB DC job to stay at UW. Leonhard is evaluating a HC position as much as UW is evaluating Leonhard.

There were also lots of stipulations to that contract, as is standard, that likely required him to jump through a lot of hoops to get all of it (requirements on job searching, future salaries offsetting any payouts, etc.). Look at what happened with Bielema after he got fired from Arkansas. It also had to be paid out over several years. What likely happened is what frequently happens in these situations, and that is UW said we will waive these stipulations and pay it out faster (IIRC by February of next year) if you agree to a lower payout. And Chryst, from what little I know of him, likely doesn't like to deal with that type of contractual BS and took it.

Interesting that Google Maps has the exit numbers on the map but you can't search by freeway and exit number. Interesting how the main population of the Fox Valley (Neenah/Menasha/Appleton) gets skipped as the stations break from Oshkosh (exit 119, Oshkosh Ave) to exit 150 (Kaukana, where there really isn't anything now, no shopping center/restaurants), especially with another one at exit 170. College Avenue (exit 138) would make so much more sense. Hopefully they put the one on exit 119 near Rocky Rococco's.

A few other quick thoughts: 1) Leipold is 58 years old. If he's 48, it may happen, but Leipold is a year older than Chryst. B) Leipold has had one good half-season at Kansas. Scott Frost looked like the second coming of Tom Osborne after two seasons at UCF. Then he stepped up to a big-boy conference. 3) This does not happen if Leonhard isn't on staff.

And the COVID season, and having to let go/push out/encourage to seek other opportunities his friend Joe Rudolph, and having to deal with passing of one of his assistant coaches. I had to deal with the passing of a direct report once. Someone who was my age and I considered a friend. It can take the wind out of your sails for a long time.

Taylor is a great 4th OF and as a RHH will make a good platoon/PH complement for the LHH's Mitchell and Frelick. While not popular, I would not be surprised if they trade Renfroe. Only one year of control left and will likely get a significant arbitration raise. I don't think the Brewers like to let assets expire. Saving Renfroe's arbitration raise will allow them to bring in a free agent OF along with what they can get in trade value. I think they'd try to get a major league piece in return with more than one year of control, likely a setup man or long reliever/swingman.

Since 2017, Michigan is 10-14 against top 25 teams. Iowa is 8-10. Penn State is 9-13. Michigan State is 9-10. Minnesota is 3-9. The only teams with winning records against top-25 teams are perennial top-5/10 teams.

Looked great on the first two drives, then got screwed over on at least a half-dozen horrible calls and non-calls, then lost two key players on cheap shots where there was no reason to go low, then the defense got gassed from being on the field so long, and then fell apart. Need to figure out O-Line real quick.

Slightly off-topic, but on the topic of Madison staples, I had La Bamba's for the first time in decades today. Good stuff as well. Sucks that the downtown Chicago location isn't open on weekends.

There can be a surprisingly high amount of variability in quality in franchised restaurants. The few I've heard from who have had it from Pizza Hut have had good things to say about it.

One can make good money playing pro ball overseas. NBA/G-League aren't the only pro options. Not so much Russia anymore, but Europe and Asia. A surprising number of fairly average college players, too.

No, it's not mostly based on Herbig, it's based on having only two DL on the field. You're misunderstanding what I'm saying. Since Leonhard has become the DC, whenever they play against a 3-WR set - including every game against Ohio State - they play a 2-4-5. Watch the film of every Ohio State game. The point I'm making is that two DL cannot control the line of scrimmage against Ohio State. Since Leonhard has become the DC they have played OSU five times. OSU's rushing totals in those five games: 9/24/22 - 43 carries, 258 yards 12/7/19 - 46 carries, 172 yards 10/26/19 - 50 carries, 264 yards 12/2/17 - 42 carries, 238 yards 10/15/16 - 45 carries, 185 yards And those 2016/2017 teams had a lot of talent in the linebacker room. Once they held them to less than four yards per carry, but still over 170 yards rushing. In the game on Saturday, in the first half OSU's RBs had over 100 yards of rushing before contact. What I'm saying is to run a 3-3-5 instead. Still have 5 DBs on the field to protect against the pass, so it should not affect pass defense. Rodas Johnson or James Thompson can play DE with Goetz/Peterson as an on-ball OLB and Herbig at more of a WILL/off-ball blitzing LB. That has to have a better chance of controlling the LOS. When UW was more competitive with OSU they ran a 4-man front. Yes, some of the DEs were 240-250 lbs (such as O'Brien Schofield), but some of the DEs were more like 6'5", 295 (JJ Watt). My point is that the 2-4-5 that they were running out there didn't have enough size to hold the LOS against Ohio State. It might work against most teams - which are smaller and less talented - but not Ohio State. The teams that have been more competitive against Ohio State have been teams with 4-man fronts.

Entrance requirements are absolutely an issue - haven't we heard this before? Don't need to look any further than their own backyard in Sun Prairie, where they've had two four-star recruits (Isaac Hamm, Craig Evans) who wanted to come to UW but couldn't get in. They had to sit down with Evans and tell him that he needed to look elsewhere because he wasn't going to get in. They spend a fraction on recruitment because they know who can get in and who can't and don't bother with kids who are unlikely to get admitted. As for losing 4-star in-state recruits... really? All of those guys you are referring to strongly considered UW and came down to UW vs. where they went. Billy Schrauth went to private Catholic schools - you don't think that Notre Dame is going to have some appeal? Hinzman only considered UW and Ohio State - it's no shame to lose a kid to Ohio State. According to people who know them, they went back and forth quite a bit and it was a very close, difficult decision. If they're losing the top kids in the state to Iowa or Minnesota or Indiana, that's a reason to be concerned. Penn State, maybe (but when it's all said and done, I'd be willing to bet that UW got the best in-state TE), but losing a Catholic kid to Notre Dame and another guy to Ohio State? And UW is supposed to pull 4-star kids from other states, but schools in the CFP in the last couple of years can't pull one kid from UW? Really? Joe Brunner, the top player in the state last year, chose UW over Notre Dame and Ohio State. Nolan Rucci chose UW over Clemson and Alabama. T.J. Bollers chose UW over Alabama. Mertz was offered by just about everyone and Ohio State tried like hell to poach him. Barry Alvarez was 4-5-2 in his sixth season after going 7-4 and 10-1 the prior two seasons. Would that have been a good idea to fire him? Alvarez went 5-7 in 2001 after going 9-4, 10-2, and 11-1 in the prior three seasons; was the program in decline? Should they have fired him? If the expanded playoffs had been in place since Chryst was hired, he would have made the playoffs in 3 of his 7 seasons. Is that not good enough?

Nebraska thought the same thing that 9-3 seasons weren't good enough. Where did that get them? Until UW's administration adjusts the entrance requirements, 9-3 is probably as good as they are going to do. And if the choices are 8-4 versus the last eight years of Nebraska (or Texas, or Florida, or Tennessee, or USC..), I'll take 8-4 every day of the week and twice on Sunday. I'm trying to figure out where this is all coming from. Ohio State, based on the early eyeball test, is either the #1 or #2 team in the country. The Washington State game was a fluke, and WSU is vastly improved from last year and had a 12-point lead on Oregon with five minutes left in the fourth quarter last weekend before imploding. Go back to 1999 when they looked horrible against Cincinnati and then lost to #4 Michigan at home; they proceeded to run the table. Wisconsin has a new OC and OL coach. Results won't be instantaneous.

And Jaire Alexander for all but the first defensive series

UW never had 3 DL on the field against OSU except for maybe one or two short yardage plays. I'm specifically referring to the game yesterday against OSU where UW ran a 2-4-5 almost every single play. Leonhard always runs a 2-4-5 against 3-WR sets.

Not bad for a 13th round draft pick. Eight picks after the Brewers selected Terry Mayo...

When you look at what even marginal WRs were getting in FA in the offseason, they didn't have the cap space to get someone who was both "good" and "durable". They had to pick one or the other. I really believe they thought that Adams would resign - and they did offer more than the Raiders - but didn't anticipate how appealing playing with his college QB was.

A 4-2 team has bigger players at DE than a 2-4 scheme and can better tie up the OL, preventing them from getting to the 2nd level and blocking the off-ball LBs. Herbig is (listed at) 228 lbs - he can set the edge against some teams but not OSU; he just isn't the equivalent of a 4-3 DE. The 4-3 teams the Badgers ran had DEs that were at least 255 lbs or more... and some of them featured a 6'5", 295lb DE. In the first half OSU's RBs had over 100 yards before contact. That says that your DL scheme isn't working.

They're saying Winter is more Jon Leuer/Nate Reuvers than Wahl/Carlson

When you're running only two DL all game against five OL your DL is going to look horrible. That's on Leonhard, not Chryst.

When you're missing your two starting OTs (one of whom PFF had ranked as the 14th best OL in the country so far this year) and three of your top four WRs are redshirt freshmen (and your #5 WR was a CB last year), it's difficult to have a good passing attack. I got the impression that Mertz was expecting Lewis to sit down in the zone/run a hook route and not run an out route on the INT. We'll never know if it was the wrong route/read by Lewis but it sure looked that way.

A little of the Urban effect, and a lot of appearing in the CFP the last few years. The playoff gets a lot more publicity than the old bowl system. That, and the sketchiest entrance "requirements" in the Big Ten (this side of Michigan State). Watch the interview with Jaxon Smith-Njigba after the Rose Bowl - no way in hell he gets into UW.

The Badgers teams that used to hang with OSU ran a 4-3 defense. Yes, guys like O'Brien Schofield were more of the size of an OLB, but that's still more like a 3-3 and not a 2-4. (That, and while Schofield was ~240 lbs, Herbig is under 230 lbs.) OSU up 45-14 with 9 minutes left in the 4th and still running their 1st team offense. Klassy.

The 2-4-5 defense does not work against OSU. OSU has dominated the LOS on offense as they have every year for the past five years. In the first half the OSU RBs had 100 yards before contact. Way too many times the OSU OL got into the 2nd level because there were only 2 DT on the field. Yes, OSU is running 3 WRs on the field, but you have to adjust and go with a 3-3-5 especially when you have ILBs that are as inexperienced as what UW has; ideally a 4-2 but UW doesn't have the DEs to run an effective 4-2, What the hell is going on with Vujnovic?