He turned around the Wisconsin football team.
This is a team that under John Coatta in the late 1960s
went winless for two seasons, with the streak ending in a tie.
After going to three bowl games in the early 1980s,
the team only won nine games from 1986-1990.
Fans like me were used to losing. The fact was that
the best part of the game was the 5th quarter when the band played.
Under Alvarez things changed. Wisconsin started
winning and being competitive on a consistent basis.
He coached for 16 years and finished with a 118–73–4
record, going 8-3 in bowl games−the best in college football history (among
coaches with at least 11 bowl appearances). He is the only Big Ten coach ever
to win the Rose Bowl in consecutive seasons (1999 and 2000); was named national
coach of the year in 1993 and Big Ten Coach of the Year in 1993 and 1998; and
was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
When the team captains asked Barry, the legend, to
stand on the sidelines once again and coach them in the Rose Bowl, after Bret
Bielema took the job at Arkansas, many fans were thrilled. In fact, some had even
started online campaigns to enlist him to coach the game.
However, I was one fan who did not jump on this
bandwagon.
Yes, what he has done for Wisconsin football is
remarkable, but his time as a coach has come and gone. I just thought it was
time for him to step back and let the assistants do their thing.
And, while everyone was remembering his three Rose
Bowl victories, his winning record, and what he means to Wisconsin
football−putting us on the map and close to being in the discussion year in and
year out−fans continued to dis Bret, as they had throughout his time at
Wisconsin.
How quickly they all seem to forget…it took Barry
three years to build a winning season with a record of 10-1-1 and go to the
Rose Bowl. In his first three seasons there were plenty of losses. He went 1-10
in his rookie year as head coach and 5-6 the next two.
Bret, on the other hand, just won…and won a
lot−right from the beginning going 12-1 in his first season as head coach and
earned the Big Ten Coach of the Year award along the way. And, in seven seasons
he was 68-24. It’s all about winning in college football and you can’t argue
with those numbers. Sportswriters started talking about Wisconsin more and more.
Bret’s Badgers went to a bowl game in each of his
seven seasons. In his first two seasons as head coach, he led the team to 21
wins. Only two other men in Big Ten history have guided their teams to 21 wins or
more in their first two seasons−Michigan’s Fielding Yost won 22 and Ohio
State’s Jim Tressel won 21.
In addition, he took the Badgers to three
consecutive Rose Bowls. The only other coaches to do this were Woody Hayes and
Bo Schembechler. I don’t know about you, but any Wisconsin coach who can be
mentioned in the same sentence as those two all-time greats, is not just
another guy. We will all look back on the Bret years and realize we were witnessing
something truly special.
Last season the Badgers were two plays away from
going undefeated and in the discussion for the national championship. Many
national sportswriters acknowledged that it was the “what if” season for
Wisconsin.
This season the Badgers were the best five-loss team
to ever make the Rose Bowl. Three of those losses came in overtime and the
other two losses were by three points. It was a tough year…having to replace a
quarterback with the skills and leadership of Russell Wilson. Wisconsin had
never seen a quarterback of this caliber…a guy who is up for NFL Rookie of the
Year after being drafted in the third round.
The Badgers replaced numerous assistant coaches and
it took a while for everyone to get adjusted. And, Montee Ball’s early season
concussion slowed down this touchdown-scoring machine for quite a few weeks.
The other reason I was concerned with Barry on the
sidelines was his conservative offensive philosophy. I remember not knowing if
the team would win and counting down until 0:00 was left on the clock. Too many
loses at the end of a game on fumbles against Northwestern and others…just not
being able to finish.
And, for this Rose Bowl whose offensive plan would
they use? The one that got them there with a 70-31 win over Nebraska in the Big
Ten Championship game, with an innovative style of play. Or, going back to the
old plays that worked with a big back like Ron Dayne, but are not the same with
Montee Ball or James White or Melvin Gordon?
Stanford, on paper, was by far the superior team. But
the Badgers were in it, surprising everyone.
Barry threw out much of the scheme and played Barry
Ball…running the same (conservative) plays over and over. The play calling was
suspect all game. I won’t even go into the non-touchdown in the first half and
using James White in a Montee Ball situation.
The third quarter turned into a field position game,
the defenses were playing tight. The Badgers were down by three and had a 4th
and 1 just about midfield, and they punted.
Even Barry still questions his decision to punt. He
knows that in a tight game whoever can break through the defense and score
wins. So, take a shot and do the unexpected. Play to win.
Bottom line, they did not do this and came up short for
the third consecutive year. As I heard someone say, ‘the Badgers are the
Buffalo Bills of the Rose Bowl.’
Barry Alvarez was a remarkable coach. He took an
under-performing program and turned it into a competitor. He is a legend and
deserves the statue.
Bret Bielema grabbed the torch and pushed even
closer to consistently being a Top 10 program. He, too, was remarkable. And,
it’s time he got his due.
Gary Andersen, you’re next. You have a lot to live
up to. You inherit a program that wins the right way. It’s up to you to raise
the bar once again.
