Damn it feels good to be back to normal coverage again…and since it’s Wednesday of game week those of you who have been around the block a time or two know that it’s “Opposition Q&A” day at MTB.
It’s our weekly opportunity to grill fellow writers who cover the Badgers upcoming opposition, and fellow Bloguin site Saturday Night Slant were kind enough to help us out on this occasion. Make sure you follow them on Twitter for all the LSU coverage ahead of the game.
You can also see our answers to their questions here.
With Wisconsin heading down to Houston to take on the Bayou Bengals, let’s take a look at what SNS has to say about this upcoming contest.
MadTown Badgers: How do you see LSU and Wisconsin? A lot of talk is that these two teams are on very equal footing, do you see that being the case?
Cameron Roberson, Saturday Night Slant: I see two power teams with excellent offensive lines & running backs with Heismans in their eyes. Not only are the teams’ offensive traditions somewhat similar, but both are breaking in new quarterbacks, with the news that McEvoy will be starting for the Badgers. As for defense, both teams look like they’re doing some re-working along the line. LSU has an emerging star in Danielle (pronounced Da-NEEL) Hunter at one of the end spots & Jermauria Rasco at the other end spot, who has a lot of experience. The questions are along the inside, which sees a number of young guys stepping in for two guys that left after last season. Names like Christian LaCouture, Quentin Thomas, Frank Herron, Greg Gilmore, & Maquedius Bain will all see significant reps Saturday night. I think the deciding factor in the game is how well each front seven holds up against the run game.
MTB: A lot has been made of 5-star running back Leonard Fournette, including comparisons to arguably the best collegiate running back of all-time, Barry Sanders. Are you buying the hype? And if so (or if not), why?
Michael Sison, SNS: It’s hard to ignore the hype down here as virtually every coach or scout we’ve talked to says, “Leonard is the best player I’ve ever seen in my life…hands down…no questions asked,” and most of those guys saw Marshall Faulk play in New Orleans, among others. Add that to reports out of camp that he’s giving the defensive line major fits and is wise beyond his years with the playbook and blitz pick-ups, and you’ve got what appears on all fronts to be a bonafide superstar in the making. So, yes, I’ve drank the kool-aid, and so far it tastes really good.
MTB: Do you see this game being more important for conference affiliations or for these teams on a national scale? Why?
CR: It’s going to be huge for the College Football Playoff. They’ve stated that strength of schedule will be a major factor in deciding the four participants. LSU even has some precedence here from the BCS era. In 2007, LSU was able to make it to the national title with two loses thanks in part to an early season beat down of eventual ACC champion Virginia Tech, 48-7. The winner of this game, if they continue winning, should get a similar boost at the end of the year. At worst, each team should have 9 wins on the season giving quality to the non-conference schedule that most teams won’t have. As far as conference bragging rights, it’s a bit of a lose-lose from the LSU perspective. If the Tigers win, it’ll be thought of as business as usual for the SEC, but if LSU loses, it’ll be a slight to the conference that B1G fans will surely point to.
MTB: Defensively, LSU lost a lot to the NFL Draft, so who should be the players UW fans familiarize themselves with ahead of this game?
MS: Honestly, if I named one new face, I’d name 20. It’s not that there are a lot of glaring holes to fill, it’s just that some of the incumbent starters are being pushed by younger guys with more talent. Instead, I’ll just list some guys I expect to make a huge impact in the game. My counterpart already mentioned Danielle Hunter. This guy is a freak of nature. A google image search is worth the five seconds it takes. In the linebacker corps, look for Kwon Alexander all over the field. The guy is one of the rangiest athletes I’ve seen in a while. On the outside, Tre’ White and Rashard Robinson are as talented as they come. They probably form the best man to man combo in the country. Finally, as a wildcard, look for true freshman Jamaal Adams to be used in a few different scenarios. His position coach can’t stop comparing him to Tyrann Mathieu…enough said.
MTB: Prediction and why?
CR: This looks like a game between two teams that have similar strengths and similar questions. Because of that, I can’t see either team pulling away from the other. Given both teams stout rushing attacks, I also see this game moving quickly with only enough passes to keep the defenses as honest as possible. The difference to me is LSU’s defense. While the interior defensive line will have new faces, it’ll have much better depth than last year & LSU’s crop of linebackers is experienced and athletic. Gordon will probably get his, but I don’t think it will be enough and I see LSU winning 28-21. I know I’m an LSU guy and that’s not a shocker to anyone, but LSU’s track record in these games & the talent on defense, even with the losses, have me thinking it will be enough.
MS: I think LSU has a couple of things in their favor:
1) LSU plays in one of these games seemingly every year, and has confidence after winning the last three. Wisconsin has not opened the regular season against a ranked opponent since 1997. It’s probably not a big deal to most fans, but there’s no messing around in these big opening games. I think LSU’s experience with this is a huge weight in their favor.
2) LSU will be running into 7 guys that have not played a real football game together. Sure there’s experience, but there’s not enough that can be said about replacing your starting 7. I just think it’s going to be too detrimental to Wisconsin, especially in the second half when depth becomes an issue. (Spinoff question: I know the new starters have game experience, but how deep do those positions go?)
Prediction: 27-17 LSU
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