CoachC.
December 28th, 2007, 4:39:56 PM
I was invited and went to the Outback Bowl luncheon today. It was great.
Got to meet and talk to several players from both Wisconsin and Tennessee, as well as Coaches Bielema and Fullmer and Barry Alvarez.
A couple observations:
-On the hoof, Tennessee has a MUCH "better looking" team. Player-for-player, they are bigger and look not only more athletic, but just plain meaner, too.
-Tennessee was much more loose and seemed at ease with the environment. Their players and coaches were laughing and joking around and dancing to their iPods and having fun, while the Wisconsin kids were much more reserved, quiet, and didn't seem as comfortable. Bielema even made the comment during his talk at the podium that his kids had a little trouble adjusting to the hot Florida sun (it's been hot for this time of year here) during practice yesterday (and they've been here since Christmas Day).
Considering this, I would be inclined right now to just go and lay the house down on Tennessee.........except for one thing:
-Wisconsin's discipline may be able to keep them in this. Tennessee's kids were wearing hats backwards, headbands, had some jerseys rolled over their shoulders, etc. Some had Outback Bowl sweat jackets on, some didn't. Some were zipped, some weren't.
The Badger boys looked all the same: nothing on their heads, no jackets on, just their jerseys and a pair of red sweat pants. They looked like they were all on the same page, were told how to dress and act, and did it to a tee.
ALSO, (Triple P will love this)......I got to meet and talk to Howard "Hopalong" Cassady....1955 Heisman Trophy winner, and one of the best ever at OSU. He even let me check out his Heisman ring and his one of many NY Yankees World Series rings (he's been working with them for a while).
Got to meet and talk to several players from both Wisconsin and Tennessee, as well as Coaches Bielema and Fullmer and Barry Alvarez.
A couple observations:
-On the hoof, Tennessee has a MUCH "better looking" team. Player-for-player, they are bigger and look not only more athletic, but just plain meaner, too.
-Tennessee was much more loose and seemed at ease with the environment. Their players and coaches were laughing and joking around and dancing to their iPods and having fun, while the Wisconsin kids were much more reserved, quiet, and didn't seem as comfortable. Bielema even made the comment during his talk at the podium that his kids had a little trouble adjusting to the hot Florida sun (it's been hot for this time of year here) during practice yesterday (and they've been here since Christmas Day).
Considering this, I would be inclined right now to just go and lay the house down on Tennessee.........except for one thing:
-Wisconsin's discipline may be able to keep them in this. Tennessee's kids were wearing hats backwards, headbands, had some jerseys rolled over their shoulders, etc. Some had Outback Bowl sweat jackets on, some didn't. Some were zipped, some weren't.
The Badger boys looked all the same: nothing on their heads, no jackets on, just their jerseys and a pair of red sweat pants. They looked like they were all on the same page, were told how to dress and act, and did it to a tee.
ALSO, (Triple P will love this)......I got to meet and talk to Howard "Hopalong" Cassady....1955 Heisman Trophy winner, and one of the best ever at OSU. He even let me check out his Heisman ring and his one of many NY Yankees World Series rings (he's been working with them for a while).