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August 29 Sheet
Wisconsin (-3) at West
Virginia - 9:00am Pacific - Saturday, August
30
This could be the most talented
Wisconsin team that Barry Alvarez has fielded in his 14 year
tenure. After back to back sub par seasons in 2001 (5-7) & 2002
(7-6), the Badgers are again poised to contend for a Big 10
title. They are loaded on both sides of the ball and expectations
are high.
Offensively, Wisconsin has 7
starters back plus all-American WR Lee Evans returns after
redshirting last year. Senior QB Jim Sorgi battled for a starting
job as a sophomore and now finally has the spotlight two years
later as Brooks Bollinger has graduated. Sorgi is probably a
better passer than Bollinger and no one will benefit more from the
return of WR Evans than him. Sorgi has five career starts and has
seen action in several other games already having passed for over
2,000 career yards. He is much more experienced than the typical
first year full time starting QB. Opposing defenses will also
have to deal with junior RB Anthony Davis who followed up a 1st
team Big 10 freshman season by rushing for 1,555 yards as a
sophomore last season. The offensive line is rebuilt with three
new starters but Wisconsin always has good lines and new sophomore
center Donovan Raiola is said to already be very good.
Defensively, Wisconsin returns 9
starters. Last season they had just 2 returning starters and
still had a respectable year but should be vastly improved this
year. Free safety Jim Leohnard emerged from almost nowhere to
lead the nation in interceptions and earn 2nd team all-American
honors. He is back as are six of the top seven tacklers from a
year ago. Ninth year defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove in
recent interview did not want to make any predictions but said the
defense is definitely better than it has been in a long time here.
West Virginia is coming off a solid
9-4 season. However, they did benefit from a +19 turnover margin
last year including +24 in their 9 wins which is +2.67 per win!
Four of their wins could have easily gone the other way. Second
year starting QB Rasheed Marshall will have a lot more pressure on
him this season. Marshall has great legs (833 rushing yards last
year) but just an okay arm (53.7% completions, 1,616 yards). No
receiver has yet to emerge as a major threat. West Virginia's
offense rushed for 284 yards per game and passed for just 135 last
season. This year it is unlikely they will enjoy the same success
on the ground with the loss of schools all-time leading rusher
Avon Cobourne and four offensive line starters. Three of the lost
OL starters (including two all-conference performers) were
expected, but RT Tim Brown was just lost for the year to injury
in Wednesday's practice. Brown, a senior two year starter, was
considered the teams best offensive lineman. This is a major blow
to WVU as his backup is a redshirt freshman. The Mountaineers
return just four starters on defense. They will be starting an
entirely new defensive line. Three of the top four tacklers from
last season have departed. Senior LB Grant Wiley is the only real
bright spot in this unit.
Wisconsin dominated last years meeting
leading 34-3 at half-time before giving way to backups. While
Wisconsin looks to be improved this season, WVU looks to have
digressed. Wisconsin was 5-0 last year when three straight losses
by a combined 11 points took the wind out of their sails and led
to a 7-6 regular season finish. That was a young team with
several key injuries. They may have played their best football of
the season in the Alamo Bowl overtime win over Colorado as a +7
underdog. They held the Buffs to just 200 total yards. That
performance is a big reason for the optimism leading up to this
season. The Badgers appear much too talented and physical for a
Mountaineer squad who is returning just one starting lineman
(offense and defense combined) from last years team. Wisconsin is
superior on both sides of the ball which justifies playing
them as a small road favorite.
Wisconsin 1 UNIT
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