From most of the Wisconsin fans that I talk to, the consensus seems to be that Bielema gets a mulligan for this year, but that people will not be quite so forgiving if the poor play continues into next season.

And I agree…you would think that one of these years Wisconsin would be able to pull a difference maker at QB. Maybe the perception that most Wisconsin QBs are just caretakers of a dominant running game works against them?

I appreciate your vote of confidence for Coach Bielema, however I respectfully disagree. I was not intending to overlook the early Alvarez years, on the contrary I believe those years help prove my point.

Coach Alvarez had to build a Top 10 NCAA football program from virtually nothing, understandably that was difficult and took time. Coach Bielema INHERITED a Top 10 team and now that team is on a steady, year-over-year decline. I simply see a clear trend. Given that and the aforementioned items about how the team is losing, I believe it is time to take a hard look at what Coach Bielema has done with that inheritance. Is he taking care of it & growing it or is it being squandered?

I would hate to think that the team would have to degenerate to the level of the late 1980s Wisconsin Badgers for it to be corrected.

Given that AD Alvarez hand-picked Coach Bielema, I realize it is highly unlikely that he would replace him… yet. As fans we have little say in that matter. However after watching Coach Alvarez throughout his career with Wisconsin, I believe he often does his best work (and makes his best decisions) in high pressure situations. I simply think that we fans should focus what little pressure we have on the current situation. I just do not believe in ignoring a problem, that always comes back to bite you in collegiate (and professional) sports.

As I stated previously, I think AD Alvarez will afford Coach Bielema more time to prove himself. Given that, I certainly hope Coach Bielema does get his act together and become a great coach. Unfortunately it seems to me he is trending in the opposite direction. He led a team that started the season ranked by some in the top 5. Where did he lead that team? To a 7-5 season that included a loss to one of the worst Michigan teams in history and a win over Cal Poly that is one of the few wins ever to be described as “embarrassing”.

As fans we’ll likely have to sit & wait another season or two before this situation either smooths out or comes to a head. But if I had to make the call today, I’d be looking for new talent.

I’m chiming in a bit late but upon reading this post I couldn’t help myself. I think you are missing some pretty pivotal years in Barry A’s coaching resume, years 2-6. Lets take a look at the win-loose records for your missing years. Listed below are seasons 2-6 for Coach Alvarez, I didn’t go any farther because we know it was pretty much all rainbows and sunshine after that, minus the fabulous Shoe Box debacle of 2001. I have listed Coach Bielema’s Sconnie resume too. Good think Coach Alvarez won the Rose Bowl in 1993 or else you would have been calling for his walking papers too.

1991 – 5-6
1992 – 5-6
1993 – 10-1-1 (stellar performance and win at the Rose Bowl)
1994 – 8-3-1 (Hall of Fame Bowl – W)
1995 – 4-5-2

2006 – 12-1
2007 – 9-4
2008 – 7-5 (tied for 6th in Big Ten)

Why don’t we just take a deep breath and give him a chance to prove himself. If we are still only competing for 6th place in the Big Ten a few seasons from now I’ll make a crow pie myself and eat it. Okay?

Thanks for the reply. It is probably too soon to make a definite fire/keep call right now in the middle of the season. But you’re right, Barry Alvarez certainly has to at least be thinking about it at this point.

The Badgers had over 120 penalty yards today and Bielema even had a 15-yard penalty himself!

I always used to think of Wisconsin has being smash-mouth and disciplined. They certainly have not seemed like that this year at all.

Mr. Bielema was hand-picked & gifted with the reins of a top 10 team.

The Record:
1990 1-10 – Mr. Alvarez takes over the program
(forward a few years)
2004 9-3 – Mr. Alvarez’s 2nd last year
2005 10-3 – Mr. Alvarez’s final year
2006 12-1 – Mr. Alvarez’s team with some new recruits under Mr. Bielema
2007 9-4 – 50/50 split of Alvarez players and Bielema players
2008 4-5 (so far) – Generally all Bielema-coached players

Wisconsin has succeeded in previous years by:
- executing a rush based offense with strong runners and O-line.
- playing disciplined & relatively mistake-free football
- having a solid defense (secondary included)
- Making intelligent play calls that focus on the team’s strengths

Logically, based on the above facts, the team’s performance this year has been obviously poor.

That was all fact. Now the Editorial section:
The team is obviously trending downward NOT upward.
Mr. Bielema was the defensive coordinator. The defensive secondary is very weak this year.
Many losses involved multiple key penalties attributed to discipline.
Multiple questionable play calls have been made this year that have resulted in lost games.

All these factors were painfully obvious in the collapse vs. Michigan State this week.
All these factors played into the previous losses as well as the wins that were quite close (Fresno State).

Poor performance one season can negatively impact recruiting for many seasons to come. How long before you accept the loss?

Should Mr. Bielema be fired? That is Mr. Alvarez’s call.
Should he be thinking about it? YES.

As I said, I’m not a Wisconsin fan. So I have no vested interest in the outcome. And just because this situation reminds me of Mike Davis, does not necessarily mean it will turn out that way.

I wish Bielema luck getting things turned around, and I hope, for the sake of Badgers fans, that my comparison ends up being way off.

He’s only 37-years-old, he is going to have some growing pains after being handed the reins of a major program.

Remember, however, that he was hand-picked by Barry Alvarez. Barry is the architect of the Wisconsin renaissance, and he has a better idea than any fan what it takes to win at Wisconsin. Badger fans should take heart that Barry believes in Brett.

But if Bucky should get jumpy and can Brett, I for one would welcome him back as a coordinator in Iowa City. I think he is a smart, solid football coach.