Our opening game opponent HC article

Redwood Forrest

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Chryst takes over a roster that features questions but also has several players back from a team that posted an 11-3 record last season.

"It doesn't matter what happened the year before," he said. "You've got to begin to establish the relationships and the inputting of new schemes and new ways to go about different things, on the field and off the field. I've been on good teams and the next year it is all about the new team
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http://www.jsonline.com/sports/badg...hands-under-chryst-b99542335z1-318541111.html

Wisconsin returns 13 starters and Bama 11. I know they will try and run the ball down our throat and they have little passing game. Should be an interesting lead up with SEC/B1G superiority issue for the media to hype up.
 

BamaGalfromN.AL

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With the perception that the front 7 is our strength and our secondary is our weak link, I would not put it past a number of teams to change their game plan/tendencies and try to mount a formidable passing attack early in the season. Does WISC have ANY playmakers to support a passing game? If so, I would bet Saban would game plan around a ground game and therefore start out passing to throw us off. Seems we lost to OSU guessing they would never jeopardize their 3rd string QB to injury by running, and he ran all over our defensive game plan. I have no idea about their players and strengths, just wondering if they try to open it up expecting us to look for a ground game plan.
 

TIDE-HSV

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With the perception that the front 7 is our strength and our secondary is our weak link, I would not put it past a number of teams to change their game plan/tendencies and try to mount a formidable passing attack early in the season. Does WISC have ANY playmakers to support a passing game? If so, I would bet Saban would game plan around a ground game and therefore start out passing to throw us off. Seems we lost to OSU guessing they would never jeopardize their 3rd string QB to injury by running, and he ran all over our defensive game plan. I have no idea about their players and strengths, just wondering if they try to open it up expecting us to look for a ground game plan.
I think the power teams like Wisky will first test us on the ground and then try our secondary, after last season. Those which throw will throw even more. I think the secondary will be thoroughly tested early...
 

CrimsonEyeshade

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I think the power teams like Wisky will first test us on the ground and then try our secondary, after last season. Those which throw will throw even more. I think the secondary will be thoroughly tested early...
Defensive line was supposed to be our strength last year. Didn't deter tOSU in the least at the start of our game.
 

scrodz

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I hope they DO try to force the pass. Nothing will get in your head faster than knowing that you're afraid to do what you're best at.
 

ALA2262

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Paul Cryst is probably a good coach, but so was Gene Stallings. Bama's first game under him appeared to be the first game in the history of the program. Bad. Even Terry Bowden's first year undefeated team at the barn struggled mightily in it's first game, eking out a 4 point win over an Ole Miss team that would go 5-6 on the year. Paul Cryst is going to be in way over his head against Bama.

Cryst had a run-pass ratio of 40% to 60% last season at Pitt, but Phil Steele, in his 2015 B1G Unit Rankings, ranks Wisconsin's QBs 9, RECs 11th, and RBs 2nd, so I would look for Cryst to reverse that ratio against Bama. Steele has Corey Clement, who averaged 8.2 ypc in limited action last season, on the 2015 B1G First Team at RB with Ezekiel Eliott of tOSU. If Clement is as good as Eliott, Wisconsin will run the ball.
 

RTR91

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With the perception that the front 7 is our strength and our secondary is our weak link, I would not put it past a number of teams to change their game plan/tendencies and try to mount a formidable passing attack early in the season. Does WISC have ANY playmakers to support a passing game? If so, I would bet Saban would game plan around a ground game and therefore start out passing to throw us off. Seems we lost to OSU guessing they would never jeopardize their 3rd string QB to injury by running, and he ran all over our defensive game plan. I have no idea about their players and strengths, just wondering if they try to open it up expecting us to look for a ground game plan.
Short answer - no.

Heard a podcast a few weeks back with former Bama staffer and current 49ers scout Kyle O'Dell. He knows Wisconsin fairly well since he primarily scouts the B1G for the 49ers. He said Alabama will have no problem with UW's offense because of the horrible passing game.

Defensive line was supposed to be our strength last year. Didn't deter tOSU in the least at the start of our game.
The scheme used against Ohio State isn't the one Alabama will use against Wisconsin. They won't spread Alabama out like OSU did. This will be like playing Arkansas or LSU.

Paul Cryst is probably a good coach, but so was Gene Stallings. Bama's first game under him appeared to be the first game in the history of the program. Bad. Even Terry Bowden's first year undefeated team at the barn struggled mightily in it's first game, eking out a 4 point win over an Ole Miss team that would go 5-6 on the year. Paul Cryst is going to be in way over his head against Bama.


Cryst had a run-pass ratio of 40% to 60% last season at Pitt, but Phil Steele, in his 2015 B1G Unit Rankings, ranks Wisconsin's QBs 9, RECs 11th, and RBs 2nd, so I would look for Cryst to reverse that ratio against Bama. Steele has Corey Clement, who averaged 8.2 ypc in limited action last season, on the 2015 B1G First Team at RB with Ezekiel Eliott of tOSU. If Clement is as good as Eliott, Wisconsin will run the ball.
How much of that ratio was due to Pitt being behind in so many games, though? Plus, a WR like Tyler Boyd makes passing much easier compared to the WRs at Wisconsin.
 
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CrimsonEyeshade

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The scheme used against Ohio State isn't the one Alabama will use against Wisconsin. They won't spread Alabama out like OSU did. This will be like playing Arkansas or LSU.

True. And I think we agree on the bigger point. Wisconsin will be Wisconsin. They will run the ball and hope their quarterback doesn't get them beaten.
 

B1GTide

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The scheme used against Ohio State isn't the one Alabama will use against Wisconsin. They won't spread Alabama out like OSU did. This will be like playing Arkansas or LSU.
No way to be sure with a new HC, but Whiskey tradition points in this direction, but with scrambling QB play. Wisconsin has never really played a pro set offense (at least, that I can remember).
 

RTR91

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No way to be sure with a new HC, but Whiskey tradition points in this direction, but with scrambling QB play. Wisconsin has never really played a pro set offense (at least, that I can remember).
What would you call it then?

Paul Chryst was at Wisconsin from 2005-2011. He ran a pro-set there.

Cincinnati Bengals Guard Kevin Zeitler:

"Coach Chryst is one of the most genuine people that I have ever known. He truly cares about his players. On top of that, his pro-style offense had me as prepared for the NFL as I could be. I owe him a lot for helping me get to where I am today."
Also, Roll Bama Roll just released a Q&A with Jake Kocorowski from SBNation's Wisconsin site. Link

It's the presence of head coach Paul Chryst and his pro-style offense that really gives an aura of confidence, if you can call it that. Chryst was the offensive coordinator at Wisconsin from 2005-2011 before jumping to Pitt as the head coach for the last three seasons. In 2010 and 2011, you saw Scott Tolzien and Russell Wilson at quarterback, respectively, take the Badgers' offense to new heights in terms of scoring offense (41.5 and 44.1 points per game) and 49 combined touchdown passes between the two in those seasons (Wilson threw 33 of them in '11).
Spring games are hard to diagnose because you'll see just the basics of the offense -- nothing flashy from years past. That, and Stave only had one true series (the first, where he was 2-for-2 with a touchdown pass). From what I saw, you saw the staples of his pro-style offense: Two tight-end sets, a fullback, and more passing (with success). I'd actually argue Wisconsin was more balanced during Chryst's tenure, at least towards the end of his tenure -- 3298 yards rushing/3280 yards passing in 2011, and the passing game accounted for 45 percent of the Badgers' offense in 2010. In 2013, the passing offense dropped to 41 percent of the total offense, and last year, the running game accounted for over 68 percent of the offensive output.

You did not see anything of a read-option look in the spring game that you saw from former offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig's scheme; thus, no McEvoy in the shotgun look. It wouldn't put it past them to integrate McEvoy back in here and there for some special looks to throw off an opponent, but not sure we're going to see much of it.

Wisconsin will always try to run the ball -- it's what the staple of the program the past 25 years -- and with Clement, the Badgers have the next great UW back. However, the advent of a potent passing game has taken it to the next level in the past five years. The questions are, how much will Stave progress and can his offensive line keep him upright?
 

James Eagle

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Anticipation of the first game always adds some excitement. Wisconsin will pound the ball and try to keep the score low and close. They coulda/shoulda beaten LSU last year....but they didn't.
 

TideEngineer08

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Wisconsin is as pro-style as it gets, just with a run heavy approach. They are an I-formation team, or ACE (single back, two tight ends) team. This has been the case since Barry Alverez took over, and to some extent, he still runs that football program.
 

Redwood Forrest

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Wisconsin is as pro-style as it gets, just with a run heavy approach. They are an I-formation team, or ACE (single back, two tight ends) team. This has been the case since Barry Alverez took over, and to some extent, he still runs that football program.
Barry Alverez is a HC in waiting :smile:. When his HC's leave he coaches the bowl game.
 

bamaslammer

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I think the aura of invincibility Alabama enjoyed for a while is vapor. Wisconsin will do what they do best and expect to just win by playing better. We never get anything going on offense in the first half of openers so it will be a four quarter game.
 

CrimsonPassion

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I think the aura of invincibility Alabama enjoyed for a while is vapor. Wisconsin will do what they do best and expect to just win by playing better. We never get anything going on offense in the first half of openers so it will be a four quarter game.
I beg to differ. Thirty-one first half points against Michigan in '12 isn't too shabby.:)
 

RTR91

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I think the aura of invincibility Alabama enjoyed for a while is vapor. Wisconsin will do what they do best and expect to just win by playing better. We never get anything going on offense in the first half of openers so it will be a four quarter game.
In 2008, the offense scored 23 points in the first half.

In 2009 with a first time starter, it scored 16 points.

In 2010, it put up 31 points.

In 2011 with two QBs battling for the starting job, the offense scored 24 points in the first half.

In 2012, Bama scored 31 points in the first half.

In 2013, the offense scored one TD in the first half after Christion Jones returned two kicks for TDs along with Vinnie having a pick-six.

First time starter Blake Sims led the offense to 17 points in the first half against WVU in 2014.

Those points seem to indicate the offense gets things going in the first half of openers.


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crimsonaudio

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In 2008, the offense scored 23 points in the first half.

In 2009 with a first time starter, it scored 16 points.

In 2010, it put up 31 points.

In 2011 with two QBs battling for the starting job, the offense scored 24 points in the first half.

In 2012, Bama scored 31 points in the first half.

In 2013, the offense scored one TD in the first half after Christion Jones returned two kicks for TDs along with Vinnie having a pick-six.

First time starter Blake Sims led the offense to 17 points in the first half against WVU in 2014.

Those points seem to indicate the offense gets things going in the first half of openers.
 

Roll Tide 57

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Barry Alverez is a HC in waiting :smile:. When his HC's leave he coaches the bowl game.
Im not sure he is waiting....look at our losses under CNS. Teams that Run & Run well tend to hold an upper hand on us. I think we stop them cold. DB's got a lot of attention because of less than 6 messed up assignments but looking at them from some of the replays on SECN they made some outstanding plays, I look st the LSU game & we could have lost that game but for the plays of Eddie Jackson & Cyrus Jones.

Like most First games I think we start strong, stink in the 3rd Qtr & make it no doubt in the 4th.
 

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