Better Off Red: Soldier On, Wisconsin

We’re headed South, Badgers! A whole 150 miles to the far-away and mysterious land of Chicago, where rivers apparently run green and people call buildings names that are totally inaccurate. We’re going to climb into our vehicles, truck beds full of deer to be registered (I’ve met people who think deer hunting is basically a year-round activity, and while venison stockpiles would be deliciously plentiful, everybody knows wearing blaze orange before Labor Day is a serious faux pas), and rumble down I-90, a big red-and-white caravan blowing into the Windy City. And then we’re going to play some football.

These road trips are always a big hit with Badger fans. My parents have attended the Las Vegas games against UNLV before, and while it’s annoying when your clothes spontaneously catch fire in the heat, the atmosphere of an opponent’s stadium filled with rowdy (especially if we’re talking about Vegas) visiting fans is pretty spectacular. Soldier Field shouldn’t be any different. More people will make the trip, excited at the chance to see a famous NFL Stadium, bolstered by Packer fans who want to see victories of any kind on the Bears’ home turf, regardless of actual opponent.

Northern Illinois isn’t a mid-major juggernaut in the mold of Boise St. or TCU, but it’s not a pushover either. Last season the Huskies romped through most of their regular season, losing only three games (including a 6-point loss at Illinois) and obliterating Fresno St. in the Humanitarian Bowl. After an easy opening day win over Army two weeks ago, NIU nearly upset Kansas on the road, falling on a fourth-down Jayhawk touchdown pass with 9 seconds remaining. Now, Kansas will remain one of the worst football programs in their conference until everybody else except Iowa State leaves, locking the two teams in an eternal struggle for control of the Big (1)2, but the point is made. Considering Oregon St. came to town wrapped in gauze, NIU should be the Badgers’ toughest opponent to date.

There are plenty of compounding factors here, none more notable than the identity of NIU’s head coach: former Wisconsin defensive coordinator Dave Doeren, who left the Badgers after last season to take the job. Much noise can be made about the potential advantage NIU is granted by his presence, a spy who knows all the intricacies of a defense he helped create. Unfortunately for the Huskies, they’re not breaking into a safe in the athletic department–they’re playing against a talented football team that has everything to prove. Even in a short time, the defense has probably changed a bit under co-defensive coordinators Chris Ash and Charlie Partridge. There’s also the more philosophical issue: even if Doeren knows some of the nuances of Wisconsin’s defense, is his team capable of exploiting them? If I’m trapped in a mine shaft with nothing but seven feet of rope and a Snickers Ice Cream bar (kept refreshingly chilled by the mine’s cool temperature), my knowledge of subterranean engineering is of little use. No, the reuniting of man and team is more likely to yield a slightly more sentimental post-game handshake and an easier job for reporters trying to come up with questions. Or dudes writing blog posts.

In truth, it shouldn’t be much of a game, though the defense won’t simply be able to rely on its “newfound” ability to stuff the run. Northern Illinois will almost certainly try to air it out against the Badgers, as Doeren’s squad tries to take advantage of Doeren’s legacy: cornerbacks who play soft coverage at the line of scrimmage. It will also be the first game with a reshuffled secondary following the loss of Devin Smith to season-ending surgery. That means more adapting for the Badgers’ defense, which responded with–what’s the word?–alacrity to its alleged struggles against UNLV. It’s also the first time they’ll be doing so away from Camp Randall. How the Badgers handle NIU quarterback Chandler Harnish, who has accounted for 11 touchdowns already this season, will be critical.

I’m envious of those lucky fans who will be making the trip to Soldier Field, and there are sure to be a lot. I shall remain here, watching from afar (9 feet from my TV), unable to tailgate (I could sit in the parking lot of my apartment complex, but then the fridge is so far away), separated from the pulse of Badger fandom (unless you count Twitter). But that won’t really be any different than any other game this year, since our glorious Lead Editor has been monopolizing our press box opportunities–I’ll impersonate you if I have to come basketball season…sir. For those of you attending, make sure you show those Illinois folk why everyone should abandon their homeland and head to the great white north (again, only 150 miles), where everything is better off red.