Wisconsin Football: Biggest Questions Heading into Spring Practice
By Jim Oxley
Nov 29, 2014; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Paul Chryst reacts on the sideline during the second half against Miami Hurricanes at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
New Coach, New System
A new coach is always a tricky situation for college football teams. Often a new coach means an entirely new system to learn, a new coaching staff around him, and changes from the “status quo.”
In the Badgers case, the new coach is Wisconsin through and through. The outgoing coach, however, spent two years trying to change things.
The Paul Chryst Badgers, we think, will run a similar offense to what the Badgers ran when Chryst was the offensive coordinator at the program. That means a pro-style attack, a run-heavy play sheet, and utilizing the play-action pass to move the ball downfield. (Oh, what would we have given to have a Scott Tolzein last season…)
Chryst will have some flexibility, as the Badgers have recruited dual threat quarterbacks to fit Gary Andersen’s scheme. Chryst was the orchestrator of one of Wisconsin’s best offensive seasons, when Russell Wilson and Montee Ball gave defenses fits.
If Chryst can develop one of the team’s dual-threat options into a true dual-threat player (one who can run AND throw successfully), the Badgers could feature an offense that is tough to stop on multiple levels, not just the run-heavy team we saw a year ago.
In theory, Wisconsin has the pieces to build a great offensive attack in 2015. Chryst is a QB “guru” and hopefully his tutelage will bring one of the Badgers QB’s out of the quarterback mediocrity that was 2014.
Next: Offensive Line