Wisconsin got a reality check almost immediately after climbing up into the AP Top-25. The blowout loss to Ohio State certainly wasn't on anyone's radar, but it was a swift reminder of how hard it is to stay at the top in college basketball.
After the game, head coach Greg Gard admitted his players are going to have off nights and they're only human. But he also snuck it a subtle dig at the NCAA and their lack of consistency surrounding player eligibilities while doing so.
"They're not robots. They're humans, right? So, yeah. Why doesn't Ohio State play like this all the time, right? I mean, that's what it is. Why didn't  play like that all the time? Yeah, they're humans. They're 18 to 28, 29," Gard said with a laugh.
Gard admits defeat but takes a few parting shots at the NCAA too
The Badgers have no one to blame but themselves for the 86-69 meltdown against the Buckeyes, but that doesn't mean Gard can't crack a few jokes at the NCAA's expense in the meantime. Players are staying in school longer, and even coming back to college after stints overseas or even after getting drafted to the NBA. It's the wild west and most coaches are sick of it.
The one positive is that hopefully Gard and the Badgers got the 'bad one' out of their system ahead of March. After beating top-ten teams in Illinois and Michigan State, Wisconsin finally ran out of steam against Ohio State who is battling for a bubble spot in the NCAA Tournament.
It seems that even without a roster full of 25-year old players, Gard isn't worried about his team, though.
"Hey, if I could replicate how we play every game, I'd be selling it to all the college coaches around the country," said Gard. "So we have to learn from it and bounce back and move on to the next."