Sime, No Reservations, El Cid, the Badgers and a Brewery!

Sime wrote me today in his usual “black-berry” shortened prose to tell me that “Mr. Bone in The Throat” Anthony Bourdain’s show, No Reservations, on the Travel Channel was filmed in South Carolina and would air on Monday night @ 10 PM. Surprisingly enough, he didn’t mention anything about the El Cid marching into Camp Randall Stadium to face his Wisconsin Badgers this Saturday @ high noon. Wait; is Wisconsin an hour behind us? Because that would make the game actually “high-1 pm” which doesn’t sound as cool.

I digress; I am not sure if it is Sime’s security in the Badgers’ level of play (Wisconsin has the longest win streak in the nation with eleven straight) or the highly endorsed (and scouted) talent of the 7th ranked team in the nation that has the usually loquacious Badger fan so unusually quite. Not a breath of talking smack has transverse between us? And I can’t help but think why?
Normally I am not all that concerned with the objective truths (the why); my interests normally lie in the much more interesting level of subjective truths (the how). As in how it is Sime is so quite? Could it be he fears the “App-State-So-Con Underdog” and doesn’t want to look too far down Championship Alley? Or perhaps Sime knows the Badgers are lacking in their ability to stop the spread offense--Wisconsin allowed an average of 317-yards rushing in their first two games: UNLV and Washington State—and this would be the third spread offense the Badgers would face.

Or could it be he knows his history: that Camp Randall Stadium was named after the Army training camp and Confederate-POW camp that once existed where the stadium sits today. Is tomorrow the day of reckoning for those Citadel grads that perished during the Civil War?

Probably not, but if I could pass along advice to the boys from the Citadel, ride up to Madison, collect your paycheck of $425,000 and skip over to the Capital Brewery in Middleton, Wisconsin, which Playboy just voted in their latest issue as being third on the “Top 10 College-Town Microbreweries”. Try a couple of those unapologetically Teutonic brews (see Bavarian Purity Laws, aka Reinheitsgebot) for the Bushido and enjoy your national spotlight and pay-day. Cheers!

The Granddaddy of them all is still very important

The Michigan Wolverines face the USC Trojans today in the 93rd Rose Bowl @ 5 pm airing on ABC. I finished Art Spandler's article Rose aura wilts while teams' title hopes push up daisies regarding the paltry importance of today's Tournament of Roses. Spandler contends that this game is just settling, instead of being a motion of importance for each school. I couldn't disagree more. (Photo compliments of Parstimes.com)

The Rose Bowl historically faces the Big Ten Champion against the Champion of the Pac-10. USC has been there thirty times-winning 21-times, Michigan has traveled to Pasadena 19 times-Coach Lloyd Carr won his National Title at the Rose Bowl. Despite neither team having the opportunity to play in the National Title game, this is still a huge game. The padgentry, the national spot-light, and the recognition to football posterity makes the Rose Bowl the most important game next to the National Title Game!

Michigan honors Bo and President Ford

In today's Rose Bowl, the flag will be at half-mast and the Wolverines will wear #48 (President Ford's retired number) and BO (in honor of recently passed Michigan coach Bo Schlembechler. (Photo compliments of parstimes.com)

Wisconsin plays Arkansas in today's Capital One Citrus Bowl

The 6th ranked Wisconsin Badgers (11-1, 7-1) face the 12th ranked Arkansas Razorbacks (10-3, 7-2) in today's Capital One Citrus Bowl. Arkansas is favored in today's game (-1.5), the over-under is 45.5-meaning, even the odds maker in Vegas had trouble thinking this one through. The game will air on ABC at 1:00 pm. (Photos compliments of the Razorback Spirit Squad)

The Bushido disagrees with the odds makers: I think Wisconsin will win hands down today. My reasoning, Wisconsin can score and score big. (They scored twice within the final two-minutes this year.) QB JOhn Stocco utilizes his tight-ends Travis Beckham and Andy Crooks. Once you try to put pressure on these two guys, wide-receivers Paul Hubbard and Luke Swan are open to make some huge plays. Obviously, Arkansas dynamic-duo of Felix Jones and Darren McFadden are a force to be reckoned with, but the Razorbacks should ask Auburn about running against Big Ten football, especially Wisconsin. Wisconsin only allows 105 rushing yards a game and they have the #3 scoring defense in the country. Special note: Wisconsin had 5 of 12 games without allowing a touchdown. Also, Jack Ikegunonu returned to the team, pending his legal case.*

Bushido's Bet: To put it bluntly, Wisonsin is pissed they went 11-1, 7-1 BigTen with only one loss to #3 Michigan and didn't get into a BCS Bowl game. I am giving Sime a Happy New Year wish and taking the #1 Party School in America, aka the Wisconsin Badgers to win. Also, I am going out on a limb here but I am taking the Over.

Penn State plays Tennessee in today's Outback Bowl

Today's Outback Bowl from Tampa, Florida will be played at 11:00 am. The Volunteers are favored (-4.5) the over/under is 41. The game will broadcast on ESPN. Jo-Pa will be in the box, but he won't be on the side-lines, but don't think that he won't make a big impact on his team's performance.

Bushido's Bet: I am posting pictures of the Tennessee squad because they are favored, but I'd take PSU to win and I'd go with the under.