Michigan State Takes On 6th Ranked Badgers
Bret Bielema practices hate.
Before a big game like this week's against Michigan State, Wisconsin's coach will give his scout-team defense permission to say anything -- "within reason" -- across the line to the offense.
"We have fun with it. We kind of embrace it," Bielema said this week. "We don't run from it. We give the defensive scout team the liberty to kind of say whatever they want and push guys."
If that boils over on the practice field, well, it's just part of game prep. A year ago before the Arizona State game, someone forgot to tell All-American guard John Moffitt about what was coming. Scout-team linebacker Marcus Trotter then said something about Moffitt's "ancestry," according to Bielema.
"Moffitt snapped," Bielema recalled, "and went over to [Trotter] and was ready to beat the snot out of him. We said, 'Hey, hey, we told him to do this.' ... Unfortunately, the only way to have that is to practice it and rep it."
By now, you should be getting the vibe for Wisconsin-Michigan State. The Spartans are coming off an unapologetic butt-whipping of Michigan and Denard Robinson. And they're not about to stop there if you believe the tweets and comments of certain Michigan State players.
"Wisconsin should know we're coming," safety Isaiah Lewis told ESPN.com.
