They may still be uncomfortable with the idea of holding their heads high, but at least they can now hold them up.
Before the University of Wisconsin could worry about saving its season, it first had to save face.
A month of failures that resulted in bruised egos, broken dreams and unattainable goals finally ceased Saturday, as the Badgers found an opponent in equally bad condition.
It was closer to finger painting than a work of art, but nonetheless the Badgers managed to revert their 0-1 reality to their 1-0 mentality as they subdued Illinois, 27-17, Saturday at Camp Randall, a place that had not seen the home team succeed for 49 days.
"Thank God,"
said sophomore safety Jay Valai, perfectly summing up the feelings of the 81,241 on hand. "It's been a struggle the last couple of weeks; we're truly blessed to get this win."
They remain the undisputed Biggest Bust in the Big Ten, but at least now they're merely a contender for the National Champion of Disappointment.
Say what you will, but that's progress.
"Win the football game and all of a sudden I'm 20 points higher on my IQ,"
said UW coach Bret Bielema, perhaps overestimating how many points this victory was truly worth.
But the embattled Badgers boss does get points for trying anything to get his team out of its funk.
Early in the week he instructed his video whizzes to find as many Badgers highlights as could be found in his team's first five games and string them together.
They came up with 80 minutes worth — no, no one asked Bielema to submit to a polygraph after this claim — of big hits, big catches, big stops and big plays.
He brought the tape to the locker room and pushed play starting at noon on Tuesday, and had it play continuously the next day-and-a-half.
"The commentators talking positive about Wisconsin football, and the energy we had in Tuesday and Wednesday practice was phenomenal,"
said Bielema. "Hopefully that had a carry over for today."
It sure beat anything the Badgers were hearing on the airwaves or reading in print. So maybe there is something to this seeing-is-believing thing.
"It's great because it just reminds you of what we're capable of doing and how we can go out and play,"
said junior tight end Garrett Graham, who played the role of favorite target with a team-high six catches for 79 yards. "It was good to see that all week. Maybe he'll do it again this week, and maybe it'll work."
Perhaps, but it seems more like a one-trick pony. For this remains a group much more in need of refinement than reruns.
Mental mistakes continue to be an issue, the offense continues to struggle with consistency with six three-and-outs Saturday and the defense, frankly, was fortunate Illinois quarterback Juice Williams' game lacked pop.
The Badgers are far from a good team, and one that has precious little time to deliver meaningful improvement. But now they at least have something to build on, and more importantly earn a week's reprieve from having to travel across campus under cover.
That more than anything meant the most to them, the reality being Saturday's success brought more a feeling of relief than accomplishment.
"I guess you could say that, "
said Graham."To finally pull one out, since Fresno State, we had a couple of tough losses at Michigan and against Ohio State. So this is definitely a good feeling."
Whether that feeling remains depends upon if they can win two of their last four games, which would make them bowl eligible.
That would in no way make their season but it would save their season, and save everyone from burying their head in their hands.
That isn't much to play for, but it's all they've got left.
