Pardon me for the tardiness of this post -- been a little busy -- but I finally got to see what all the fuss was about at the end of the Wisconsin-Minnesota game.
The Badgers had the game in hand, up 25 points midway through the fourth quarter, when coach Bret Bielema called for a 2-point conversion. Not surprisingly, Minnesota coach Tim Brewster didn't appreciate the decision and let Bielema know about it after the game.
"I probably shouldn't say [what Brewster said]," Bielema said. "I don't think he was very happy. We weren't talking car dealers, I know that."
Although this only adds to the already spicy Wisconsin-Minnesota rivalry, Bielema's move seemed more fitting of the run-it-up SEC or even Pac-10. Big Ten coaches simply don't do this very often, even in rivalry games. These two coaching staffs recruit against one another and don't have a lot of mutual fondness, but it's still a little surprising.
Bielema said he was going by the coaches' rubric on when to go for two points, depending on your fourth-quarter lead. Tough to buy that one, BB.
"I told him I didn't agree with his decision and I thought it was a poor decision for a head football coach," Brewster said. "He'll have to live with it. It was wrong. Everybody in here knows it and everybody in college football knows it. It was wrong."
Whether Brewster ever gets the chance for revenge remains to be seen. The way this season is going, he might not be around for 2011.
But you can bet the Minnesota players won't forget. And if they have a chance to run it up on Wisconsin in future years, don't be surprised if they seize the opportunity.