The Camp: A Wisconsin Badgers Football Podcast

On this special edition of “The Camp,” Zach and Danny preview the defensive side of the ball for Wisconsin, and are joined by Land of 10’s Jesse Temple to talk about the 2019 recruiting class, along with a look at what players from the 2018 class could help this fall.

Some of the biggest questions facing Wisconsin on defense:

Where does Garrett Rand play after being at nose tackle last year?

Will Bryson Williams be ready to contribute as a true freshman?

Who fills in the depth along the defense line?

Senior Andrew Van Ginkel will be one of the starting OLBs..who will the other one be? And what about the depth there?

Wisconsin is stacked at ILB, but looking to the future, who are some of the young guys that could fill the void when T.J. Edwards and Ryan Connelly move on?

Nick Nelson, Natrell Jamerson and Derrick Tindal are gone from Wisconsin’s secondary. Who can the Badgers count on to step up and replace them?

On this special edition of the “The Camp,” Zach and Danny preview the offensive side of the ball for Wisconsin, and are joined by former Badgers’ fullback Matt Bernstein for some spring practice stories and his expectations for the new starter at his old position — Alec Ingold.

Just some of the questions we tackled:

After Alex Hornibrook’s performance in the Orange Bowl, is there any need for a quarterback competition?

Is is possible for running back Jonathan Taylor to match what he did his freshman season?

Who will be the third-down back?

How do you keep the talented wide receiver group happy with so few opportunities to go around?

Will Kyle Penniston and Zander Neuville step up at tight end following Troy Fumagalli’s departure? Or will it be redshirt freshman Jake Ferguson?

And Wisconsin has all five of its starting offensive linemen back for another year. But will the same five guys end up starting in 2018?

On this special signing day edition of “The Camp,” Zach and Danny talk about the early signing period, it’s impact on Wisconsin, and which of the players in the 2018 class they’re excited to see. The guys are also joined by Evan Flood of 247Sports, Jesse Temple of Land of 10 and Jon McNamara of Rivals.com to get their takes on this year’s class and a look ahead to 2019.

7:19 — WR Aron Cruickshank could help right away

9:47 — Evan Flood interview

19:40 — Jesse Temple interview

29:19 — Jon McNamara interview

40:08 — Isaac Guerendo seems a bit underrated, could make a bigger impact than his ranking suggests

41:13 — A look at a couple of Class of 2017 recruits that redshirted this year but might play big roles in 2018

In the final episode of “The Camp” for 2017, Matt and Zach rehash the disappointing loss to Ohio State, talk about Bernie’s crazy bowl experiences, look ahead to 2018 and more.

5:55 — Wisconsin came up just short in what could have been a program-changing victory.

12:03 — Bernie thinks the game could have gone completely different if Wisconsin didn’t turn the ball over on its first drive.

16:38 — The starting point of three hilarious stories from Bernie’s bowl trips, including the time one of his teammates got tased.

27:50 — Will there — or should there — be an open competition at quarterback in 2018?

32:17 — Filling all the potential holes on defense next season

38:00 — Expanding the College Football Playoff after the Big Ten champ didn’t get in for a second straight season.

42:53 — What are the chances that Wisconsin will ever be able to consistently attract 4- and 5-star recruits? What’s keeping them from doing it?

54:07 — Bernie’s answers the following Twitter question:

“If your future wife was a Madison bar, which bar would she be?”

On this week’s episode of “The Camp,” Matt and Zach recap the whipping of Minnesota, the challenge Ohio State presents in the Big Ten title game, debate whether the 2017 team is the best of the five to play for a championship, Bernie’s memories of the 2003 Ohio State upset and more.

3:28 — Oh, you bet Matt was excited about that fullback sweep by Austin Ramesh

8:11 — Alex Hornibrook is playing his best football when it matters most

11:12 — It was not a good day for the ABC crew broadcasting the game (Troy Fumagalli only has eight fingers?)

13:14 — Bernie is so glad social media/cell phone cameras were not around when he was in school

24:02 — Is the 2017 team the best Wisconsin team to play in a Big Ten title game?

34:30 — Best matchup for Wisconsin if it makes the playoff? Oklahoma, Clemson, Auburn/Georgia?

39:03 — Looking back at the 2003 upset win over Ohio State

40:47 — Bernie was not a fan of 11 a.m. games or night games — he explains why

46:09 — “I’m nervous, but I’m confident.” — Bernie on the Big Ten title game

On this week’s episode of “The Camp,” Matt, along with guest host Ebo, look back at the Badgers win over Michigan, what it means for their College Football Playoff hopes, the upcoming battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe and more.

1:36 — Bernie was sitting next to Michigan fans the whole game…things got heated.

10:01 — Defensive domination once again from the Badgers

15:17 — What’s it like to lose the Axe? What’s it like to get it back?

24:30 — What kind of Minnesota team will Wisconsin see? Nebraska version or Northwestern version?

27:00 — Wisconsin is in the playoff if they go 13-0

32:01 — Former center Donovan Raiola had no sympathy for Michigan QB Brandon Peters

39:04 — Bernie’s ridiculous family during Thanksgiving

43:57 — Michigan win was by far the most satisfying to this point

On this week’s episode of the ‘The Camp,’ Matt and Zach recap the win over Iowa, the Badgers suffocating defense, turnover concerns and what Saturday’s craziness across the nation meant for Wisconsin’s College Football Playoff chances.

4:09 — Wisconsin’s defense was unreal vs Iowa

9:35 — Turnovers are killing the Badgers

22:14 — A two-loss team makes the playoff over 13-0 Wisconsin? Hell no.

33:30 — Pure lunacy to have an 11 a.m. kick against Michigan with College GameDay in town

38:15 — How should Wisconsin help Jonathan Taylor stop fumbling? Matt has a unique suggestion.

40:46 — Best Wisconsin defense ever?

52:01 — What Matt despises about Michigan — at it’s a lot.

55:45 — Matt’s favorite game in his career, which included his brother getting arrested.

1:00:53 — The best skill players to ever take the field for Wisconsin

On this week’s episode of the ‘The Camp,’ Matt and Zach look back at the win over Indiana, the injuries to Quintez Cephus and Chris Orr, debate whether a 13-0 Wisconsin team could get left out of the playoff, chat about what went wrong the last time the Badgers were 9-0 in 2004 and take your Twitter questions.

3:58 — Bernie loved him some Alec Ingold, who scored three touchdowns on Saturday

15:17 — Biggest negative of the Indiana game was easily the injuries to important players

17:35 — The impact of losses by Ohio State and Penn State on Wisconsin’s playoff hopes

22:50 — The point of playing football is to win. If the Badgers go 13-0, why should they be punished for doing something the likes of Clemson, Notre Dame and Oklahoma could not?

25:55 — What Big Ten team does Bernie like the least?

29:46 — “GIVE THE BALL TO BERNSTEIN!!!” — Donovan Raiola

37:36 — Bernie is a little nervous about Wisconsin’s secondary

43:42 — Who fills the void left by Quintez Cephus?

46:51 — Welcoming Iowa QB Nate Stanley back to Wisconsin

50:49 — Wisconsin’s never been 10-0. Bernie’s message to them? “Make history.”

On this week’s edition of ‘The Camp,’ Matt and Zach recap Wisconsin’s win at Illinois, talk about what the offense looked like without Jonathan Taylor and where the Badgers might fall in the first College Football Playoff rankings.

1:21 — Matt’s biggest positive: A lineman scored!

6:51 — Assessing Wisconsin’s offense without Jonathan Taylor

22:30 — Where will Wisconsin be come Tuesday night when the playoff rankings are released?

26:20 — Why Alex Hornibrook threw the ball where he did on his second-quarter interception.

29:20 — Is there the same negativity among former players that we’ve seen with the fan base despite the team being 8-0?

32:30 — What would Matt say to this year’s team after knowing what happened in 2004 following a 9-0 start?

38:27 — Matt tells a story about the time CB Brett Bell lost it on a graduate assistant

40:30 — Matt on his practice meltdown that had him throwing his helmet and threatening to beat up a coach.

44:00 — Is this team feeling stressed at 8-0?

50:35 — Wisconsin needs to start showing it’s not just the best team in the Big Ten West, but also a true challenger to whatever team comes out of the East.

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On this week’s episode of the ‘The Camp,’ Matt and guest host Danny Cunningham recap the Maryland game, talk about the homecoming festivities, the defense that continued to shine and more.

5:33 — Is it time that Jonathan Taylor gets Heisman Trophy consideration?

9:50 — Does pressure on the team start to build as the wins pile up?

17:38 — Why is Wisconsin’s defense so good when put in tough situations?

21:46 — Matt’s short time with the Detroit Lions underscored the difference between college and pro

24:42 — The time former UW LB Mark Zalewski needed to be carried out of the KK

30:14 — Several former players were VERY interested in the final FG that allowed Wisconsin to cover the point spread

34:28 — Wisconsin needs to be 13-0 to make the College Football Playoff

45:25 — Matt goes back to his time as a member of the Badgers and talks about how they got one day off each week that wasn’t really a day off

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