The Granddaddy of Them All
Patterson's Frogs play with chip on shoulder; Wisconsin just has fun
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LOS ANGELES ? To hear Gary Patterson spin it, TCU arrived at the Rose Bowl last week by covered wagon, having warded off the advances of savages and infidels and marauding sportswriters. The journey took 13 years. Along the way, the plucky band of Horned Frogs went through at least a dozen states, three conferences, three chancellors, three athletic directors and too many doubters to count.
"If you only knew where we came from," Patterson told the media Friday, closing his case, "you'd understand why we play with a chip on our shoulder."
The Frogs play this way because it's how Patterson, their edgy, uneasy coaching genius, sells it to them. Not every coach buys into it.
The contrast in coaching styles Friday was palpable. How it plays out on New Year's Day remains a topic even bigger than Wisconsin's offensive line. Or "skyline," as most might call it.
Patterson's polar opposite as far as public relations go Friday was Bret Bielema, Wisconsin's great big teddy bear of a coach, a guy who coaches by the motto, "Everybody ready to have some fun today?"
At the final news conference before the biggest game of his life, Bielema ranged through more emotions than a week's worth of The View .
He teared up at the prospects of losing his great defensive end, J.J. Watt, to the NFL. He joked that the butchering of his name (pronounced BEE-luh-muh) makes him "every eating disorder known to man."
He talked about buying a Rose Bowl watch for his dad and playing football on his knees in his front yard growing up.
The closest Patterson came to the subject of family on Friday was when he talked about coming out early for the game. Patterson said it was the players' idea. They told him they'd spend Christmas with their loved ones some other time. Must have made him proud.
He's convinced that they lost to Boise State last year in the Fiesta Bowl because of the schedule. If he could do it over again, he'd have holed up the team far from distractions. He would have also taken his players to the stadium earlier, let them get used to the venue.
"The offense last year played a little tense until they loosened up," he said, "and then it was too late."
The size of the stadium probably had less to do with any tightness on the part of the Frogs than the scope of the game. Patterson's emotionally-charged, wound-up persona probably didn't help matters, either. Otherwise, it's been almost impossible to find any flaws in Patterson's record at TCU, much less reason to doubt the Frogs now.
The Fiesta was the first time in decades they'd played in a game of such national stature. They weren't quite ready for it. Now that the BCS has pitted them against the Big Ten champ instead of relegating them to the kids' table, the Frogs have a considerable opportunity to make a statement.
But that's the problem with these big games. You can't get carried away with the meaning. Players perform better when they're loose. The Badgers are so loose, they practically rattle.
Still, don't be fooled by the group hug. For all Bielema's warm-and-fuzzy talk, the Badgers hung 83 points on Indiana, a game that included a 74-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. And against Minnesota, the Badgers went for two in the fourth quarter of a game they won by 18.
Wisconsin didn't come to the Rose Bowl by any act of charity. It is a big, physical, mean football team, the best TCU has faced yet.
Patterson is well aware of the quality. He wants to be sure that you are, too.
In keeping with the chip-on-the-shoulder theme, he challenged the media on hand to get its story straight.
"If we win, are you gonna write that Wisconsin didn't play well?" he asked. "Because that's what we've gotten for 13 years.
"If we win, what are you gonna write?"
Frankly, that's a subject for another column, Gary. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. You waited a long time to get here. History can wait another 24 hours.
GL
