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Whether or not we play this week will ultimately UW's decision...

Oct 7, 2012
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I was able to talk to the brother of a player of a starting Wisconsin offensive player. I rarely have any inside information, but I thought I'd pass this along.

There are double digit positives on the Wisconsin team right now. At least 2 QBs and 1 OL starter. Not all of these have been confirmed by PCR. However, what was really interesting is the information I got on clarification of the B1G rules.

Just to recap the rules put in place by the B1G...
1. Dual test system, the 1st test has a high sensitivity (negative = true negative) and the 2nd test has a high specificity (positive = true positive).
2. Team positivity rate (Green 0-2%, Orange 2-5%, Red >5%)
3. Population positivity rate (Green 0-3.5, Orange 3.5-7.5, Red >7.5)

To halt practice/competition, red/red must be achieved and there is a 7-day sit out period for the whole organization. Individuals testing positive will have a 21-day sit out period.

Where this gets interesting is the 7 day rolling average. You can test up to 170 people within your organization to be counted to your team rate. There is no strict rule on who gets tested in this number. That is ultimately up to the team. So if a team wants to test their 85 man roster, 25 coaches & personnel, and they have 10 positives... You've got an 8.3% (10/120) positivity rate. However, you can go grab 50 more staff members, walk-ons, etc. to bring that number down to 5.8% (10/170) assuming no more positives. You can then remove those with a known positive test from your testing pool for the next day. Even with a day of 8-10% of your team infected - you SHOULD be able to get it below 5% by the end of the week unless you have a true outbreak with new players popping positive daily.

Now, there's also not a rule that says you can't test your known positives. So if Wisconsin doesn't like their chances this week with a 4th string QB and a couple OL starters out (hypothetically), they could keep testing those known positives, drive up their positivity rate and essentially void the game. It doesn't change how long those individuals are out, 21 days regardless, but it does make their rate look much worse on paper & gives that team an out.

Sorry for the length, just thought this was interesting. Fingers crossed the game gets played. GBR!
 
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Am sure Wisconsin has zero concern about beating NU even with a 4th string QB. Sacrifice this game to get things under control and prepare for the next week vs a tough Purdue team and Michigan team. Chryst doesn’t play checkers but chess.
 
Am sure Wisconsin has zero concern about beating NU even with a 4th string QB. Sacrifice this game to get things under control and prepare for the next week vs a tough Purdue team and Michigan team. Chryst doesn’t play checkers but chess.
Those players have to sit 21 days, so they wouldn't be able to play Purdue or Michigan either
 
So basically if Wisconsin doesn’t play this week they would be done for 3 weeks
Incorrect - they could decide not to play this week but return the next. And unfortunately for us, this is exactly what I expect them to do as they would rather have an additional week to practice with their 4th string QB and not have it negatively impact their overall W/L record - they are going to take advantage of the rules (as-written) however they can.

Only players who have tested positive have to sit-out the 21 day quarantine period.
 
I was able to talk to the brother of a player of a starting Wisconsin offensive player. I rarely have any inside information, but I thought I'd pass this along.

There are double digit positives on the Wisconsin team right now. At least 2 QBs and 1 OL starter. Not all of these have been confirmed by PCR. However, what was really interesting is the information I got on clarification of the B1G rules.

Just to recap the rules put in place by the B1G...
1. Dual test system, the 1st test has a high sensitivity (negative = true negative) and the 2nd test has a high specificity (positive = true positive).
2. Team positivity rate (Green 0-2%, Orange 2-5%, Red >5%)
3. Population positivity rate (Green 0-3.5, Orange 3.5-7.5, Red >7.5)

To halt practice/competition, red/red must be achieved and there is a 7-day sit out period for the whole organization. Individuals testing positive will have a 21-day sit out period.

Where this gets interesting is the 7 day rolling average. You can test up to 170 people within your organization to be counted to your team rate. There is no strict rule on who gets tested in this number. That is ultimately up to the team. So if a team wants to test their 85 man roster, 25 coaches & personnel, and they have 10 positives... You've got an 8.3% (10/120) positivity rate. However, you can go grab 50 more staff members, walk-ons, etc. to bring that number down to 5.8% (10/170) assuming no more positives. You can then remove those with a known positive test from your testing pool for the next day. Even with a day of 8-10% of your team infected - you SHOULD be able to get it below 5% by the end of the week unless you have a true outbreak with new players popping positive daily.

Now, there's also not a rule that says you can't test your known positives. So if Wisconsin doesn't like their chances this week with a 4th string QB and a couple OL starters out (hypothetically), they could keep testing those known positives, drive up their positivity rate and essentially void the game. It doesn't change how long those individuals are out, 21 days regardless, but it does make their rate look much worse on paper & gives that team an out.

Sorry for the length, just thought this was interesting. Fingers crossed the game gets played. GBR!
Yep. They are planning on taking this game off and getting Vander Boom ready for Purdue. Barry knows the best path to get to Conf title game
 
Yep. They are planning on taking this game off and getting Vander Boom ready for Purdue. Barry knows the best path to get to Conf title game
Like I said I'm fairly confident that this game will be canceled, and if it does, I really hope it comes back to haunt them (ie. they end-up missing two other games as well and therefore eliminated from CCG consideration).

Alvarez is such a snake and he disgusts me.
 
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After thinking about it, I think they'll look for every way and reason to play. Makes zero sense to cancel.....now if they are forced to because of the virus then it is what it is, but I have to assume they want to play and will exhaust every avenue to make it happen.
 
Like I said I'm fairly confident that this game will be canceled, and if it does, I really hope it comes back to haunt them (ie. they end-up missing two other games as well and therefore eliminated from CCG consideration).

Alvarez is such a snake and he disgusts me.

Are we penalized for missing this game even if it’s Wisconsin’s choice and doing? Seems extremely unfair imo.
 
After thinking about it, I think they'll look for every way and reason to play. Makes zero sense to cancel.....now if they are forced to because of the virus then it is what it is, but I have to assume they want to play and will exhaust every avenue to make it happen.
I respectfully disagree - they have zero incentive to play this game right now. If they can get an extra week to work with QB4 and not have it negatively impact their W/L record then that's likely the route they will take.

IMO if they don't play this game (because it's their choice and the B10 is not saying they have to due to red/red) then it should be treated as a forfeit where we get the W and them the L.
 
Are we penalized for missing this game even if it’s Wisconsin’s choice and doing? Seems extremely unfair imo.
First of all, I think we beat Wisconsin this year (with or without Mertz) so that takes a W away from us.

Second, each team can only miss two games and still qualify for the CCG - this counts as one of our missed games even though it's not our fault.

Third, Wisconsin gets to keep their 1-0 record going into next week against Purdue and therefore continue to sit atop the West.
 
First of all, I think we beat Wisconsin this year (with or without Mertz) so that takes a W away from us.

Second, each team can only miss two games and still qualify for the CCG - this counts as one of our missed games even though it's not our fault.

Third, Wisconsin gets to keep their 1-0 record going into next week against Purdue and therefore continue to sit atop the West.

What about the millions of dollars lost for not playing? I think they play this thing, even if it means starting a running back at QB and taking an L. Only way they can’t play is if it’s in the red/red zone from my understanding.

The way I look at this is Wisconsin has been practicing as if they are going to play. There has been cases on the team, raising the percentage. A journalist jumped on this because he’s guaranteed attention through Saturday.

Don’t be fooled. I’m sure Wisconsin still feels good about beating us. They have owned us.
 
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I respectfully disagree - they have zero incentive to play this game right now. If they can get an extra week to work with QB4 and not have it negatively impact their W/L record then that's likely the route they will take.

IMO if they don't play this game (because it's their choice and the B10 is not saying they have to due to red/red) then it should be treated as a forfeit where we get the W and them the L.

If we were Ohio State, Clemson, or Bama i'd agree with you, but they own us and they have to believe they can beat us with anyone playing QB....we've sucked to much against them for them to start all the sudden wanting to duck us.
 
If we were Ohio State, Clemson, or Bama i'd agree with you, but they own us and they have to believe they can beat us with anyone playing QB....we've sucked to much against them for them to start all the sudden wanting to duck us.
This is nowhere near the same Wisconsin team that's beaten us the last few years - they lost way too many critical pieces.

They lost their best RB, WR, OL, 2 LB's, and now their top 3 QB's.

Huskers by 13-17 if we play.
 
I was able to talk to the brother of a player of a starting Wisconsin offensive player. I rarely have any inside information, but I thought I'd pass this along.

There are double digit positives on the Wisconsin team right now. At least 2 QBs and 1 OL starter. Not all of these have been confirmed by PCR. However, what was really interesting is the information I got on clarification of the B1G rules.

Just to recap the rules put in place by the B1G...
1. Dual test system, the 1st test has a high sensitivity (negative = true negative) and the 2nd test has a high specificity (positive = true positive).
2. Team positivity rate (Green 0-2%, Orange 2-5%, Red >5%)
3. Population positivity rate (Green 0-3.5, Orange 3.5-7.5, Red >7.5)

To halt practice/competition, red/red must be achieved and there is a 7-day sit out period for the whole organization. Individuals testing positive will have a 21-day sit out period.

Where this gets interesting is the 7 day rolling average. You can test up to 170 people within your organization to be counted to your team rate. There is no strict rule on who gets tested in this number. That is ultimately up to the team. So if a team wants to test their 85 man roster, 25 coaches & personnel, and they have 10 positives... You've got an 8.3% (10/120) positivity rate. However, you can go grab 50 more staff members, walk-ons, etc. to bring that number down to 5.8% (10/170) assuming no more positives. You can then remove those with a known positive test from your testing pool for the next day. Even with a day of 8-10% of your team infected - you SHOULD be able to get it below 5% by the end of the week unless you have a true outbreak with new players popping positive daily.

Now, there's also not a rule that says you can't test your known positives. So if Wisconsin doesn't like their chances this week with a 4th string QB and a couple OL starters out (hypothetically), they could keep testing those known positives, drive up their positivity rate and essentially void the game. It doesn't change how long those individuals are out, 21 days regardless, but it does make their rate look much worse on paper & gives that team an out.

Sorry for the length, just thought this was interesting. Fingers crossed the game gets played. GBR!
Well a team is between a rock and a hard place. With the shortened season they can hardly choose not to play games if they actually have a choice and they have any playoff hopes or that of a better bowl. If they choose not to play early in the shortened season they could also be forced involuntarily to sit out some games later in the season. No good choices for them.
 
Incorrect - they could decide not to play this week but return the next. And unfortunately for us, this is exactly what I expect them to do as they would rather have an additional week to practice with their 4th string QB and not have it negatively impact their overall W/L record - they are going to take advantage of the rules (as-written) however they can.

Only players who have tested positive have to sit-out the 21 day quarantine period.
They cannot practice because the whole Team and operation has to sit out for 7 days. That prevents them from preparing for Purdont!
 
Yep. They are planning on taking this game off and getting Vander Boom ready for Purdue. Barry knows the best path to get to Conf title game
If they can't play this game, they should have to shut their program down for 7 days, period. This shouldn't be a guise to get healthy and prepare for Purdue. The 7 days should start when Nebraska is notified of the cancellation.
 
If they can't play this game, they should have to shut their program down for 7 days, period. This shouldn't be a guise to get healthy and prepare for Purdue. The 7 days should start when Nebraska is notified of the cancellation.

Agree, they shouldn’t benefit from not playing a game so they can practice play the next week, the team should have to sit out when the 7 days when the team their playing is notified...

I don’t like idea that they can cancel our game and keep practicing for their next game except for the ones that have already been testes positive twice..
 
What's the saying? "don't hate the player, hate the game" They're just working the system to their advantage. Can't blame them and I'd expect us to do the same thing in their circumstance.
 
They cannot practice because the whole Team and operation has to sit out for 7 days. That prevents them from preparing for Purdont!
They can still practice as long as both their team and team population numbers stay below 5% and 7.5% respectively - these are a rolling average for an entire week.

Here's a snipit from the OWH article I pinned earlier:

The Team Positivity Rate (TPR) is calculated daily. A team can test 170 people six days a week, and the Big Ten recommends 120 players and 50 staff — Nebraska is doing that, per a team official — but it allows flexibility in those ratios. That’s 1,020 tests per week.
In order to meet the red testing threshold on the TPR, a team that takes 1,020 tests would have to have 51 positives.

Meeting the “red/red” threshold limit on the Big Ten testing protocols. That means 5% of the team, on a seven-day rolling average, tested positive for COVID-19, and 7.5% of the team population (coaches, trainers, staff, administrators) tested positive. A minimum seven-day halt is put in place for practice or competition.
 
If I’m following correctly, you really need to have A LOT of positive cases in order to be required to shut down. Meaning perhaps as many as 50? If you have 50 positives in an 7 day period shutting down is only reasonable. But if you have 6 or 7 out of several hundred tests over 7 days, you carry on.
 
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If I’m following correctly, you really need to have A LOT of positive cases in order to be required to shut down. Meaning perhaps as many as 50? If you have 50 positives in an 7 day period shutting down is only reasonable. But if you have 6 or 7 out of several hundred tests over 7 days, you carry on.
Correct.

In-addition, you can remove those who have already tested positive within the last 7 days so that they aren't being counted again.
 
So I am confused:

1 school of thought is we all need the money and they'd play with Mertz's sister at QB to rake in the millions Loss of no loss.

The other school of thought, is that it's more beneficial for WI to skip this game, as not to take a presumed L in their road to a CCG.

Which one is it.
 
So I am confused:

1 school of thought is we all need the money and they'd play with Mertz's sister at QB to rake in the millions Loss of no loss.

The other school of thought, is that it's more beneficial for WI to skip this game, as not to take a presumed L in their road to a CCG.

Which one is it.
I have to assume we'll learn one way or another at some point today.

I will be devastated if this game doesn't happen, but I'm also logical enough to understand why Wisconsin would use this to their advantage wherever possible.
 
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I have to assume we'll learn one way or another at some point today.

I will be devastated if this game doesn't happen, but I'm also logical enough to understand why Wisconsin would use this to their advantage wherever possible.
there is too much money on the line to cancel. fans only care about winning and losing and have an exaggerated view of what the results of 1 game mean to most teams. This 1 game means a helluva lot more to the schools bottom line than it does to the outlook on winning in the future. These games count to fans but the coaches know they are just 1 step above a scrimmage. they are using these makeshift games to try to develop their programs for when things get back to normal. wisconsin needs the money more than they need anything else
 
If they‘re still practicing today that would be a positive sign that their preparing to be in Lincoln on Friday...
 
there is too much money on the line to cancel. fans only care about winning and losing and have an exaggerated view of what the results of 1 game mean to most teams. This 1 game means a helluva lot more to the schools bottom line than it does to the outlook on winning in the future. These games count to fans but the coaches know they are just 1 step above a scrimmage. they are using these makeshift games to try to develop their programs for when things get back to normal. wisconsin needs the money more than they need anything else

Where's the money coming from with no fans in the stadium?
 
If they‘re still practicing today that would be a positive sign that their preparing to be in Lincoln on Friday...

Not necessarily. They can choose to skip our game and still practice I think.
 
Holy cow people. 90% of the revenue generated comes from television contracts. That’s why MLB, NFL NBA can still pay these players salaries.

Tell me how the B1G media contract is being handled this season.
 
Am sure Wisconsin has zero concern about beating NU even with a 4th string QB. Sacrifice this game to get things under control and prepare for the next week vs a tough Purdue team and Michigan team. Chryst doesn’t play checkers but chess.
No, witha 4th string qb, out an O lineman, and the entire team not focused due to these things. They arent playing this weekend but if Wisconsin had the balls to bring that roster to Lincoln they absolutely know they'd get curb stomped.
 
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