In weeks 9 through 16, the Packers lost 7 of 8 games:
In the last eight games, they've been outscored by a combined total of 6 points (194 to 200). But their record is 1-7. That's just amazing.
The subtitle of this blog was "Home of the 4th Quarter Collapse." The Packers found new, and interesting, ways to lose every week.
Apparently the ability to lose the close game is contagious, and it's catching on throughout Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Badger basketball team tonight snapped their 6 game Big Ten losing streak. Good things were expected from the Badgers this season, and early on they were ranked in the top 25. Their first three losses of the season were all against top 25 teams. On January 11th, they were 12-3 with a 3-0 Big Ten record, poised to challenge for the Big Ten title and almost a lock for a NCAA bid. Then the wheels fell off
| Game | Badgers | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| at Purdue | 52 | 65 |
| Minnesota | 74 | 78 |
| at Iowa | 69 | 73 |
| at Illinois | 57 | 64 |
| Purdue | 63 | 64 |
| at Northwestern | 63 | 66 |
| Total | 378 | 410 |
I've watched a couple of these games. It looks like the Badgers are not good enough to dominant anyone, but they are good enough that they can't be blown out either. They always hang around, and they've been finding ways to lose every week. Losing 6 games by a combined margin of 32 points is pretty impressive.
The Packers didn't break their bad streak of losing until a week 17 gimme against Detroit. By that time the season was over. Fortunately for the Badgers, they have 12 wins with 8 games to go, plus the Big Ten tournament. 20 wins would be a stretch, but with four winnable home games plus an easier road game at awful Indiana, and maybe even a win or two in the Big Ten tournament, a 16-18 win season and a NCAA bid is still possible. Unlike the Packers, who didn't stop losing until it was too late, maybe it isn't over for the Badgers and they can still turn their season around.