Behind the scenes with the No. 1 team in the country

We begin today’s newsletter, for perhaps the last time, with a thought about football.

For many years, hardcore college football fans and media members argued against having a playoff because they feared it would rob the regular season of some juice. Then the game’s stakeholders went to a two-team Bowl Championship Series, then a four-team playoff, then an eight-game playoff and now a 12-team playoff. If anything, the regular season got progressively juicier. With more teams vying for a spot in the bracket, more games mattered down the stretch. And the longer playoff provided more drama for a longer periods of time, bringing ever more eyeballs with each passing round.

There were many good arguments for having a true playoff in college football (and I made a lot of them), but one of the underrated benefits is the allowance it provides for teams to stumble and grow along their journey. When Notre Dame lost at home to Northern Illinois and Ohio State lost at home to Michigan, it sent their fans and the media into a frenzy. There was genuine cause for alarm, but it also lent to forgetfulness that sometimes really good teams just get beat. The question is not whether those teams can recover from those setbacks, but whether they'll emerge even stronger than before.

That was clearly the case with your national champion Buckeyes. There was no way to know for sure at the time, but in retrospect it's clear that the loss to Michigan, and the hostility that ensued, bonded the team in a way that prepared it for the longest championship march in the history of the sport. Let’s all keep that in mind as we watch the zany college basketball scores that will populate our screens in the coming weeks. This will be especially true in February, when the teams that are destined to be number-one seeds in the NCAA Tournament will be caught napping while their desperate opponents are trying to climb off the bubble. Stuff happens, in sports and in life. The measure of a champion comes not in avoiding adversity, but in handling it like a champion.

Have a great Wednesday, everyone, and thanks as always for your support of Hoops HQ. –Seth

The Inside Story of Wisconsin's Extreme Makeover

By Seth Davis

The revolution started with an impromptu visit. It was August of 2023 and Kirk Penney, who played for Wisconsin from 1999 to 2003 and was visiting Madison with his family, stopped by the basketball office to say hello. Greg Gard, the Badgers’ coach, was eager to pick his brain. Unbeknownst to Penney, Gard had been marinating on ideas to modernize Wisconsin’s famously glacial offense. He wanted to know what Penney thought.

“I don’t know,” Penney replied. “I’d have to see the players.”

A few days later, Penney returned to watch Gard and his staff conduct a workout. When it was over, Penney told him, “I think we can do better.” That led to more conversations, which led to Penney joining Gard’s staff as Special Assistant to the Head Coach and de facto offensive coordinator. And that has led to stodgy old Wisconsin morphing at warp speed into an unrecognizable, futuristic, modern-day offensive juggernaut.

All Access With No. 1 UCLA: A Little Sugar, A Little Spice and a Big Win Over Baylor

By Eden Laase

Cori Close is pissed.

This is the coach who jumped in a pool fully clothed for Lauren Betts to celebrate her commitment. The one who hosted every freshman athlete from UCLA at her house to start the school year. The one who brings her mom on road trips. Yet here she is, standing at midcourt and surrounded by her players.

“Championship reps or get out of the gym,” she tells them sharply. “Period. There is a level of excellence that is expected with the way we are attacking this road trip and if you don’t want to be a part of it, seriously, go sit on the bus.” She points toward the gym’s open door. “But if you’re ready to be at our level, with an attention to detail, then you can stay. If not, go.”

Between the Lines

🏀 What's Wrong With Indiana? Assesing the State of This Once-Proud Program

🏀 Ranking the Top 5 Candidates for Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year and Transfer of the Year. At least one of those categories does not include Cooper Flagg.

🏀 Outside of Auburn, the hottest team in the country may be Arizona. The Wildcats have won seven straight and are 5-0 in the Big 12.

No. 13 Texas A&M @ No. 16 Ole Miss: There are no bad games in the SEC, but you certainly don't want to miss this one. Senior guard Wade Taylor IV is back and will lead the Aggies into Oxford for a difficult matchup against Ole Miss, which upset Alabama a week ago and nearly toppled Mississippi State in Starkville on Saturday. This is a clash of elite coaches (Buzz Williams vs. Chris Beard) and elite defenses (both teams rank in the top 15 in defensive efficiency, per KenPom). 9:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2.