Saturday’s football game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Wisconsin Badgers will obviously hold significant importance for everyone involved, but may hold just a bit more for senior left guard Ben Bredeson.
The veteran hails from Hartland, Wis., and chose to make the trek to Ann Arbor as a top-60 recruit nationally in the 2016 class.
Unsurprisingly, Bredeson has plenty of friends and former classmates who currently attend the University of Wisconsin, and touched briefly on just how deep his roots from the Cheese State run.
“About a third of my graduating class went there,” Bredeson laughed. “Every kid growing up in Wisconsin is a Badger fan, since there’s no other football schools there.
“They were there from the beginning and until the end in the recruiting process, and I loved Madison. Michigan is my home though and it’s a place that is special to me, and I definitely belong here.
“I’ve gotten a few texts so far, but they usually ramp up on Thursday and Friday. Postgame ones are the best — I hear a lot from them after a loss, but they’re usually pretty quiet if we win.”
Bredeson and the Wolverines played in Madison two years ago in mid-November against an undefeated Badger squad, and battled valiantly before falling 24-10.
The senior admitted it was a bit odd playing in Camp Randall as an opposing visitor, but after coming up just short, is relishing the opportunity to get another crack at his home state team in their own building.
“They have a very energetic fan base that I’ve seen my whole life,” the senior explained. “There will be a lot of red in the stands and everyone is very passionate about that team in Madison.
“I’ve always found those games fun. It will provide challenges for us and for our offensive linemen, but that’s where having an older group of guys on the line really helps.
“[Playing there two years ago] was strange because it was the first time I’d ever played there when it was full. I played in some state championship games there in high school, but it always only had 10,000 or so people.”
After the 2017 matchup in Madison went Wisconsin’s way, Michigan returned the favor last season in The Big House with a 38-13 blowout win.
‘Revenge’ is a word that plenty have tossed around this week in regards to Wisconsin’s mindset, and Bredeson noted that he would expect nothing less from it.
“Anyone at this level of competition understands that when something like last year’s game happens, you always want to take another shot back at them,” he noted. “We’re ready and we know what’s coming, so we’ll be ready for it on Saturday.”
The U-M offense put on a show last season against the Badgers on the ground, posting 320 rushing yards and averaging 6.7 yards per rush.
Wisconsin’s defense has yet to give up a point in 2019, however, and Bredeson noted that their defensive philosophy is largely the same despite some personnel changes.
“Schematically, it’s very comparable,” the senior revealed. “A few guys up front are a little different, especially at linebacker.
“We like the game plan we’re putting in though, and I think it will play to our strengths.”
Notes
• Fifth-year senior left tackle Jon Runyan has missed each of Michigan's first two games with injury, but the hope is that he will return on Saturday.
“[Redshirt freshman left tackle] Ryan [Hayes] did a heck of a job in those two games," Bredeson began. "Jon and I have played with each other for a while and know what the other is going to do.
"There’s a telepathic sense to it, just by being next to the guy for so long. He has that experience in Big Ten road games that we’re going into this weekend, so it’ll be nice to get Jon back.
"Ryan is obviously grooming himself as a starter on this team and has done a phenomenal job.”
• U-M's offense obviously struggled mightily last week to the tune of 24 points and just 340 yards, but the senior guard revealed that the explosive plays aren't as far off as many people think.
“It’s different running this offense in practice when you can script looks and react to things," he explained. "We learned a lot in that Army game, and having the bye week and addressing the issues right away was huge.
"The explosive plays were all there, but there was always just one thing wrong and one thing holding everything back. We were able to correct those issues and the explosiveness is absolutely still there.
"This offense is complicated and there’s a lot of moving parts to it. There are times where it seems like nothing is right but then there are times when it’s clicking and there’s no way to stop it.
"We have yet to hit it full stride in a game, but I’m looking forward to running this against the No. 1 defense in the country.”
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