When I sat down to write this column, I figured I might break down some of the key matchups in Saturday's Wisconsin versus Wofford matchup, talk about what the Badgers should be prepared for, that kind of thing. But then I realized something: I don't know anything about Wofford.
I'm not just clueless about their coverage schemes or recruiting class, I literally don't know anything about Wofford College other than the fact that they're coming to Madison Saturday.
Like so many of Wisconsin's out-of-conference opponents, Wofford is one of those schools no one has ever really heard of., who come to Camp Randall each football season, loses, and returns to whatever obscure corner of the country from which they came.
Honestly, who among us can rattle off a list of facts about The Citadel or Temple?
As a California native (does my picture give it away?) I can list a couple of things I know about last year's FCS opponent, Cal Poly:
1) Cal Poly is in San Luis Obispo, Calif., a town in southern California.
2) Unless you're going there for engineering, I wouldn't exactly call them a strong school academically—I know some guys who go to SLO (pronounced like ""slow""), as they call it. They are not what most people consider ""winners.""
So in the spirit of better knowing who these tiny schools are that we play each year, I present this helpful guide to today's matchup: ""Who the Hell are We Playing: Wofford Edition.""
To Wikipedia!
Okay, your TAs will probably tell you that's not the most reliable source but honestly—who the hell is going to know enough about Wofford to correct me?
Apparently, Wofford (pronounced like ""wa-ford,"" and not ""woe-ford"" or ""woof-ord,"" as I assumed) is a liberal arts college of about 1,500 students in Spartanburg, S.C., that was founded in 1854 by Rev. Benjamin Wofford. The entire campus was designated as an arboretum in 2002, and the Wofford College Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, which is... nice, I guess.
There are 113 teachers at Wofford, which means the Terriers have more football players and coaches than faculty members, which brings me to Wofford's team.
So far this year, the Terriers are 1-1, having lost 40-7 to South Florida on the road Sept. 5 and won 42-14 over Charleston Southern in a home game at Gibbs Stadium last week. Their 13,000-seat stadium is named for Jimmy Gibbs, owner of Gibbs International of Spartanburg, which the Wofford Athletic Department website describes as ""the world's largest dealer in pre-owned textile machinery.""
Wofford is no stranger to David and Goliath matchups like the one it will face Saturday. In 2007, North Carolina State invited the Terriers to get their asses kicked, while South Carolina did so last season, though the Gamecocks only escaped with a 23-13 win.
On offense, Wofford boasts the top running game and the worst passing attack in the Southern Conference, while their defense is ranked third in the conference.
So those are the Wofford Terriers for you.
For any Wofford fans in Madison this weekend, I say welcome. Go to the Capitol, look at our lakes, marvel at our fancy stadium and big buildings.
Just know that next year, a whole new gang of nobodies will come through Camp Randall Stadium to receive a thorough beating and crawl off dejected to their tiny little campus somewhere.
Oh, hello Furman. Fancy a trip to Wisconsin in 2010?
