Here is the first thing Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema publicly said Saturday after the Badgers were beaten, 25-24, by Michigan State:
“I told our guys that for whatever reason we’re being tested in the most extreme form.”
Here is the first thing he should have said:
“I apologize to our players and our fans, but mostly to our players, for letting them down. It was totally irresponsible of me to draw a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. A team takes its personality from the head coach. I lost my composure and from then on the momentum swung to the point that we lost an 11-point lead and the game. A head coach is responsible for everything and I take responsibility for this loss.”