We're Number 12!

I found this "Top 30 National Universities" survey from Washington Monthly magazine (click on picture to increase its size). Instead of ranking "what colleges can do for you," it ranks "what colleges are doing for the country." Basically, which colleges are making the United States a better place. The criteria for the rankings included these three core beliefs of what a university is designed to do:

1) Universities should be engines of social mobility.
2) Universities should produce the academic minds and scientific research that advance knowledge and drive economic growth.
3) Universities should inculcate and encourage an ethic of service.

Wisconsin came in 12th which ain't too shabby. Fellow Badgers, let us rejoice in knowing we're doing a better job than Yale to keep the USA #1! (Note: I'm full of patriotism because I just got back from the Freedom March...) The rankings also show that public universities outform the ivy leagues. The Washington Monthly likes to point out that Iowa State beat out Princeton. This is just the first year this list has been produced, so the magazine hopes to improve it in the future. If you'd like to read more about it, click here.

In other Wisconsin news, The Badgers destroyed Temple 65-0 on Saturday. I think it's too soon to predict a Badger BCS Bowl Championship, but I can tell you three teams that probably will not be there. Iowa, Michigan, and Ohio State, all ranked in the top ten, lost their games this weekend! Ohio State? That was a tough one. But Iowa losing to Iowa State? Yikes! Man...Iowa State's kicking everyone's ass. I'm sure WI will have a stinker or two this season. I just hope it isn't against Michigan who will be playing at Camp Randall for the conference opener.