Gary D'Amato

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Madison — Paul Chryst is never going to blow you away in a news conference. He’s the smartest man in the room, but you’d never know it from his halting answers to questions and his liberal use of clichés. If you’re looking for a good sound bite, you’ve come to the wrong place.

You can’t say Chryst is an imposing figure on the sideline, either. He’s the opposite of demonstrative, and the last time he dressed up might very well have been at his own wedding. When he’s not wearing sweats, he’s probably sweating.

Don’t let him fool you. The guy can flat-out coach football.

Twenty-three games into his tenure as the head coach at the University of Wisconsin, Chryst has answered all the questions about his qualifications after compiling that misleading 19-19 record at Pitt.

UW 48, Illinois 3: No. 7 Badgers keep rolling

When it comes to game planning, he’s a cold-blooded assassin. His teams almost never play down to the competition — witness the Badgers’ 48-3 victory over hapless Illinois on Saturday — and exhibit a nose-to-the-grindstone mentality that goes a long way in the Big Ten.

UW improved to 8-2 overall and 5-2 in the conference, has beaten three teams ranked in the top eight and is two victories away from playing in the Big Ten championship game. Chryst has to be in the conversation for league coach of the year honors, though Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh is the front-runner.

“We’ve played some good football teams this year,” Illini coach Lovie Smith said. “That’s definitely one of the best ones we’ve played.”

The Badgers execute the game plan. They avoid penalties. They overcome injuries. They are a nasty, physical bunch and take pleasure in hitting people in the mouth. Their confidence could have cratered after back-to-back losses to Michigan and Ohio State but it seems the opposite is true. They’re a better team now than they were three weeks ago, which is a credit to Chryst and his assistants.

PHOTOS: Wisconsin storms past Illinois

“I think each week we gain more confidence,” said linebacker Vince Biegel. “It’s snowballed to the point where this team, we can play against anybody in the country. There were those bumps and those ups and downs throughout the season that we’ve learned from and we continue to learn from them.

“It’s been a fun journey, man. Coach Chryst has put awesome coaches in our (meeting) rooms and I think it shows on the field.”

When defensive coordinator Dave Aranda left for Louisiana State, a lot of people assumed he would take that unit’s mojo with him. But there has been no slippage under Justin Wilcox, and Chryst’s hiring of Jim Leonhard to coach the defensive backs was a stroke of genius. The secondary has gone from question mark to really good, period.

Replay: Awards, inside the huddle, by the numbers

The offensive line, shuffled and re-shuffled because of injuries, has hit its stride and paved the way for a season-high 363 rushing yards Saturday.

“As an offensive lineman, it feels great,” said center Michael Deiter. “That’s obviously what you want to do. We’re just a little more consistent, seeing pressures a little better. We’ve been chipping away. I think we’re getting better week by week but I still think we can be better as an offensive line and as an offense.”

After the offense struggled in the first half of a 23-17 victory over Georgia State on Sept. 17, Chryst replaced senior quarterback Bart Houston with redshirt freshman Alex Hornibrook, who has started every game since.

Chryst has worked Houston into the game plan in recent weeks, though, and the quarterback threw a touchdown pass in his only attempt Saturday. There’s an old saying that a team with two quarterbacks has none, but there again, Chryst has made it work. The QB play hasn’t been sensational, but it’s been good enough.

It’s hard to imagine Wisconsin would lose to a bad Purdue team on the road next week. Then it’s Minnesota at home Nov. 26, with a berth in the Big Ten championship game hanging in the balance.

“I’m excited to see what the rest of the season holds for this team,” Biegel said.

Chryst? He’s hiding in the film room, figuring out ways to make his team better. Don’t ask him how he does it. Just sit back and enjoy the ride.