Wisconsin Runs Up The Field...And The Score?

A win can't just be a win anymore. In today's hypersensitive sports world where something, anything has to be criticized, Bret Bielema's Wisconsin Badgers were accused by a number of media personalities and fans of running up the score. Putting up an 83 spot, whether good or bad, will draw a response from pretty much everyone. Here's mine...
First, I tried to compile all the instances I could think of that be interpreted as running up the score:
1) Refusing to take out the starters after the game is well out of hand.
2) Running trick plays with a big lead, i.e. fake punts or field goals, double reverses, etc.
3) Throwing on first down, or throwing the ball long in general.
4) Calling timeouts with a big lead to kick a field goal or get the "right" play call.
5) Blitzing with a big lead.
I'm sure there are more but that's all I could think of off the top of my head.
"There's not one style point on that board," Bielema said after the game. "All those guys did was play football and competed."
If you watched the game (most people who have a problem with the score probably didn't), you'd know that the Badgers didn't break any of those five rules. The starters got a few reps into the third quarter before being taken out. They called a steady diet of run and pass plays despite having the game in hand. To be fair, most of the plays were "situational," meaning plays they could practice should they need to use them in certain situations of a close game.
Back up quarterback Jon Budmayr connected on a 76 yard touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter to put the Badgers up 76-13. That was really the only play that could possibly be considered running up the score. Budmayr scrambled out of the pocket and threw the ball up to avoid the sack. What was he supposed to do? Take the sack? Taking sacks on purpose would be more of a disgrace to the game than throwing bombs with a 50 point lead.

The Badgers did nothing that suggested they were trying to score 80 points. Indiana's defense just couldn't stop them. Wisconsin scored on all 12 of their possessions. It wasn't Wisconsin's fault that Indiana couldn't stop them. Again, what were they supposed to do? But the back ups in and have them take a knee?
Conventional thinkers would say run the ball. That's the solution to blowout games. Run the ball. It takes time off the clock and allows the defense to get easy stops. Except nothing came easy for Indiana's defense.
John Clay sat out nursing a knee injury. Montee Ball and James White (the backups) have filled in admirably all season and would start for the majority of Division 1-A football programs. They combined for 311 yards rushing and 5 touchdowns. Wisconsin had more success running the ball than passing the ball, like they normally do. They continued to run the ball with the lead, Indiana couldn't stop them, they score, and are accused of running up the score. If they had thrown the ball in the same situation they would have also been accused of running up the score. Save for taking a knee for a quarter and a half, anything the Badgers offense did would have been considered running up the score. That's what they get for going up against an inept defense.
I've also noticed the "running up the score" argument seems to be biased towards college football. Consider yesterday's college basketball scores. The six Top 25 ranked teams won by a total of 199 points in their games yesterday, or by an average of 33 points a game. Those six teams faced off against lower tier mid major teams and blew them out. Not a word was said about running up the score. Wisconsin beat a fellow Big Ten team, if anything, they were more evenly matched than any of those college basketball games. Could it be because those mid major teams were expected to lose, and lose big? So the "running up the score" argument only applies to a team that isn't expected to get blown out, but does? It seems like it should be the other way around.
Let's do away with all this talk about running up the score. It's old and its tired. These aren't a bunch of eight year-olds playing touch football. They're big boys, I think they can handle a tough loss. Blame Indiana's defense for the 83 points. Not Bret Bielema, Montee Ball, James White, or backup quarterback Jon Budmayr.