Wisconsin Football: 5 reasons why Badgers will win 2017 national title
1. Strong aerial attack
As previously mentioned, the Badgers have normally been a run-dominant program in the last couple decades and despite all the big named talent they have seen with Ball, White, Gordon- it has not been enough to push them over the hump and get in position late in the year to compete for a national title.
The bad (let’s call it not-so-good) news of the Badgers’ passing game this year is that they will be starting a sophomore with only a half of a season (maybe a little more) of experience under his belt. Alex Hornibrook, a true freshman last season that took over in the third game of the year for the struggling Bart Houston, saw sparks and flashes of brilliance, but also times where his age and experience could not be hidden. He also saw a rough end to the year, experiencing an injury and overall losing his job back to Houston.
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The good news of the not-so-bad news is that despite all the struggles and inconsistency last year at quarterback, the Badgers still managed to get to a Big Ten Championship and win a New Year’s Six Bowl Game.
Despite some speculation this offseason about Notre Dame transfer quarterback Malik Zaire joining Wisconsin, the Badgers ultimately lost out on his sweepstakes, making it abundantly clear that this is Hornibrook’s offense moving forward. Eliminating the uncertainty and inconsistency from last year will do wonders for his confidence and be nothing but a positive feeling moving forward.
The even better news heading into next year is that Hornibrook has a very talented group of receivers to throw to, perhaps one of the best groups in recent memory.
While the Badgers have enjoyed surprising walk-ons such as Jared Abbrederis or big tight ends like Owen Daniels, it never really seemed to happen where they had more than one weapon to go to. This year, there are multiple- and that is what makes the Badgers a dangerous team and a favorite go far this season.
Senior wide receiver Jazz Peavy will return and be the Badgers’ No. 1 wide receiver this year. Not only did he put up 635 receiving yards and five touchdowns last year, but his 318 rushing yards and 15.1 yards per carry also provided a surprising boost to the offensive. An athletic and smart route runner, Peavy will be huge in the Badgers’s success this year and offers a double-duty threat on offense.
Joining Peavy at receiver will be a couple of speedy athletes in A.J. Taylor and Quintez Cephus. Taylor was primarily special teams a year ago and saw some action as kick returning from time to time, while Cephus saw limited action in a crowded group, but made the most of it with four catches for 94 yards. He also had five rushes on the year for 41 yards. Taylor and Cephus, along with George Rushing, will need to help compliment Peavy and step us as a second, third, and fourth option when all the attention is on him.
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Perhaps the biggest aerial threat the Badgers have is returning tight end Troy Fumagalli. Named a preseason All-American by Athlon Sports, Fumagalli came up huge in the team’s Cotton Bowl victory over Western Michigan with six catches for 83 yards and one touchdown.
Oh, and this catch:
Pairing a much improved and high-expectation passing game with the sound defense and exciting rushing attack, the Badgers are in great shape to make a playoff push and win the 2017 National Championship. Don’t be surprised if you see the Badgers on top of the college football world come January.