Wisconsin Football: 2017 game-by-game predictions
By Shane Lunnen
Michigan will be the only team Wisconsin faces this year that beat them last year. The Badgers can extract a little revenge for last year’s 14-7 loss.
It’s been stated a lot but it’s definitely worth emphasizing that the Wolverines are replacing a ton from last year’s 10 win team . On offense Wilton Speight is back at quarterback. He completed 61.6 percent of his passes last year, threw for over 2,500 yards and 18 touchdowns. Speight will have to work on chemistry with a whole new set of receivers and tight ends. Running back Chris Evans should have a pretty solid sophomore season after rushing for 614 yards and four touchdowns in his freshman campaign.
On defense, only one starter returns, senior linebacker Mike McCray, so it will be a challenge for defensive coordinator Don Brown in the early part of the season. There is a ton of unproven talent stocked by Jim Harbaugh’s recruiting efforts. While the defense won’t be as good as last year’s edition, it certainly isn’t going to turn into Illinois.
Despite all the momentum the Badgers have at this point in the season, this feels like a loss. If the game was earlier in the season, I would say that Wisconsin wins. But Michigan will be a better team in the second half of the season once they get the kinks out and develop chemistry among all the new starters. It will be close, but Michigan eeks out another touchdown win over the Badgers, ending their hopes of an undefeated season.