Wisconsin Football: Badgers finally prepared to win Big Ten
Wisconsin football has come ever-so-close, but they haven’t broken through yet. 2018 is going to be different for the Badgers, and that’s a good thing.
To the Wisconsin naysayers: I get it–they lost their conference game last year (barely). But don’t just follow the herd and blindly pick Ohio State to take the Big Ten conference again.
Ohio State is a good football team. Maybe even a great one. But the Big Ten is always guaranteed to have drama on the gridiron. Ohio State is the favorite to win the conference going into this season, but let’s take a closer look at Wisconsin. They have all of the tools to win out this year, and very little downside.
Wisconsin’s offensive line is awe-inspiring. With quarterback Alex Hornibrook at the helm, the Badgers will no doubt lead the Big Ten in rushing yards. Last year, Hornibrook threw for 2,644 yards, and will likely match or surpass that mark in 2018. The Badgers also boast Heisman-candidate running back Jonathan Taylor, who rushed for 1,977 yards in 2017. The Badgers’ O-line is stuffed with veteran blockers. To sum it up, the Badgers’ offense is a thing of beauty, and will be even better than they were in 2017.
Coach Paul Chryst knows his team and knows his conference. Under Chryst’s tutelage, the Badgers have lost a total of four conference games. They have dominated the Western division for years, and there is no reason to think they won’t do so again in 2018, despite the fact that the division is stronger than it has been in decades.
The Badgers would love to make a run at the CFP, and Ohio State may be the only obstacle in their way. The defense has some question marks, but the Badgers’ offense is dangerous and cannot be underestimated.
There is also a weird X-factor in the Western division–Nebraska coach Scott Frost. I guarantee nobody in the conference is looking forward to the Nebraska game. My bet is that Frost’s Huskers will mow down one of the major players in the East, like Ohio State. The Huskers are going to be feisty this season, and if they can fulfill the promise they showed in Spring, they could be trouble for several teams. Purdue is also going to be better than usual this season. Add to that a highly competitive Eastern division, and Wisconsin has a pretty decent path to the championship game.
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In short, the Badgers are loaded for bear. Their decisive Orange Bowl win over a speedy Miami team proved that Wisconsin has as many skill position players as anyone in the NCAA. Granted, Michigan and Penn State are going to be brutal games, and the Badgers have one of the nastiest schedules in college football. However, that should only strengthen the argument that Wisconsin deserves to be a part of the national title conversation when the voting comes around.