Wisconsin football emerging as Big Ten West favorite after CMU blowout

Wisconsin football left no doubt on Saturday afternoon that they were the better team. The Badgers are emerging as a Big Ten West favorite.

Central Michigan has notched some historic upsets of Power Five teams over the years. The trip to Camp Randall Stadium in Week 2 of the 2019 season was not destined to go down on that list of legendary moments in Chippewas history.

No. 17 Wisconsin proved far too strong for their MAC visitors on Saturday afternoon, shutting out the Chippewas 61-0 to earn their second win of the season. It was a mismatch all around, as the offense had its way with the Central Michigan defense and the Badgers teed off whenever the Chippewas had the football.

Jack Coan showed why he won the starting quarterback position ahead of Graham Mertz. The junior went 26-of-33 for 363 yards and three touchdowns before taking a well-deserved bow late in the third quarter. Mertz came in to finish the contest for the Badgers, throwing for 35 yards on 4-of-5 passing before ceding playing time to third-stringer Chase Wolf.

One interesting story was the return of receiver Quintez Cephus, who was readmitted to Wisconsin after being found not guilty of sexual assault in court. After a relatively quiet day against South Florida in the opener, Cephus rediscovered his game on the field at Camp Randall Stadium. Cephus was on the receiving end of six passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns, getting into the endzone for the first time in 22 months.

Jonathan Taylor was his usual self in the backfield, racking up the 24th game of his career with at least 100 rushing yards. Taylor punished the Chippewas repeatedly on the ground, finishing the day with 102 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries. He added three receptions for 17 yards and a score before taking an early rest.

The defense, though, was once again the most impressive part of the Badgers roster. The unit came through in a massive way to secure the team’s second straight shutout of the year, posting gaudy stats that put them right at the top of the FBS.

Wisconsin held Central Michigan to just 58 total yards of offense, giving up only 15 rushing yards along the way. Chippewas quarterbacks Quinten Dormady, David Moore, and Tommy Lazzaro were held to a combined 43 yards and an interception on 9-of-24 passing.

It was a ridiculous showing by the defense that will force pollsters to take notice and will put the rest of the Big Ten on alert. And with Coan and the offense playing as strong as they did, the Badgers could once again position themselves for a run at a College Football Playoff spot if they keep playing like they have over the first two weeks of the year.