College Football Rankings 2020: Projected AP Top 25 for Week 9
By Zach Bigalke
won 45-7 vs. Illinois. Wisconsin Badgers. 11. 809. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. 1-0. player
Wisconsin kicked off the Big Ten season with a Friday-night rout of Illinois in Week 8, earning their first victory of the season at home. The dominant victory over an Illini team that upset the Badgers a year ago in Champaign answered two key questions. The defense remains as dominant as ever in Madison, but more importantly the offense seemed even more dynamic despite the departure of top rusher Jonathan Taylor and the loss of quarterback Jack Coan to injury.
Graham Mertz was incredibly efficient, finishing with only one incompletion on 21 passes. Mertz finished with 248 yards and five touchdowns through the air to pace the victory. While no single running back dominated for the Badgers, the ground game took a committee approach to rack up 182 rushing yards. Illinois could only manage 218 total yards of offense against a strong effort by the Badgers defense.
Now 1-0 in the standings, Wisconsin could move up a spot or two and remain somewhere right in the middle of the AP Top 25 when the poll is released for Week 9. Paul Chryst’s team hits the road next weekend for a Halloween showdown in Lincoln against Nebraska.