Week 3 of the college football season is here, as the Wisconsin Badgers are on the road for the first time this season, taking on the No. 19 Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
The Badgers had a big 42-10 win last weekend, starting slow but scoring 28 unanswered points in the second half over Middle Tennessee to become 2-0.
Sophomore quarterback Danny O’Neil was the star of the show in his first start with the Badgers, tossing for 283 yards and three touchdowns while completing 23 of 27 passes
on the afternoon.
Now, the Badgers have their first big test of the season, as they’ll take on Alabama on the road. The Crimson Tide blew out UL-Monroe 73-0 last week, bouncing back after a disappointing 31-17 loss to the Florida State Seminoles in Week 1.
Ahead of Saturday’s game, let’s look back at last weekend’s predictions and make three more for this weekend’s game.
Last Week
Ahead of the season opener, here were my three predictions.
1. Wisconsin will connect on multiple explosive plays
2. Wisconsin will get 3+ sacks once again
3. Wisconsin will force a turnover
The explosives finally came for the Badgers as I predicted last weekend. The Badgers had nine passes of 15+ yards, including a 34-yarder to Lance Mason, a 22-yard pass to Trech Kekahuna, and a 58-yard touchdown to Jayden Ballard.
Danny O’Neil had a successful day, especially off play-action, as Jeff Grimes schemed open quite a few receivers with Middle Tennessee focusing on the run game. Wisconsin also had five rushes of 10+ yards, including the 61-yard end-around to Kekahuna for a touchdown.
Defensively, the Badgers got five sacks, and Omillio Agard secured his first career interception. So, it was a good day from a prediction perspective last weekend.
Looking forward to Week 3, here are three predictions for the game.
1. Wisconsin will struggle to defend the run
The Badgers have been pretty strong defensively to start the year, and their biggest issue from the 2024 season (run defense) looks much improved.
However, I think they’ll be outmatched on the ground on Saturday, even without Alabama running back Jam Miller in the mix.
The Crimson Tide rushed for 212 yards on 36 carries last weekend after rushing for 87 yards in Week 1 against Florida State. Freshman Kevin Riley has emerged as a playmaker out of the backfield, and I expect him to get more opportunities in Week 3 against Alabama.
The threat of the quarterback run/scramble with Ty Simpson is there, and that might make it tougher for Wisconsin to secure the edges. All in all, it seems likely that the Crimson Tide will be able to establish itself on the ground on Saturday.
2. Slow starts repeat
With Danny O’Neil at the helm, I expect Alabama to send some pressure and make things challenging for the new-look Wisconsin offensive line.
Wisconsin has struggled with slow starts to begin the season, which was a major problem last year. I don’t think that’s going to change here in Week 3, as the Crimson Tide are coming in hot from their win last weekend and the Badgers are still testing things out offensively.
The Badgers are going to need to find a way to run the ball. If not, they’ll be in quite a few second and third & longs, and that’s not feasible against this Alabama defense.
3. Wisconsin will be held under 250 total yards
I don’t see the Badgers being able to run the ball much with their current offensive line against Alabama. And, as mentioned above, getting into those long situations on second and third downs will be trouble for sustaining drives.
So, in a quiet offensive day, I’m predicting the Badgers to go under 250 total yards, as I don’t see them eclipsing the 100-yard mark on the ground.
