The Wisconsin Badgers head into Saturday looking to shake up the Big Ten picture and flip the momentum of its season, but doing it in Bloomington won’t come easy.
The No. 2 Indiana Hoosiers are far from
perfect, but they have enough explosiveness on offense and enough physicality on defense to punish teams that show up sloppy or slow. If the Badgers want to fly home with the upset, they’ll need their cleanest, most disciplined game of the year.
How can they make that happen?
Control the Line of Scrimmage and Win First Down
The formula is simple, but in games like this, simplicity is exactly what Wisconsin needs to lean into. The Badgers must control first down and stay out of obvious passing situations.
When Wisconsin is behind the sticks, defenses can pin their ears back, and Indiana thrives when it can get aggressive with pressure packages and force the quarterback to speed up his reads.
That puts the spotlight squarely on the offensive line and the running backs. Whether it’s hitting downhill runs, using gap schemes to create angles, or mixing in early play-action to keep linebackers honest, Wisconsin has to set a tone early. A steady diet of four- and five-yard plays won’t light up a scoreboard, but it will keep the Badgers on schedule and keep Indiana’s defense guessing.
If Wisconsin wins first down, they’ll dictate the pace. If they don’t, it’s going to be a long afternoon.
Disrupt Indiana’s Rhythm by Winning the Explosive-Play Battle
Indiana is at its most dangerous when it can create chunk plays—whether through play-action, perimeter speed, or broken plays that turn into big gains. Wisconsin’s defense can bend, but this cannot be one of those games where they bend until they snap. The Badgers must force Indiana to drive the field methodically rather than letting one mistake turn into a 50-yard scoring play.
That responsibility falls on the secondary and the edge rushers equally. The back end needs discipline: no blown assignments, no freelancing, no late rotations that leave receivers streaking free. Meanwhile, the defensive front can’t allow Indiana’s quarterback to sit comfortably.
Even if sacks don’t come in bunches, consistent pressure—especially on third down—can force hurried throws and turnovers. Wisconsin doesn’t need a dozen explosive plays of its own, but they do need to win that category, or at least keep it even.
Special Teams Has to Be a Strength, Not a Liability
Upsets are born on special teams. Wisconsin can’t afford missed field goals, shanked punts, or coverage breakdowns. In a game that projects to be tight for four quarters, hidden yardage may decide the outcome.
Field position could become the Badgers’ best friend if they execute cleanly: pinning Indiana deep, flipping the field when drives stall, and taking the easy points when they’re available.
One momentum-swinging play—a big return, a forced fumble on a kick, or even a perfectly executed fake—could be the difference.
