Divisions may be gone, but the Wisconsin Badgers are carrying on the spirit of the Big Ten West. With the 89th offense per SP+ and the 30th-ranked defense, it is clear which unit is the (relative) strength of this team. Unfortunately, that strength has not really done its part, as the Badgers are just 2-2 on the year with a brutal schedule ahead, including a visit to Ann Arbor Saturday against the heavily favored No. 20 Michigan Wolverines.
That defensive ranking is largely bolstered by the nation’s
best run defense in terms of yards per game (50.0). While both Miami OH and Middle Tennessee were held to laughably low totals, even Alabama (3.27 YPC) and Maryland (2.65 YPC) were relatively held in check. How did the latter two games end in losses, then? The Badgers are allowed 10.1 YPA in those contests with 6 passing touchdowns to zero interceptions. Hello, Bryce Underwood.
Swiss cheese
Ty Simpson (24-of-29, 382 yards, 4 TD) absolutely ate up this defense, and while Michigan does not have a Ryan Williams, just about everything was working for the Alabama quarterback a few weeks ago. Malik Washington was a bit less clinical, but the Terps signal caller also had an overall effective day (265 yards) against the Badgers, which is definitely not a great sign for the visitors on Saturday.
The issues are numerous, but certainly it has been a disappointing start from corner Ricardo Hallman, who earned third-team All-American honors two years ago. Nickel Geimere Latimer has not fared much better, and the safety spot is also a question mark now with Preston Zachman remaining out injured; the ostensible cornerstone has two of the team’s three picks this season and could be a pretty significant loss. In his stead against Maryland was Matt Jung, who was a clear step down in talent.
Despite an excellent defensive front that has eliminated any opposing run threat, the front seven is just not doing enough to help the secondary. With no defensive backs consistently able to win one-on-one, the Badgers find themselves surrendering coverage busts and simply getting beat even without much resistance. This is a pretty bad development given the position group’s experience, and the performance has been overwhelmingly disappointing.
Sharp cheddar
Sherrone Moore returns to the sidelines, just in time for another existential challenge. The Wisconsin defensive has been great against the run, but surely Michigan will not be afraid to go strength against strength and attempt to overpower the Badgers, especially given the distinct mismatch on the other side of the ball, suggesting a safer approach could be warranted.
However, the stars align here for Underwood to have a day. Wisconsin has put up back-to-back below-average performances against the passing game, and the Wolverines’ freshman quarterback is maturing each week. While his numbers may not have been gaudy against Nebraska, his poise and confidence definitely shine through, and this might be the right combination of factors for him to be able to pump out a productive stat line.
Drops and poor separation remain an issue for the pass catchers as a whole, but Donovan McCulley and the tight ends have to be loving the opportunity this weekend, and getting some short stuff over the middle should be available too. Trusting Underwood against a quality defensive line might seem scary, but if he can get his throws off, then the results are going to be great. The setup is perfect for Moore to show he is ready to evolve, and Underwood should absolutely deliver if given the chance.
