Big Ten Potential Disappointment
Wisconsin Badgers
Okay, okay, okay … it’s sort of weird to be considered a potential disappointment while also appearing on the Teams That Will Rebound Big list.
That was about having the potential to turn things back around, and – if this makes any sense – this is about not 100% buying that everything will snap back as expected.
The 2020 Badgers came into the season with more than enough talent to win the Big Ten West. The defense was strong, the receiving corps appeared to be the best yet under head coach Paul Chryst, and there was a real, live, big-time quarterback about to take over.
Graham Mertz was brilliant in the opener against Illinois, tested positive for COVID-19, and the regular season wasn’t the same the rest of the way despite a 49-11 win over Michigan.
The receiving corps was hit with injuries, the offense went into the tank with a total collapse – Wisconsin scored a total of 20 points over three straight losses – and worst of all, the running game was nowhere to be found at times.
Can Jalen Berger really be the next great Badger back? Maybe, but is Mertz about to take a big step forward with all the great receivers back? It’s possible.
But like North Carolina in the ACC – and with a few of the other teams on this list – can the Badgers get to the conference title?
In non-conference play they have to deal with Notre Dame, and Big Ten showdowns against Penn State and Michigan won’t be easy. Watch out for the road trip at Purdue, and be careful of the home games against Iowa and Northwestern.
However, as long as the Badgers win in Camp Randall, there’s no excuse to not end up in Indianapolis in early December. And that’s where the potential disappointment comes in.
Anything other than a Big Ten Championship appearance won’t do. Throw in a possible loss to Notre Dame – or, heaven forbid, Army – and yet another year without a College Football Playoff appearance won’t be fun.
Keeping with the theme of title-game-or-bust …
2021 Power Five Possible Disappointments
ACC | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC