Behind Enemy Lines: Badgers Wire sheds light on Wisconsin

We are just days away until Penn State opens the regular season when they hit the road for battle with Wisconsin. It is rare a Week 1 opener has so much riding on the line, but this particular matchup could end up carrying some weight in the Big Ten title race, and perhaps have some impact on the College Football Playoff.

For the first edition of Behind Enemy Lines, we talk with Ben Kenney who covers the Wisconsin Badgers for Badgers Wire.

Q: What was your reaction when you saw Wisconsin will take on Penn State in the first game of 2021?

Ben: I was excited. The Badgers usually start with the Eastern Michigan/Western Kentucky’s of the world and ease into the Big Ten slate. First, you consider this is the first real gameday atmosphere Madison will have seen in nearly two years. Pair that with high expectations for this football team and a tough opponent in Penn State, and you get an unbelievable way to start the 2021 football season.

Q: Who on Offense should Penn State be concerned with?

Ben: Well, the first answer is Graham Mertz. All signs point towards a big step forward from him this season after struggling through much of 2020. The skill positions are healthy and talented, the offensive line is vintage Wisconsin and there figures to be a solid ground game behind him. So the first answer is Mertz, and he’ll be the most important given the nature of the position. In terms of pure talent, Wisconsin’s best offensive players are a future NFL tight end in Jake Ferguson and the young yet explosive two-headed backfield attack of Jalen Berger and Chez Mellusi. It’s an extremely deep and talented offense so it’s hard to name just a few.

Q. What type of impact will this game have on the rest of the season with respect to the College Football Playoff or Big Ten Championship?

Ben:  For Wisconsin, this game won’t have much of an impact on their end-of-season standing, as weird as that sounds. Even with a loss, the team has a inside shot at winning the Big Ten West and if they’re able to do that, the path to the playoff is simple: beat Ohio State (or whoever else). A win would definitely elevate their CFP standing, though it’ll almost definitely come down to that game in Indy in December.

Q. Is it a good thing to open the season with conference games or go with non-conference games?

Ben:  I think it’s great for interest and exposure. For someone who already watches every Big Ten game, though, I don’t really care if they’re played in September or November.