There are some very good offensive units in the Big Ten such as Ohio State, Indiana, and to some degree Penn State.
But Wisconsin is not on that list.
The Badgers have had trouble putting the ball in the end zone in 2024 and against one of the top defenses in the county, it’s difficult to imagine this changing on Saturday.
Quarterback and first-year starter Braedyn Locke has had an up-and-down season. He averages nearly 180 yards a game and he has eight touchdowns to his credit. That’s the good news. The bad news, at least for the Badgers, is that Locke has thrown for eight picks. That 1-to-1 ratio between touchdown passes and interceptions is less than ideal.
When Locke isn’t tossing the all around the field, he is giving it to a capable running back in Tawee Walker. The 5-foot-9, 218-pound senior averages 84 yards a game and has found the end zone 10 times.
With a more prolific passing game for a defense to pay closer attention to, Walker’s numbers would most likely be even better.
In that passing game, Locke tends to throw to receiver Will Pauling more often than not. He leads the team with 40 receptions and two touchdowns.
The Badgers feature an offensive line that can be a tough one to crack for any defense with their size. The smallest offensive lineman for the Badgers is Jake Renfro at 6-foot-4 and 302 pounds and the largest is Jack Nelson at 6-foot-7 and 316 pounds.
According to Oregon coach Dan Lanning, Wisconsin has a typical Big Ten line to contend with.
“They’re big. They’re one of the ones where you look at them and say that’s what an offensive line looks like,” he said. “They have great size up front. They have the ability to move you. That’s what a Wisconsin offensive line looks like.”
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