4. 2019

In my opinion this is the best Wisconsin football team since 2000, and had they won either the Big Ten Championship or Rose Bowl everybody would see that as the case.

Unfortunately, an upset at Illinois and two hard fought losses in the conference championship and Rose Bowl changed the narrative on what had the potential to be a legendary football season in Madison.

This team had a combination that no Badger team has had since Russell Wilson‘s unit in 2011: good quarterback play, a dominant running game and a nationally-ranked defense with top-end NFL talent.

What created a nearly-impossible path to success for this unit, though, was the No. 2-ranked strength of schedule in the country–the highest ranked for Wisconsin since 1995–which was the result of two games against statistically one of the best teams of all time in the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Nevertheless, this was a team that shut out four opponents, defeated ranked teams in No. 11 Michigan, No. 18 Iowa and No. 9 Minnesota, and a running back in Jonathan Taylor who finished with 2255 yards from scrimmage and 26 touchdowns.

Rewind a second. Imagine the referees in the Rose Bowl not calling the borderline pass interference late in the fourth quarter and the Badgers winning the game.

Then this has to be the best squad since 2000 right?

Time will tell how this team will be remembered, but to me this was the best unit since 2011 and would’ve been the best since 2000 had they finished the season with a victory.