Tag: wisconsin football badgers

A look at the newly released college football bowl schedule

The 2020-2021 bowl schedule is out

As we sit in the middle of a college football season that has barely even begun for the Big Ten, bowl season is just two months away.

The two CFP bowl games, this year being the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl, are scheduled for New Years Day, with the CFP National Championship set for Jan. 11 in Miami.

If Wisconsin is able to get to six games this year, they would be eligible for the Big Ten championship week, assuming there are not mass game cancellations around the rest of the league.

BadgersWire Roundtable: Score predictions for week one against Illinois

Who wins on Friday night?

The BadgersWire staff is coming together to give you our week one score predictions. Will Wisconsin cover a massive spread of -20? Will Illinois find a way to repeat last year’s shocker? Here’s how we think Friday goes:

Wade: This season opener will be a game to clear up many unknowns, most notably at quarterback, running back, wide receiver, punter, and safety for the Badgers. It will be a learning experience for many of the younger players, who will be taking some of their first meaningful extended snaps. Wisconsin should and will beat this Illinois team, but the final score difference will not be as big as Las Vegas projects. Illinois returns a number of starters and key contributors from a year ago, which leads me to believe that this game will be a close match up.

Wisconsin wins 28-24 

Ben: The Badgers are the far superior team in this contest and will enter with vengeance after last season’s defeat in Champaign, Illinois. They will take care of the football, shut down the Illini in the running game and limit big plays on defense–all things they did not do last year. Graham Mertz won’t “go off” as many are hoping, but he will do enough to keep the offense on the field and move the chains when needed. Jake Ferguson goes for 80+ yards and a touchdown, the defense dominates and the Badgers open their season 1-0.

Wisconsin wins 24-13 

Asher: It will start on defense for Jim Leonhard and the Badgers. Wisconsin shuts down an unproven Illinois running game, and second-year starting QB Brandon Peters finishes with a mixed bag of big throws and crippling mistakes. Offensively, Wisconsin takes care of the football better than they did last year in Champaign, and TE Jake Ferguson takes advantage of Lovie Smith’s Tampa-2 scheme over the middle. Expect some early nerves for Graham Mertz, but also expect him to do enough to put this one out of reach in the second half.

Wisconsin wins 31-17 

LOOK: Wisconsin football releases their week one depth chart

The Badgers depth chart is now out

With a Wisconsin football game just five days away, we now have a look at the week one depth chart. Filled with surprises, especially if you had thought about what it may look a few months ago, the Badgers boast a team filled with juniors and seniors but led by a redshirt-freshman under center. ImageEarly notes that stick out begin on offense with Jon Dietzen returning to football and returning to the starting unit on the line. Expect to see Garrett Groshek in on third down with Nakia Watson taking a majority of the handoffs at RB in week one.

Defensively, Houston transfer Collin Wilder gets the initial nod alongside Eric Burrell at safety. After an impressive preseason, freshman LB Nick Herbig is listed behind Izayah Green-May at OLB. Division III transfer Andy Vujnovich is now eligible and gets the nod at punter.

Podcast: Which freshman have been turning heads for Wisconsin football?

Who has been turning heads in practice for the Badgers

On today’s episode of Locked On Badgers, Asher delves into the hype surrounding freshman for Wisconsin football. Who has received the most hype this preseason in practice? Find out in the episode. Plus, why Jack Coan will still mean everything to this team, even while he is on the sidelines:

You can listen to Locked On Badgers wherever you get your podcasts, with new episodes up Monday through Friday.

 

Paul Chryst ranked as a top 15 coach according to 247Sports

The Badger leader is seen as one of the top coaches in the country by 247Sports

Does Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst care at all how he is ranked/viewed nationally? Absolutely not, and it is part of the reason why Badger fans have loved the Chryst tenure in Madison. It’s all about results on the field. Yet, it is still interesting to see how national analysts view Wisconsin’s program and their leader in comparison to the top coaches around the nation.

According to 247Sports’ recent rankings of head football coaches around the country, Chryst came in as the No. 14 coach overall, and the third-best coach in the Big Ten. Ryan Day at Ohio State has had the luxury of taking over a program that was already performing at an elite level, and he has done a tremendous job in sustaining that success. Last year’s CFP berth earned him the No. 6 spot in the rankings and the top spot in the Big Ten.

In Madison, Chryst has led the Badgers to three New Year’s Six bowl appearances, and won two Big Ten Coach of the Year awards.

The other Big Ten coach ahead of Chryst? Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh. Maybe we should all go back and watch the tape of Wisconsin’s 2019 win over the Wolverines. Just a thought.

 

Update: Wisconsin QB Jack Coan undergoes successful surgery

The Badgers QB underwent surgery on his right foot this week

After a non-contact foot injury sidelined Wisconsin’s starting QB Jack Coan at Saturday’s practice, Badgers coach Paul Chryst mentioned that Coan would be seeing a specialist this week.

Yesterday, UW announced that Coan had gone through a successful surgery on his right foot and will still be out indefinitely.

Although there is no time table yet set for the New York native’s return to the field, it feels as though redshirt-freshman Graham Mertz will be the man under center for at least a solid portion of the eight week regular season.

Mertz is currently taking reps with the one’s in practice:

Podcast: What changes with Graham Mertz under center?

The Badgers having Graham Mertz under center will certainly shift things around for this offense

On today’s episode of Locked On Badgers, the BadgersWire team of Asher and Ben break down what changes for Wisconsin with Graham Mertz at QB. Also, the first ever Locked On Badgers draft is here! Asher and Ben choose the best bars in Madison, Wisconsin. It’s all included in the latest Locked On Badgers:

You can find Locked On Badgers wherever you get your podcasts, with new episodes out Monday through Friday.

WATCH: FOX’s Joel Klatt on the winners and losers of the new Big Ten schedule

FOX college football analyst Joel Klatt on the Big Ten schedule

The Badgers have it good according to FOX lead college football analyst Joel Klatt. On the third Big Ten attempt at putting together a schedule, Wisconsin got a favorable draw. The biggest reason according to Klatt? No Ohio State.

Here is more on why the Badgers will have a favorable road towards the Big Ten championship game:

Wisconsin steep underdogs to win the Big Ten according to BetMGM

The Badgers have some intriguing value to win the Big Ten

With a reinstated season comes renewed betting lines, and Wisconsin may have some serious value according to odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook.

The extremely heavy favorite, to nobody’s surprise, comes out of the Big Ten East. Ohio State is at -250 to win the conference, meaning a $25 dollar bet would only net ten dollars in profit if the Buckeyes do in fact win the conference.

The Badgers are tied for third-best odds, but present some serious value as the top team in the Big Ten West. Wisconsin is at +900 to take the conference title, with Iowa and Minnesota tied at +2500 being the next best odds for any Big Ten West team.

If Wisconsin makes it to the Big Ten championship game, which they are odds on favorites to do, a +900 number is extremely solid value in a one game Big Ten championship scenario. Will it be the Badgers and the Buckeyes meeting at the top during championship week? If you think it will be another Ohio State vs. Wisconsin clash, +900 is the number to hammer.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

Podcast: Wisconsin football has built their best recruiting class ever

The Badgers have their best ever recruiting class in 2021

On the final Locked On Badgers episode of the week, Asher breaks down why Wisconsin has built their best ever football recruiting class in 2021, and gets you ready for Badgers in the NFL week two.

You can listen to Locked On Badgers wherever you get your podcasts, with new episodes being uploaded three times per week.