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What Indiana HC Tom Allen is saying about Wisconsin before the game

The No. 18 Wisconsin Badgers will return to the field Saturday against the 5-1 and No. 10-ranked Indiana Hoosiers as they look to bounce…

The No. 18 Wisconsin Badgers will return to the field Saturday against the 5-1 and No. 10-ranked Indiana Hoosiers as they look to bounce back from their loss to Northwestern and improve to 3-1 on the season.

The Hoosier team they will face is nothing like the one we’ve grown used to seeing over the years, as they’re explosive on offense and are charged by a defense that intercepts 2.6 passes per game.

The Indiana team they face on Saturday, however, will also be different than what we’ve seen this year, with Hoosier star quarterback Michael Penix Jr. out for the season after tearing his ACL.

The game is a pivotal one for both teams, with the Badgers looking to enter Bowl Season with momentum and the Hoosiers preparing to possibly make a Big Ten Championship appearance (that if Ohio State misses one more game during the regular season).

Indiana head coach Tom Allen talked about the Wisconsin team he will take the field against on Saturday, noting the culture that Paul Chryst has has created.

“Paul Chryst has done a phenomenal job there. When you watch them play you see a model of consistency and a culture that they have created. They play the game with so much discipline. They have so much size and play with such a high level of execution. They are really impressive. We have not played them for a couple of years, but the last time we did was in 2017. That was an impressive team they brought to Bloomington. I left even more impressed after playing them. We know that we have a fight on our hands up there in Madison. We have to have a great week of preparation to play our best football.”

He continued to say that his team’s focus is Saturday’s contest, and the possibility of a Big Ten Championship appearance is not a concern at this moment.

“There is one focus: beat Wisconsin,” Allen said. “That is really the approach. This is the biggest game on our schedule because it is the next one. That is how we talk to our guys. I understand there is a lot of things going on, but it is earmuffs and blinders.”

The Indiana head coach’s final comments during his Monday press conference were on the Badger offense, Graham Mertz and how hard it is to prepare for a team that has only played three games thus far.

“We have played six [games] and they have played three, so we are watching film off of that,” Allen said. “They have a new quarterback that we have not faced and has only played limited snaps so far this season because of their shortened schedule. He is a very talented player. You saw that in week one against Illinois. He made some tremendous throws and is very poised. He is a big, athletic guy that can make all the throws.”

He then went on to describe what a Wisconsin offense brings when there is talent at the quarterback position.

“He gives them a pretty impressive player at the quarterback spot. When you match that up with their talented offensive line, a whole bunch of running backs and they keep coming at you. They have really talented tight ends and wide receivers that make plays. I think the quarterback is a great fit for what they do and is a very talented football player. They create challenges for you because of the size of their offensive line and the way they run the football. That sets up everything else that they do. They do a really good job schematically of really stressing the defense. They personnel you and formation you and they have a really good coaching staff. We have a ton of respect for the football team we are about to play.”

Wisconsin and Indiana will take the field at 2:30 CST on Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium as Tom Allen and his team looks to break the Badgers’ 10-game win streak against their program.

Game Preview:

REPORT: QB Jack Coan is back at practice and cleared to play

Back in early October Wisconsin starting quarterback Jack Coan broke his foot at practice and was declared out indefinitely…

Back in early October, Wisconsin starting quarterback Jack Coan broke his foot at practice and was declared out indefinitely.

That was almost exactly two months ago, a time when the outlook of the Badgers’ season was a lot different and before three of the team’s first six games were canceled due to COVID-19 outbreaks.

According to a report from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Jeff Potrykus, Coan has now returned to practice and has been cleared to play in Saturday’s game against Indiana, if needed.

Though it’s unknown whether he will reclaim the starting job on Saturday, Coan’s return means a healthy quarterback room for Paul Chryst and his team as they enter the final stretch of their schedule.

More work:

Report: Michigan vs. Ohio State is in serious jeopardy, which if true could create a Buckeye–Badger postseason contest

Opinion: A Big Ten rule is close to taking away the remaining credibility of the 2020 season

Five keys to a Wisconsin victory over Indiana on Saturday

Team preview: Indiana Hoosiers

HC Paul Chryst discusses the possibility of Michael Penix Jr. missing Saturday’s contest

A report surfaced today that Indiana starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is expected to miss the remainder of the season after…

A report surfaced today that Indiana starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is expected to miss the remainder of the season after injuring his knee during the team’s victory against Maryland this weekend.

#IU QB Michael Penix Jr is expected to miss the rest of the season because of the lower leg injury he suffered on Saturday, per source.

— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) November 30, 2020

The news is a big blow to the 5-1 and No. 10-ranked Hoosiers, as they’re in the middle of an impressive season and Penix Jr. currently leads the conference in nearly every passing statistic.

Wisconsin Head Coach Paul Chryst spoke to the media today ahead of Saturday’s matchup with Indiana and was asked about preparing to face the Hoosiers with a backup under center.

“You try to do your best. Obviously when you don’t have as much film which makes it a little more challenging,” Chryst said. “You know what they’re trying to do offensively and their quarterback has been playing at a high level. We don’t know for sure but we certainly know the possibility, so you try to do your best in your preparation.”

The Hoosiers are likely to be led by redshirt sophomore Jack Tuttle, a player who has thrown only 16 collegiate passes, 5 of which coming this season. So even though Chryst said preparation will be key heading into the contest, there is practically no film on Tuttle to go off of and not much of a track record to go off of.

One notable fact that Chryst did not bring up, however, is the Badgers did offer Tuttle back in 2016 and he made two unofficial visits to campus.

What is known about this whole situation is the Indiana offense is sure to look different without their star quarterback Penix Jr. under center, something which may prove to be a big break for a Wisconsin team that yet again is coming off an idle week after the Minnesota game was canceled due to COVID-19 cases within the Gopher football program.

The Badgers and Hoosiers will take the field at 2:30 CST on Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium, with the Hoosiers looking to stay alive in the race for the Big Ten East and the Badgers looking to improve to 3-1 on the season.

REPORT: Indiana starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is out for the season

The No. 18 Wisconsin Badgers will return to the field (for what seems like the fifth time) on Saturday and face off against the 5-1 and…

The No. 18 Wisconsin Badgers will return to the field (which seems like the fifth “return” they’ve had) on Saturday and face off against the 5-1 and No. 10-ranked Indiana Hoosiers at Camp Randall Stadium.

Indiana has put together an impressive season thus far, starting the year 4-0 with wins against Penn State and Michigan before falling to top-ranked Ohio State by only seven points.

Their leader and best player, Michael Penix Jr, injured his leg last weekend against Maryland, however, and according to a report from Bruce Feldman will now miss the remainder of the season.

#IU QB Michael Penix Jr is expected to miss the rest of the season because of the lower leg injury he suffered on Saturday, per source.

— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) November 30, 2020

Along with playing the sports’ most important position and being immensely talented, he’s put together the best season-long performance the Big Ten has seen from the position.

Here is how his stats rank in the conference:

Pass attempts: first
Completions: first
Passing touchdowns: first
Total yards: first
Passing yards: first
Total touchdowns: first
Adjusted passing yards-per-attempt: second

He’s been practically unstoppable and has proven to be the spark the Indiana program needed.

The Badgers will now face the Penix Jr.-less Hoosiers on Saturday which will help their chances at bouncing back from the loss at Northwestern and improving to 3-1 on the season.

Wisconsin still has a (complicated) path to the College Football Playoff

Due to Wisconsin’s rivalry contest against Minnesota being canceled due to COVID-19 cases in the Minnesota program, the Badgers are…

Due to Wisconsin’s rivalry contest against Minnesota being canceled due to COVID-19 cases in the Minnesota program, the Badgers are now unable to fulfill the six-game requirement to qualify for the Big Ten Championship.

Even if there was no game requirement to qualify for the conference championship, making it anyway would be a longshot with Northwestern sitting at 5-1 and holding the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Badgers.

Despite the state of the season, there remains a path for the Badgers to defy all odds and make it to the College Football Playoff. Specifically, ESPN’s updated FPI gives the team a 3.7 percent chance of making the playoff. A lot has to go perfectly, but there is a path.

Stay with me here.

Due to a COVID-19 outbreak within their program, Ohio State‘s contest against Illinois last weekend was canceled, making it the second game the Buckeyes have missed this season. If Ryan Day’s team is unable to play either of their next two games the team would fall into the Badgers’ situation and will no longer be eligible for the Big Ten Championship.

The Buckeyes then would likely finish second in the Big Ten East (technically) and face Wisconsin during the Big Ten’s conference-wide December 19 postseason week, that if the Badgers win each of their two remaining games.

So even though it won’t be in the Big Ten Championship, Wisconsin would get a shot at redemption from last season’s losses and have a chance at a resume-defining victory.

Still working hypothetically: If Wisconsin is able to win that game after finishing the regular season 2-0, they would sit with a 5-1 record with a win against a top-5 team in Ohio State, a win against a top-10 team in Indiana and their only loss coming to a top-15 Northwestern team. 5-1 wasn’t the desired record for the team entering this year, but it would be an impressive resume given the circumstances.

So, how would that resume get them into the playoff?

The current playoff rankings have Alabama at No. 1, Notre Dame at No. 2, Clemson at No. 3, Ohio State at No. 4, Texas A&M at No. 5 and Florida at No. 6.

If Alabama and Notre Dame run the table they will both be undefeated and get in at No. 1 and No. 2 respectively. That would also give both Clemson and Florida two losses since they are likely to face off against the aforementioned teams in their conference’s title games.

So they would be out of the equation, leaving Texas A&M, Cincinnati and Ohio State as roadblocks for a Badger playoff appearance.

Note: Oklahoma is currently ranked ahead of the Badgers in the playoff rankings and controls its own destiny to reach the Big 12 title game. However, the Sooners have two losses and a 5-1 Wisconsin team with wins against Ohio State and Indiana may jump Oklahoma in the rankings down the road.

Again, this scenario is a longshot to come true, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be outlined and thought about.

Here is a list of everything that would need to happen in order for Texas A&M, Cincinnati and Ohio State to fall behind the potential 5-1 Badgers with Alabama and Notre Dame also winning out:

Texas A&M loses to either Auburn or Tennessee, giving them two losses and taking them out of the picture
Cincinnati loses to Tulsa this weekend and finishes as a 1-loss team without any Top 25 wins
The committee sees Wisconsin’s head-to-head win against Ohio State as enough to put them as the best 1-loss team
The Pac 12 champion finishes with two losses
Northwestern loses to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship game or to Minnesota or Illinois to close out the regular season, therefore giving them two losses

If all of this comes true, this would be the final-season rankings

Undefeated Alabama (SEC champion)
Undefeated Notre Dame (ACC champion)
A debate between the following resumes for the final two spots:
- 5-1 Wisconsin with wins against Ohio State and Indiana and only loss coming to Northwestern
- 5-1 Ohio State who lost to Wisconsin during Big Ten’s championship weekend
- 8-2 Oklahoma (Big 12 champion)
- 9-2 Florida (with their only losses coming against Texas A&M and Alabama)
- 7-1 Cincinnati (with no Top 25 wins)
- 7-2 Indiana (Big Ten Champion, but with losses to Wisconsin and Ohio State)
- The Pac 12 Champion (it’s too early to tell how many losses they’ll have)
- Several other 2-loss teams that did not win their conference championships

The committee could still see those resumes and chose conference champion Oklahoma, 9-2 Florida or the winner of the Pac 12. But if the Badgers get to face Ohio State due to the Buckeyes not qualifying for the conference championship, the door would be open for a playoff birth for the Wisconsin Badgers.

This is purely speculation and clearly has a low chance of coming true, but after the Northwestern loss and Minnesota cancelation, it looked like the playoff was impossible for Paul Chryst’s team. That now is not completely the case.

An update on our bold predictions for the Badgers’ 2020 football season

We are now six weeks into the Big Ten’s 2020 football season and the No. 18 Wisconsin Badgers sit at 2-1 after seeing three of their…

We are now six weeks into the Big Ten’s 2020 football season and the No. 18 Wisconsin Badgers sit at 2-1 after seeing three of their six games canceled due to COVID-19 protocols.

A lot has gone well for the team this year, including redshirt freshman Graham Mertz bursting onto the scene, true freshmen Jalen Berger and Nick Herbig having an instant impact and a blow out win against Michigan.

Much has also gone wrong, though, with the program experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak and having to cancel two games, losing 17-7 to Northwestern and the battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe being canceled due to COVID-19 cases in the Minnesota football program.

Before the season, site editor Asher Low and I put together nine bold predictions for the team’s 2020 season.

Here is a past-mid-season update on how the predictions are shaking out: