Entering the season I picked the Wisconsin Badgers to win the Big Ten.
I thought Ohio State would take a big step backwards without Justin Fields (which appears to be correct) and I thought Wisconsin would be good enough to manage a favourable schedule, get back to Indianapolis and finally get over the hump and win the conference.
Well, through three weeks it’s clear Wisconsin is not close to good enough to make that prediction reality.
The latest let-down was yesterday’s 41-13 loss to Notre Dame. While the final score does not indicate the competitiveness of the contest or how many chances Wisconsin had to win, it is a result that leaves me with a bigger feeling of concern than I remember having since 2018.
Related: Five takeaways from Wisconsin’s 41-13 loss to Notre Dame
Last year there were many explanations about why the team struggled and could not beat ranked opponents. Graham Mertz was injured and inexperienced, the team didn’t have a running game, the receivers were hurt and COVID-19 put a wrench into their early momentum.
This year is different. We can’t use the same explanations (some would call them excuses) about why Mertz continues to struggle, about why there is no running game and about why this group cannot beat ranked teams.
This team has significant flaws. Here is why I’m deeply concerned after yesterday’s loss: