Wisconsin’s 2021 season-opener did not live up to the expectations we saw build throughout the offseason.
Camp Randall was full and rocking, Graham Mertz was back to begin his second year, the team was healthy and the schedule lined up to be manageable.
Well, despite outgaining Penn State, holding the ball for nearly 43 minutes of game time and driving within the Penn State 10 yard line four times, the Nittany Lions came away with a 16-10 victory.
Related: Final game grades, report card for Wisconsin vs. Penn State
The performance can be looked at one of two ways:
First, the Badgers outplayed a great football team and are in a good position moving forward (glass half full).
Or second, Graham Mertz showed some of the same 2020 struggles, the offensive line was poor and the Badgers lost an easily-winnable game.
Either way, there is a lot of football left to be played and this loss will not define the season.
So looking forward, here is Wisconsin’s updated ESPN FPI win probabilities for the remainder of the regular season:
[listicle id=35720]