The Wisconsin Badgers have always had a certain way of doing things. Outsiders can easily recognize the style and method of the Wisconsin program. It is a consistent approach to college football which continues to great good results. Last year’s team went from being merely good to becoming great. The Badgers will try to remain great and not suffer the regression some are expecting from this team in 2018. We will see if this team remains strong enough to finish above its regular season win total of 10 games.
Wisconsin 2018 regular season win total
Over 10
Under 10
Odds courtesy of BetDSI Sportsbook.
What Happened Last Year
The Badgers had their best season in over 50 years, going unbeaten in their first 12 games before losing to Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game. Wisconsin used its very familiar combination of a smash mouth running game, play-action passing (often to tight ends), and stout, physical defense to wear down a series of Big Ten opponents and win the West Division title once again.
The Badgers also took advantage of the fact that among their three Big Ten East crossover games (against the teams from the other Big Ten division), they played Maryland and Indiana. The Big Ten West involved home dates against the two biggest challengers in the division, Northwestern and Iowa. The schedule fell very nicely into place for Wisconsin, but the team pounced on every bit of good fortune it received. It also had to fend off a strong challenge from Michigan at home late in the season. The Badgers capped their year by beating Miami in the Orange Bowl, in the Hurricanes’ home stadium. This is a team which will be remembered as one of the very best in Wisconsin history.
What Will Change This Year
Not much – and in this case, that’s a very good thing for head coach Paul Chryst and his staff. Alex Hornibrook returns at quarterback, and Jonathan Taylor returns as the featured running back behind a veteran offensive line. Wisconsin is in very good position to continue to sledgehammer and piledrive the ball between the tackles, thereby shortening games and putting a lot of pressure on opposing defenses to make plays. Wisconsin opponents know the Badgers like to control the ball and keep it away from the other side’s offense. The anxiety attached to this realization often causes opposing defenders to get nervous and make mistakes. Wisconsin thrives on winning these kinds of mental battles. The best news for the Badgers is that they still have the personnel which will enable them to play games the way they want to play them.
Outlook & Prediction
The schedule is Wisconsin’s biggest problem by far, not the roster or any personnel situations. The Badgers – in their crossover games against teams from the Big Ten East – have to play at Michigan and at Penn State, a brutal pair of games. Then Wisconsin has to play the tougher teams in the Big Ten West Division on the road as well: at Northwestern and at Iowa. If last year’s schedule was great, this year’s schedule is the exact opposite. Wisconsin is very likely to lose twice this season. If one is to lean in the direction of the over or the under, the likelihood of losing three games is probably a little better than the likelihood of losing only once. Therefore, the under is the better bet. This is probably a nine-win team more than an 11-win team in the regular season.
