Wisconsin was by far one of the best all around teams of the 2017 season. They finished with a 13-1 record (9-0 in conference play minus the B1G Championship) and wrapped up the year with a win over the hot Miami team. So, what is the expectation heading into the 2018 season?
To open a can of Whoop Ass upon the college scene.
Wisconsin is going to be very good this year, but not the average good like we see with other teams. They are Wisconsin good: produce All-American linemen, run the ball down their opponent’s throats, and develop walk-ons to become key players. This team was more than playoff-level good and were just one drive away from making the all sacred CFB Playoffs. So, with an all “new” Big Ten season coming around, how good will they really do?
Prestige Ranking (If NCAA ’19 existed): 5 Star
Wisconsin is the near the top of the charts for a powerhouse in the CFB scene. They are the best team in the Big Ten West and arguably one of the top in the Midwest, so a 5* is a reasonable price.
Last Year’s Record: 13-1 (9-0 in B1g Play)
Wisconsin had one of the best years out of all team last season, with the only loss coming from the Buckeye’s in the B1G Championship. The Big Ten West isn’t exactly the most challenging conference, but some teams could ruin their season (lookin’ at you, Iowa)
Projected Starting Returners:
Offense: 9
WR A.J Taylor, WR Danny Davis, LT Michael Dieter, C Tyler Biadasz, RG Beau Benzschawel, RT David Edwards, QB Alex Hornibrook, RB Jonathan Taylor
With only 2 positions without any returning starters, Wisconsin had a strong offensive core this season, with only a senior TE leaving and a underclassmen taking over in the LG spot. Hornibrook, one of the only lefties in college, will be able to once again lead this team with top 10 passing stats, as well as one of the best running squads.
Defense:4
NT Olive Sagapolu, ILB Ryan Connelly , ILB T.J. Edwards, SS D’Cota Dixon
And this is where it starts to become a little ugly. A core of Wisconsin’s defensive guys all left and now, these new holes that have to be filled can be the downfall of this team, or help them take the next step forward and win the Big Ten.
Special Teams: P Anthony Loti, FG Rafael Gaglianone, LS Adam Bay
With this “young” ST core and little to no miscues last year, the (Honey) Badgers dont give a F***.
Key Losses: 75% of the defense and TE Troy Fumagalli
The new defensive players have yet to play a single snap in-game, so we won’t know if they are an improvement or not to this team until kickoff. However, losing TE Fumagalli is a huge loss for Hornibrook and the offense. He led the team in receiving yards last season and was a go-to target on 3rd downs and in the red zone.
Key Newcomer(s): The Whole Defense
While this core has not yet played, they are all sophomores or older, so they have experience and know what they are doing. Reports have come out that from summer ball, as well as the spring, they look faster and more powerful than their predecessors, so we will see how this D can handle. (That’s what she said)
Breakout Player: Johnathan Taylor
The freshman back ran for over 2,000 yards in his freshman season and was 6th in Heisman voting last season. Once you watch some film on this kid running around like it is backyard football, you just can’t help but feel in awe that he is going to be special. A darkhorse Heisman favorite, he is going to be easily repeat for 2,000+ yards and could be the next Big RB.
5 Year Recruiting Ranking: 35th
This team is not a great powerhouse for recruiting, with most of their 5*s being linemen or linebackers, but they still put the pieces together unlike other SEC team’s who recruit in the top ten. If they have a couple of more big seasons, don’t be shocked if this number rockets up.
Tyroil Smoochie-Wallace All Name Team Member: Isaiahh Loudermilk
I mean come on, it was between D’Coat Dixon or him, but Loudermilk sounds like a randomly generated name you would get from a WWE game, so he is the lucky winner.
Alcohol Prediction: Some nice Coors Light mixed with some Cheez-Wiz
Cheeseheads love two things in life: Football and Cheese, so why not have a nice refreshing Milwaukee Beer with some Cheez-Wiz on the side, to celebrate a helluva season with no regrets or bad decisions.