The Badgers have some serious questions about the season ahead with a major injury to their QB.
The Wisconsin Badgers faced some disappointing news over the weekend, as quarterback Tyler Van Dyke suffered a torn ACL injury, effectively ruling him out for the 2024 season.
With questions looming around the Badgers program, the weekly roundtable session is back, as we evaluate the weekend’s performance, Braedyn Locke as the top quarterback, and the season outlook following the injury.
Reaction to Alabama loss
Rohan: This one was definitely a disappointing loss, and you could see that resonate throughout the locker room. But, I felt that Wisconsin’s chance to remain competitive went out the window the second that Tyler Van Dyke suffered the injury, and that proved to be true. Without him, the offense got virtually nothing via the air, missing out on chances for explosive plays, while the run game had its moments, but sputtered with fumbles. Defensively, we saw what happens when you face a team that has such a high explosive play rate, as the run defense was beaten down by Jalen Milroe and Jam Miller, while the Badgers had a number of coverage issues in the passing game, thanks to great playcalls from the Crimson Tide, as well as some mistakes on the backend. Nonetheless, the loss reflects the state of the program right now, as it is the biggest loss Wisconsin has faced since 2014. I will say this: there was a clear effort from the players; you can’t deny that. Wisconsin played hard in this game, especially in the first half, as they fought to make something happen. Still, the result ended up being the result.
Scary: While it was disappointing, especially so because of Van Dyke’s injury, the result was in the neighborhood of what I was expecting. Said another way, the gap between Wisconsin and Alabama is immense right now. This isn’t a fun fact by any means, but it’s true. So, anyone acting shocked at Saturday’s result was being a bit unrealistic coming in. That all said, there were some things I didn’t like even grading on the Bama curve: play calling issues, not getting some high upside guys involved on offense (e.g. Kekahuna), and numerous unforced errors (including two crushing fumbles). The team played with spirit, but Alabama was never threatened and that’s tough to watch no matter how predictable it may have been.
Evaluation of Braedyn Locke’s performance
Rohan: Locke was put into an extremely unfortunate situation over the weekend, as he was called in spot duty to replace Van Dyke against arguably Wisconsin’s toughest opponent of the season. There were bound to be some issues, as Locke hasn’t practiced with the first-team offense since the start of the season, but what stood out to be were the accuracy concerns, footwork issues, and lack of poise that troubled the redshirt sophomore in 2023. Wisconsin needed a good performance from their quarterback, as Alabama dared the Badgers to throw the ball, stacking up the box and playing man coverage all the way around. Locke had some major 1-on-1 opportunities, both to move the chains and create explosive plays, and couldn’t connect on those throws, which have to be made, circumstances or not. Right now, it feels like Locke is playing for his starting job in 2025 over the next few games, as the Badgers schedule doesn’t get any easier next year, and quarterback play will be the most important aspect if they want to succeed.
Scary: For someone who was getting a lot of hype in camp, Locke didn’t look very good, even using the Bama curve noted above. In fact, he reminded me a lot of the guy we saw against Iowa and IU last season. Just not good enough. I’m hopeful that the bye week will be very helpful to him, but let’s be honest—he got a lot of first team reps in both the spring and fall and I was hoping he’d look more game ready yesterday. But let’s remember that this is also on OC Phil Longo, who handpicked Locke for this offense. Longo doesn’t get a pass here, and it can be reasonably argued that has a lot to prove over the next two plus months if he wants to keep his job in 2025. Bottom line: if Wisconsin hopes to get bowl eligible this season, both Locke and Longo will have to be a lot better. Fortunately, I think there’s some growth potential here for Locke.
Season outlook with TVD injury
Rohan: I said it in last week’s roundtable: I thought this team looked like the makings of a 6-6 team even with Van Dyke as the starter, given how tough the schedule was and the lack of improvement in certain areas. Now, with Van Dyke out for the year and Locke at the helm, I’m starting to truly question whether Wisconsin will not only keep their crazy streak of winning seasons, but even make a bowl game in 2024. The Badgers have matchups against USC, Penn State, Iowa, and Oregon all on the docket still, where they’re expected to be considerable underdogs. Nebraska is ranked. Rutgers and Minnesota look like tough outs. As you think more and more, it’s becoming tougher to justify six wins with the way the team is currently playing.
Scary: I gave some of my thoughts on this in response to the previous question, but I think it’s fair to say that the Badgers’ prospects have dimmed. There’s just no getting around the fact that losing a proven college starter with a strong arm, solid feet, and tangible upside is a significant blow. Locke is a downgrade from Van Dyke. It’s a fact. That doesn’t mean Locke can’t still show out. He’s a hard working kid who seems very dedicated. But, if nothing else, his physical tools/experience simply aren’t as impressive as TVD’s and you’re lying to yourself if you think things didn’t just get a lot harder for the Badgers.