The Badgers went through arguably their toughest game this past week. What’s left on the docket?
The Wisconsin Badgers went through the ringer this past weekend in arguably their toughest game of the season, losing 42-10 to the Alabama Crimson Tide.
With the blowout loss, Wisconsin concludes their non-conference schedule and will look ahead to the Big Ten, where they have a tough slate of games ahead of them.
With that said, given the timing and the opponent, what are the toughest games still remaining on the Badgers schedule for the 2024 season? Let’s rank the top five.
No. 5: Week 13 @ No. 22 Nebraska
Heading into the year, this was one of the better matchups on the docket for the Badgers, as it was a contest between two rising programs that have made serious changes in the last two years.
Of course, Wisconsin’s season hasn’t gone the way they probably imagined, while Nebraska has skyrocketed into the Top 25 with a couple of strong showings led by true freshman five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola.
Right now, Nebraska is a tough beat. They’re well-coached, execute on both sides of the ball, and have the makings of a difference-maker at quarterback, who should only get better as the season continues.
Add the fact that this is a road game late in the season for the Badgers and the Cornhuskers are one of the tougher teams that Wisconsin will face this year.
No. 4: Week 10 @ Iowa
Slotting right above Nebraska is Wisconsin’s Week 10 matchup on the road against the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Iowa’s M.O. is similar to years past in that they have a strong defense, good offensive line, and a strong running game that can push them to points.
However, the Hawkeyes look a bit different this year with an added element to their offense at quarterback. Now, Cade McNamara hasn’t looked amazing, but he’s better than what Iowa had last year at quarterback, and can be efficient when needed.
But, I just don’t see how this is a good matchup for Wisconsin. Iowa shuts down the run, forcing you to beat them in the air, where they have good defensive backs. They force turnovers at a good-enough clip, and they can run the football all over a defense.
Wisconsin struggles where Iowa is good at, and I don’t trust their passing offense enough, making this one of the toughest matchups of the year, especially when considering it’s on the road.
No. 3: Week 12 vs. No. 9 Oregon
I had the Oregon Ducks as the top team in the Big Ten heading into the year, but they haven’t looked as strong early on. Still, they’re a top 10 team in the country and their offense is slowly starting to turn out, with back-to-back 35+ point games over the past two weeks.
I have confidence their team will sort things out as the season goes along, and Wisconsin faces them deep into the season in Week 12.
When you look at what Oregon is able to do, they have an explosive offense that generates yards both through the air and on the ground, gaining 546 yards of offense last week in a 49-14 win over Oregon State.
Now, they have been a little susceptible to defending the run, which is a part of why they don’t crack the top two, but I’d expect them to sell out there against Wisconsin, daring them to throw the ball.
Wisconsin does also get Oregon at home, bumping them up, but this is a very tough matchup nonetheless.
No. 2: Week 9 vs. Penn State
At No. 2 is the Penn State Nittany Lions, as I found that game slightly tougher than the Oregon one for a few reasons.
Penn State’s offense, and specifically quarterback Drew Allar, have been the biggest questions for the Nittany Lions over the past few years, but they may have unlocked a new level under new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki.
Penn State is already elite at running the football with their two-headed monster out of the backfield, which is a major problem for Wisconsin. But, their passing game is slowly starting to unravel as well.
They had a close game against Bowling Green, narrowly winning 34-27. But, the Falcons generated most of their success through the air in the first half before sputtering in the second half, and I don’t see Wisconsin being able to generate that type of success.
A good run defense mixed with a strong offense in multiple ways leads this to be one of the toughest matchups of the year for Wisconsin.
No. 1: Week 5 @ No. 11 USC
The toughest matchup of the year for the Badgers comes next weekend when they travel to face the No. 11 USC Trojans.
Yes, Wisconsin will be coming off a bye week, but this is Braedyn Locke’s first start of the year, so expectations won’t be that high for the Badgers as they look to navigate the ship in a new direction in 2024.
Additionally, USC has looked superb to start the year, beating a tough LSU team in the opener before blowing out Utah State.
Quarterback Miller Moss is a problem, running back Woody Marks has been successful, and, most importantly, the defense has looked good.
I see this one being a major challenge for the Badgers as they open Big Ten play, especially considering they’re traveling on the road for this one.