BYU Football: Scouting the Schedule – Wisconsin
By Shaun Gordon
Lawless Republic’s Scouting the Schedule series continues with BYU Football’s third opponent of the 2018 season, a likely Top 10 Wisconsin team.
As if it wasn’t enough to open the season against two PAC 12 opponents (Arizona and Cal), BYU Football will face a monumental task in their third game of 2018.
They’ll have to find a way to beat a powerhouse Wisconsin team at Camp Randall Stadium.
The same Wisconsin team that beat up on BYU 40-6 at LaVell Edwards Stadium last year.
A Badger team that outgained the Cougars 491-192 in total yardage during that beatdown.
And a team that returns every major offensive piece for 2018, and key defensive contributors as well.
No wonder they’re a Top 10 team in virtually every preseason poll.
Last Season
Just like this season, Wisconsin opened 2017 as a Top 10 team. The AP ranked them No. 9, and the Badgers never fell lower than No. 10.
Wisconsin benefitted from playing a soft schedule, only made softer when some teams (BYU, Nebraska, Minnesota) had surprisingly down years.
Badger football has always been about a dominant run game and a stingy defense, and they took that to a whole new level in 2017. Wisconsin rolled through their schedule, beating 10 of their 12 regular season opponents by double-digits.
They entered the week of the Big Ten title game as one of only two undefeated teams in the nation, and ranked No. 3 in the AP poll. A win over No. 8 Ohio State would have all but assured them a spot in the College Football Playoff, but the Buckeyes edged the Badgers 27-21.
That soft schedule came back to haunt Wisconsin, as they were left out of the playoff despite their historically dominant season.
Offseason
Remarkably, Wisconsin only lost one starter to graduation on the offensive side of the ball. However, they did lose seven defensive starters. They’re set up the middle, with their best interior linemen and linebackers returning, but players will have to step up on the ends and in the secondary if the Badgers want to remain dominant defensively.
The coaching staff is back. The offense is back. The defense looks to reload.
Wisconsin has some unfinished business – a spot in the College Football Playoff.