2017 B1G Previews: Wisconsin Badgers

Wisconsin Badgers (West Division)

Location: Madison, WI

Stadium: Camp Randall Stadium (80,321)

Coach: Paul Chryst (3^rd year): 21-6 at Wisconsin/40-25 overall, 13-4 v B1G

2016 Wisconsin Badgers (11-3)(7-3)                         2017 Wisconsin Badgers

16        LSU                              14                                S1        Utah State

54        Akron                           10                                S9        Florida Atlantic

23        Georgia State               17                                S16      at BYU

30        at Michigan State         6                                S23      idle

  7        at Michigan                 14                               S30      Northwestern

23        Ohio State                   30 (OT)                                    O7       at Nebraska

17        at Iowa                          9                                O14     Purdue

23        Nebraska                     17 (OT)                                    O21     Maryland

21        at Northwestern            7                                O28     at Illinois

48        Illinois                           3                                N4        at Indiana

49        at Purdue                    20                                N11      Iowa

31        Minnesota                   17                                N18      Michigan

31        Penn State                   38                                N25      at Minnesota

            (B1G Championship)

24        Western Michigan      16

            (Cotton Bowl)

Last year, Wisconsin faced one of the toughest schedules anywhere, playing six games against top-10 teams and they still managed to win the B1G West and reach their fourth B1G Championship game. 

Head Coach Paul Chryst welcomes back redshirt sophomore QB Alex Hornibrook who grew nicely into the starting role last year and he’s a typical Wisconsin quarterback who won’t put up huge numbers, but shows unquestioned leadership and runs the game plan very well.  An Academic All-Big Ten in 2016, Hornibrook completed 58 percent of his passes for 1262 yards and nine touchdowns against seven interceptions.  Corey Clement and Dare Ogunbowale are gone, so sophomore Bradrick Shaw will get the starting nod at the all-important RB spot in the Badgers offense. Shaw saw extensive duty as a backup last year with 457 yards and five touchdowns.  Junior Taiwan Deal figures to be his backup after seeing action in six games and is now fully recovered from an injury.  Good news for Hornibrook and Wisconsin’s passing attack is the return of senior WR Jazz Peavy, who was their second-leading receiver a year ago with 43 catches for 635 yards and five touchdowns. Peavy will also touch the ball on end-arounds and return punts.  Sophomores Quintez Cephus and A.J. Taylor are competing hard for the other WR spot. Cephus started five games in 2016, recording 4 receptions for 94 yards and carried the ball five times for 41 yards.  Taylor, as a backup the entire season, logged three receptions for 53 yards and carried the ball four times for 19 yards.  The Badgers’ offensive line will be strength, as usual. The tackle position was wide open during spring practice, with four players having a clear shot: true freshman Cole Van Lanen, sophomores David Moreman and David Edswards, and junior Jacob Maxwell.  However, it appears that the first two weeks of August drills has produced a clear starting five.  All B1G center junior Michael Dieter will move over to the LT spot, while redshirt freshman Tyler Biadasz will assume his center spot.  Sophomore John Dietzen has earned the starting nod at LG as well as junior Beau Benzschawel at RG.  Sophomore David Edwards is the front-runner to start at RT.  

                                            RB Bradrick Shaw

Wisconsin’s defense received a blow when LB Jack Cichy tore his ACL on August 8and is done for the season.  Fortunately, the Badgers are deep at linebacker, with junior Chris Orr ready to step in for Cichy after recovering from his ACL tear in their opening game in 2016. He started six games in 2015 with 46 tackles.  The Badgers are also fortunate to have junior T.J. Edwards back.  The leading tackler a year ago, Edwards was in on 89 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and three sacks, while also getting three interceptions.  Senior Garrett Dooley and sophomore Zack Baun complete the Wisconsin line backing corps.  Dooley had 40 tackles, 6.5 tackled for loss, and 3.5 sacks, while Baun had 15 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss as a back up.  Up front, the Badgers benefit from the return of seniors Conor Sheehy and Chikwe Obasih at the ends.  Sheehy turned in 27 tackles with four TFL and Obasih did almost as well, with 22 tackles.  NT should be taken by junior Olive Sagapolu, who played in nine games a year ago and had 14 tackles.  The secondary is experienced with three seniors back there, led by FS D’Cota Dixon, who finished with 60 tackles and four interceptions.  The corners are ably manned by Derrick Tindall (34 tackles, 3 ints) and Natrell Jamerson (19 tackles).  Junior Arrington Farrar figures to start at SS after managing seven tackles a year ago.

                                                 LB T.J.Edwards

Wisconsin returns both their specialists in senior kicker Rafael Gaglianone and sophomore punter Anthony Lotti.  Gaglianone hit on seven of his eight field goal attempts with a long of 48, while Lotti punted 51 times for a 37.7 average with a long of 60.

The Badgers picked up four-star offensive linemen Kayden Lyles and Tyler Beach and they give Wisconsin a nice guard/tackle combination.  Jake Ferguson, at TE, should see significant playing time as well as DE Andrew Van Ginkel.

Wisconsin benefits from not having Ohio State and Penn State on the schedule and they get Michigan at home on November 18 after getting Iowa at home the week before.  Their road game at BYU may not be easy as well as a road trip to Nebraska on October 7.  However, Wisconsin should be able to win ten games and be the favorite in the B1G West.

PREDICTION: 10-2 (7-2) 1^st in B1G West