2020 Team Preview: Can Wisconsin Topple Ohio State?

The Wisconsin Badgers are really good at winning division championships in the Big Ten Conference. They won in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2019. However, they haven’t won a conference championship since 2012, and that was a year in which Ohio State went unbeaten but was not eligible to play in the Big Ten Championship Game due to NCAA sanctions. Wisconsin very likely would not have won the Big Ten title in 2012 had Ohio State been eligible to play for the Big Ten championship. So, the Badgers know they’re really good. They also know that Ohio State is the team squarely standing in the way of their aspirations to reach higher. OSU beat Wisconsin in last year’s Big Ten title game and has beaten the Badgers in three of the last six Big Ten championship tilts. Can the Badgers turn the tide in 2020?

Offseason Changes

The Badgers lost running back Jonathan Taylor, one of the two best running backs in Wisconsin football history. Wisconsin’s Ron Dayne is the all-time college football rushing yards leader with 7,125. Taylor is sixth on the all-time list with 6,174. Taylor is one of only seven men to rush for over 6,000 yards in a college football career. Replacing him will not be easy.

Wisconsin also lost linebackers Chris Orr and Zack Baun to the pros, plus receiver Quintez Cephus. The Badgers do have a few holes to fill on their roster.

The Badgers Will Succeed If…

Jack Coan becomes an elite quarterback. Coan was a game manager for most of the 2019 season, a player asked to hand the ball off, call the right play, and complete short passes on third downs to move the sticks and enable Jonathan Taylor to score touchdowns for the Badger offense. Late in the 2019 season, however, he played a great game against Minnesota and a very good game against Ohio State. He made a few key mistakes against Oregon in the Rose Bowl, but the Minnesota and Ohio State performances showed what he is capable of. If that is the version of Jack Coan who plays in 2020, Wisconsin will be a very strong team with a real chance at beating Ohio State.

The Badgers Will Fail If…

The front seven isn’t able to help the secondary. The Wisconsin secondary is fully intact – everyone is back from last season. However, if the pass rush isn’t there and the linebackers can’t cover tight ends down the field, it won’t matter. Wisconsin has a lot of bodies to replace at linebacker, plus a few more on the defensive line. The Badgers don’t have to be incredibly great up front, but they can’t be mediocre. If they’re pushed around by opposing offensive lines, the UW secondary won’t be able to cover receivers long enough to make a difference. Quarterbacks will have way too much time to find targets, and the defense will collapse.

Prediction

Wisconsin showed it was much better than Minnesota, the second-best team in the Big Ten West, last season. The Badgers do lose a few key players, but they bring back a starting quarterback – Jack Coan – and the full secondary. They have more than enough talent to earn a Big Ten title game rematch against Ohio State. The Buckeyes, however, are still in another league with their speed. It’s going to be 2019 all over again for Wisconsin.

Prediction: 1st In Big Ten West; Big Ten Runner-Up