2021 Las Vegas Bowl Preview: Wisconsin vs. Arizona State

The Wisconsin Badgers and Arizona State Sun Devils both failed to win their respective divisions. Wisconsin lost the Big Ten West to Iowa, while Arizona State lost the Pac-12 South to Utah. This game is a chance for each team to salvage its season and leave the year 2021 with a slightly better taste and an improved sense of what the future holds in 2022.

Wisconsin Badgers vs. Arizona State Sun Devils
Date: Thursday, December 30th, 10:30 PM ET

Location: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV

CFB Odds: Wisconsin -6.5

Wisconsin Badgers

The Badgers were terrible in September before finding their footing later in the season, but their early stumbles still cost them a division title. Wisconsin lost 16-10 to Penn State early in the season and then, a few weeks later, lost to both Michigan and Notre Dame. Quarterback Graham Mertz and the rest of the Wisconsin offense simply could not function. Coach Paul Chryst was paralyzed as the offense was smothered week after week. The defense did its job, but it simply did not receive enough support from the offense on a regular basis. Wisconsin seemed, early in October, to be at risk of missing a bowl game altogether.

Then the Badgers rallied. Their defense stuffed Iowa and created a season-changing win. Wisconsin hammered Purdue on the road – the same Purdue team which beat Iowa and Michigan State this season – to gain ground in the Big Ten West race. The Badgers’ offensive line improved, and Wisconsin developed a more credible offense. The division title was within reach, and if the Badgers had been able to defeat rival Minnesota on the final weekend of the regular season, they would have won the division. However, the offense fell flat one more time in 2021, scoring just 13 points and failing to find answers against the inconsistent Golden Gophers. Wisconsin had won the Big Ten West in three of the previous five seasons, but the Badgers couldn’t cross the threshold this time.

Arizona State Sun Devils

The Sun Devils were plagued by penalties this year, especially in road games. The offensive line had a chronic problem with committing false start penalties. The Sun Devils cratered at the worst possible moments, falling to BYU early in the season and then to Utah in a key midseason game which sealed their fate in the Pac-12 South Division. Quarterback Jayden Daniels was poised for a huge season, but he never turned the corner. The Sun Devils’ offense sputtered, and as a result they won only eight games in a season in which they had hoped to win 10 and go to the Pac-12 Championship Game. It was an up-and-down year marked by frustration and an impotent offense. In this sense, ASU’s season was a lot like Wisconsin’s. Daniels will play in this bowl game, and he certainly has a lot to prove before returning to the Sun Devils in 2022.

Outlook

Wisconsin and Arizona State are both underachievers, but ASU has more bowl opt-outs: Running back Rachaad White is easily the Sun Devils’ best and most important player. He’s out for this game alongside fellow running back Deamonte Trayanum. ASU cornerbacks Chase Lucas and Jack Jones plus linebacker Darien Butler also opted out. Wisconsin’s only huge loss for this game is safety Collin Wilder. Advantage, Wisconsin, given the roster adjustments for this game.

Badgers vs. Sun Devils Prediction:

Badgers 27, Sun Devils 13