The Wisconsin Badgers had the top-ranked defense in college in 2015, giving up only 13.7 points per contest. The unit has suffered some key losses and the offense has some question marks, too. Add in one of the country’s hardest schedules, and the Badgers will have a lot to prove this season. This is still one of the more consistent programs in the country, and it will aim to surpass the projected win total of seven victories in 2016 in NCAA football odds.
Wisconsin was quite impressive a year ago, finishing the season 10-3 with two of the losses by under seven points. The Badgers defeated USC in their bowl game to reach double-digit victories. The defense had a three-game stretch early in the year where it allowed only three points total, and only gave up more than 24 points one time. Joe Schobert led the way, accumulating 76 tackles, 9.5 sacks and 20 tackles. Tanner McEvoy was another big piece, registering 42 tackles and six interceptions. Both of those pieces are gone, and they will be tough to replace. The defense does bring back star cornerback Sojourn Shelton, who had 29 tackles, seven pass deflections, an interception and a forced fumble a year ago. The defensive line could be the strength of the unit, with Arthur Goldberg, Conor Sheehy and Chikwe Obasih leading the way.
The offense averaged 26.8 points per contest, which was in the middle of the pack nationally, but may take a step back in 2016. Quarterback Joel Stave passed for 2,687 yards with 11 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, and while he wasn’t great, Stave was a steady presence. Bart Houston was the backup a year ago and is projected to take over as the starter. Dare Ogunbowale was one of the team’s main weapons a season ago, rushing for 819 yards and adding 36 catches for 299 yards with eight total touchdowns. He is back, and so is Corey Clement, who is another potential game-breaker. Alex Erickson led the way among the receivers last year, catching 77 passes for 978 yards and three touchdowns, and he is a key cog that must be replaced.
Wisconsin’s potential quarterback issues and the loss of the two best players on defense make oddsmakers believe the team may take a step back. Furthermore, the schedule is brutal. The Badgers begin with a season opener against LSU, and then there is a six-game Big Ten stretch in the middle of the season which features a road game against Michigan State, a road game against Michigan, a home game against Ohio State, a road game against Iowa, a home game against Nebraska and a road game against Northwestern. That type of schedule is bound to challenge the Badgers, who are a solid program but one must play well against tough competition. Repeating last year’s 10-win season will be challenging, with oddsmakers projecting a team that loses a few games in the standings in 2016 in NCAA football odds.
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