Saturday Spotlight
(15) Wisconsin Badgers at (12) Michigan Wolverines
Wisconsin: I was so hyped up for them entering this year and I felt they were good enough to make the playoffs after the season they had in 2017, but they fell short in the Big Ten Title game to Ohio State last December. A few weeks ago when I was asked about the Wisconsin Badgers on a podcast, I referred to them as the “Jacksonville Jaguars of college football”. So, you read this and probably wondered what exactly did I mean by that? Well just like the Jaguars and Blake Bortles, you truly never know what you’re going to get from starting quarterback Alex Hornibrook. He’s good, don’t get me wrong, but he’s not consistent and coming into the 2018 season, I said that he had to take that next step and the team would go as far as he leads them. Whenever I think of Wisconsin Badgers football, they always have three consistent staples which makes them a good football team. The first is their running game which has always been their bread and butter for years and they’ve continued their ground attack with another solid running back in Jonathan Taylor who’s had a quiet year so far but is more than capable of having a big game when the opportunity presents itself. Next is their offensive line and the ability to control but dominate the line of scrimmage and push even the best front sevens in college football around which is key. Having a productive offensive line can do wonders for your football team and lastly, they always play good defense with playmakers in every tier from the defensive line, to the linebacking core back to their secondary. They may not be an exciting football team with the flash and glare as so many others do in the game, but they get the job done and they’re very well coached under Paul Chryst who I think doesn’t get enough respect for what he’s done in Madison. Since taking the job in 2015, the Badgers have won ten or more games and when it comes to Big Ten play, his team has a record of 24-4. This is a very big game for them on Saturday night when they travel to Ann Arbor to face the Michigan Wolverines for a primetime battle.
Michigan: I’ll be very honest with you all here. After the Notre Dame loss, I just said to myself that here we go once again and shook my head because the hype surrounding this team each and every season is always talked about, but they can never deliver in a big game and until they do, I’ll never be sold on them. However, I will say that after that opening weekend loss, they’ve done a nice job at bouncing back and have won their last four games including a come from behind victory in Evanston, Illinois against the Northwestern Wildcats which I feel saved their season early on because had they lost that game, you could kiss their chances of making the playoffs and winning the division goodbye. I’ve really enjoyed what I’ve seen from their offense during this winning streak. On the season so far, they are averaging close to 37.5 points per game and Running back Karan Higdon has stepped it up and been their most consistent offensive player and a productive ground attack will help take pressure off a quarterback who’s still learning the ins and outs of a new offensive system and Shea Patterson has definitely improved since his first start of the season. No matter what you say about the Wolverines, the backbone of this team will always be the defense and they have been one of the best units in the nation for the last three or four seasons and they are led by a very scary, yet dynamic duo in Rashan Gary and Chase Winovich. This is a huge game and the perfect chance for the Wolverines to make a statement to the doubters.
Wisconsin Player To Watch: A.J. Taylor– He isn’t the only Taylor in this offense that can make a play. He’s a 5’11, 203-pound wide receiver that has stepped up and become a go-to weapon in the passing game. I see him making some big plays for the Badgers offense, especially with the Wolverines defense loading up the box to try and limit what Jonathan Taylor does.
Michigan Player To Watch: Zach Gentry– He’s impossible to miss and he’s their biggest weapon offensively, no I really mean that. He’s 6’8 and a mismatch for anyone trying to defend him. Shea Patterson can be flushed out the pocket and he can find Zach and know he’ll make the catch which goes to show how much trust he has in him.
Final Analysis: This is a huge game with some heavy implications for the conference and the playoffs. In order to be a playoff team, you need one loss on your resume at the most and that’s what both of these teams each have right now in the loss column. I truly believe the winner of this game will have a better chance at the playoffs and the loser will be eliminated from contention. Hornibrook needs to pace himself and allow the game to come to him. I think this game will be decided by the quarterback play and whichever defense can make one more play over the other.
Prediction: Wisconsin 23 Michigan 20
