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Last season didn’t quite go as planned for Wisconsin. Of course, not many teams can say that 2020 turned out the way they had hoped.
The Badgers concluded the 2020 campaign with a 4-3 record, needing victories over Minnesota and Wake Forest in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl to finish on the right side of .500. After a hot start with wins over Illinois and Michigan, Paul Chryst’s team had a bit of a roller coaster season.
Expect that to change this fall.
Wisconsin returns a lot of talent across the field and is looking to reclaim its title as the champion of the B1G West. The Badgers have one of the more experienced defensive units in the conference and should also see significant improvement on the offensive side, too.
Based on all that, I’ve got five bold predictions for Wisconsin in 2021:
1. The run game is back at the top of the B1G
Believe it or not, there were some concerns about Wisconsin’s rushing attack following last season. The Badgers averaged just over 163 yards per game during the 2020 campaign, it’s lowest production average since 2015. Jalen Berger showed flashes of excellence at times, but depth out of the backfield was certainly a concern heading into this season.
Fast forward a few months and the addition of Clemson transfer Chez Mellusi appears to have curtailed some of those concerns. Berger is more of the power back while Mellusi provides that spark and home-run threat. It should be a lethal combination for the Badgers.
Combine that with a veteran, well-coached offensive line and it’s easy to get excited about the potential of the rushing attack. Wisconsin should re-establish itself as one of the top running teams in the conference.
2. Graham Mertz is a much more consistent passer
Do I think we’re going to see more of the quarterback who completed 20-of-21 attempts for 248 yards and 5 touchdowns in his debut against Illinois last fall? No, not at all. But that’s not the kind of player Mertz has to be in Wisconsin’s offense.
After his second game with the Badgers, Mertz had an up-and-down season as a first-year starter. Some of that can be contributed to the absence of star receivers Kendric Pryor and Danny Davis. Part of it falls on a mediocre rushing attack. A good chunk of it falls on a lack of experience on Mertz’s part. Now, with seven games, a full spring and fall camp under his belt, Mertz has the potential to provide that consistency the Badgers need under center.
Having targets like Pryor, Davis and tight end Jake Ferguson catching passes doesn’t hurt, either.
3. Keeanu Benton emerges as one of the top DTs in the conference
It can be really hard to gauge just how skilled of a player Benton is up front for the Badgers. Because of Wisconsin’s traditional defensive approach, the nose tackle isn’t typically racking up big numbers that would warrant All-America honors.
That could be different this season. Jim Leonhard has talked about the defensive line being more aggressive this season and Benton is expected to see more snaps throughout the course of a game than in the past. That should result in an increase in production for the defensive lineman.
Over the last two seasons, Benton has tallied 20 tackles, 2 sacks and a forced fumble. With a more aggressive approach and more time on the field, he has a chance to really see those numbers jump in 2021 and solidify himself as one of the top defensive tackles in the conference.
4. Leonhard’s defense is Top 5 nationally in points allowed
Speaking of the defense, let’s talk about how this unit should look across the board: Really good. In addition to Benton up front, Wisconsin has a tremendous linebacker corps that consists of Jack Sanborn, Leo Chenal, Nick Herbig and Noah Burks. In the secondary, Faion Hicks, Caesar Williams and Scott Nelson are all back.
Basically, the Badgers are incredibly experienced and skilled at all three levels of the defense. Plus, Leonhard has proven to be one of the best defensive coordinators in college football. Not many teams are going to be able to find the end zone with much frequency on this Wisconsin defense this fall.
5. Wisconsin is back in Indianapolis
All the pieces are in place for Wisconsin to make its fourth B1G Championship Game appearance under Chryst. The defense is experienced and talented, the depth at running back has been addressed, the top pass catchers are all returning and the offensive line play is always solid. The Badgers have everything in place for a great season.
Wisconsin will face challenges from Iowa, Minnesota and probably Northwestern in the West. But no team is as talented across the field as the Badgers entering the 2021 season. They might drop a few regular season contests, but they’ll be back in Indianapolis competing for a B1G title.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB