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College Football 2018: Biggest question facing every Top 25 team in spring practice

By Nicholas Ian Allen

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 01: Jalen Hurts (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 01: Jalen Hurts (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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MADISON, WI – OCTOBER 14: Wisconsin Badger running back Jonathan Taylor (23) breaks a run for a touchdown during a college football game between the Purdue Boilermakers and the Wisconsin Badgers on October 14th, 2017, at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, WI. (Photo by Dan Sanger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
MADISON, WI – OCTOBER 14: Wisconsin Badger running back Jonathan Taylor (23) breaks a run for a touchdown during a college football game between the Purdue Boilermakers and the Wisconsin Badgers on October 14th, 2017, at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, WI. (Photo by Dan Sanger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

What will Jonathan Taylor do for an encore?

Similar to Stanford’s Love, Jonathan Taylor is on the preseason Heisman favorite shortlist thanks to his high finish as a true freshman in 2017. Taylor amassed 1,977 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns while averaging a solid 6.6 yards per carry in his first season on campus.

Taylor’s success on the ground was a big reason why the Badgers put together a perfect 12-0 regular season, but the team’s strength of schedule was highly frowned upon, which gave Wisconsin zero margin for error in the Big Ten Conference Championship Game against Ohio State. Taylor had his most disappointing performance against the Buckeyes, rushing for a career-low 41 yards on 15 carries (2.7 yards per carry), with no run going longer than seven yards, which was also a personal worst for his short career.

But the rest of the year was an unmitigated success for the 5-foot-11, 214-pound New Jersey native. Taylor hit 200 yards for the first time in Week 2 against FAU and turned the trick twice more against Northwestern and Purdue. FAU, Northwestern and Purdue all ranked in the top 40 nationally in yards allowed per play, making Taylor’s performance against the trio slightly more impressive than they appeared at the time.

He also surpassed the century mark in seven other games. Taylor ran for 132 yards against Michigan, which ranked third nationally in total defense and sixth in yards allowed per play, and he gained 130 yards on the ground in the Orange Bowl against a Miami defense that ranked No. 12 in the nation in yards allowed per play.

Wisconsin has a similar schedule in 2018, so Taylor has a great chance to surpass 2,000 yards. If the Badgers make another run at the Big Ten West title, and potentially a playoff spot, he should find his way to New York for the Heisman ceremony.

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