Wisconsin football 2019 season preview: Best and worst-case scenario

Will Wisconsin football rebound after a disappointing 8-5 season? Or will it be another long year for Badger fans in a suddenly wide-open Big Ten West?

Wisconsin was No. 4 in the 2018 AP preseason poll, but an early loss at home to BYU ended their title hopes before they even began. The Badgers also lost convincingly to Michigan, Penn State, Northwestern, and Minnesota. They managed to end the season on a high note by drubbing Miami (FL) in the Pinstripe Bowl, but is that any reason to be optimistic about 2019?

There’s one big reason Badger fans should be looking forward to 2019: Heisman contender Jonathan Taylor is returning. Over the last two years, Taylor has rushed for over 4000 yards and accumulated 29 touchdowns. He will undoubtedly be a focal point of their offense for the third year in a row and help Wisconsin control the ball on the ground.

In previous years, the Badgers could count on a great offensive line to open holes for their running backs. This year the line is in transition, with only one starter returning. The good news is that one starter is center Tyler Biadasz, who would have been one of the best interior linemen in the 2019 draft class. In addition, Cole Van Lanen will likely be starting at tackle this season. Though he has only one start under his belt, he was Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded tackle last season (90.4). The rest of the positions are up for grabs, but Wisconsin consistently churns out NFL-caliber offensive linemen so Badger fans shouldn’t be overly worried about their front five.

The biggest question mark of 2019 for the Badgers is who will start under center. After three years as a starter, Alex Hornibrook has transferred to Florida State. The battle for the starting job is between junior Jack Coan and four-star recruit Graham Mertz. Coan has taken first-team reps during practice, so it looks like the job may be his to lose. Wisconsin ranked ninth in pass-efficiency in the Big Ten last season, and they must improve under center if they have any hope of challenging for the Big Ten title.

The Badgers have several questions on the defensive side of the ball as well. The secondary was very inexperienced coming into 2018 but took several strides forward during the season. D’Cota Dixon is the only departure from the unit, and while the secondary struggled early on, they improved towards the end of the year. Because so many young players were thrown to the fire, Wisconsin’s secondary is full of young players with plenty of playing experience. If they can continue to improve in 2019, this could be one of the best secondaries in the Big Ten.

The biggest loss on defense is T.J. Edwards. The Badgers will surely miss his leadership and presence in the middle of the field. Senior Chris Orr will have to step up and take control of the front seven for this defense to be successful.

Wisconsin football best-case scenario

• Aug. 30 – at South Florida – W
• Sept. 7 – vs. Central Michigan – W
• Sept. 21 – vs. Michigan – W
• Sept. 28 – vs. Northwestern – W
• Oct. 5 – vs. Kent State – W
• Oct. 12 – vs. Michigan State – W
• Oct. 19 – at Illinois – W
• Oct. 26 – at Ohio State – L
• Nov. 9 – vs. Iowa – W
• Nov. 16 – at Nebraska – W
• Nov. 23 – vs Purdue – W
• Nov. 30 – at Minnesota – W

Record: 11-1 (8-1 Big Ten)

Some great news for the Badgers is most of their tough games are at home, with the exception being Ohio State. In addition, Wisconsin should be able to control the ball on the ground with Jonathan Taylor. If Jack Coan or Graham Mertz can end up being above average under center, this could be Wisconsin’s best offense in the past couple of seasons.

That should pair nicely with a talented, young defense highlighted by a ball-hawking secondary. If Wisconsin can take the ball away from their opponents, they can keep it away with Taylor. They should tire out defenses by the fourth quarter and be able to drive down the field late in games while also chewing clock.

Wisconsin football worst-case scenario

• Aug. 30 – at South Florida – W
• Sept. 7 – vs. Central Michigan – W
• Sept. 21 – vs. Michigan – L
• Sept. 28 – vs. Northwestern – L
• Oct. 5 – vs. Kent State – W
• Oct. 12 – vs. Michigan State – W
• Oct. 19 – at Illinois – W
• Oct. 26 – at Ohio State – L
• Nov. 9 – vs. Iowa – L
• Nov. 16 – at Nebraska – L
• Nov. 23 – vs Purdue – W
• Nov. 30 – at Minnesota – W

Record: 7-5 (4-5 Big Ten)

After a couple of easier early-season games, Wisconsin gets one of their toughest tests of the year against Michigan. If this offense never gels, it could be a long year for the Badgers. This could come in the form of a quarterback never emerging, the offensive line failing to come together as a unit, or Jonathan Taylor fumbling the ball even more. Add those problems to an inexperienced defense, and Wisconsin could be in trouble. Asking this team to grow up so quickly could be too much to expect.