College football Week 8: Penn State among 5 teams on upset alert

College football upset alert No. 4: Wisconsin

Rank: 14 | Opponent: Illinois Fighting Illini | Time: Friday, Oct. 23, 8:00 p.m. ET

Under the watch of head coach Paul Chryst, the Wisconsin Badgers have been the Toyota Camry of college football teams. They may not be flashy, they certainly aren’t fast-paced and they won’t win many awards for what they do; but they are reliable and are going to stay that way for a long, long time.

In truth, betting against the Badgers to be a consistent force is not a necessarily wise decision. Yet, if it’s going to happen, it might be this year. There is less consistency or confidence in quarterback than even a normal year in Madison as inexperienced Graham Mertz must step in to start. Moreover, the running back room is unproven as Jonathan Taylor is now gone. This is a team that will have a new look on that side of the ball.

Make no mistake — Illinois is far from a powerhouse, even if Lovie Smith pushed the Fighting Illini to a bowl game last year. Brandon Peters at quarterback is less than inspiring and there are big questions on both sides of the ball. But even then, they are well-coached and have some juice and confidence on defense after last season.

Though an upset would feel much more plausible in this matchup if it wasn’t being played at Camp Randall Stadium. But the questions with Wisconsin on offense — though their defense should be quite good — lead to worries that they may not be able to control the game and could be susceptible to getting knocked off on Friday night to start their season.