Bye weeks can be both a blessing and a curse. Teams can use bye weeks to get an early jump on their next opponent; USC in this case. The Trojans are coming off of a Week 4 road loss to Michigan in their inaugural Big Ten game. The Badgers have had twice the amount of time to prepare for this game.
The bye week also gave the Badgers some time to heal up and deal with any lingering injuries that have occurred in the early part of the season.
On the flip side, the Badgers have had extra time to sit and think about the blowout loss to Alabama in Week 3.
So what is it going to be this week? A prepared Wisconsin football team, or a lingering hangover from the beatdown they received in Madison?
Related: Wisconsin Football Fans Losing Faith in Luke Fickell After Blowout Loss to Alabama
According to ESPN Analytics, their matchup predictor gives the Badgers just an 12.3% chance to beat the Trojans on the road.
I took to 'X' (Twitter) to take another poll this week, asking Wisconsin football fans to make their predictions for the big game this week.
Unsurprisingly, the predictions for this game are relatively negative. 46.3% of the voters think the Badgers will lose by 14+ points. Wisconsin losing by 1-13 points is the next highest with 33.6% of the votes. Simple math tells us that 79.9% of the voters think the Badgers will lose.
15.7% think the Badgers will win by 1-13 points while just 4.4% think the Badgers can win by 14+.
Not that the Wisconsin loss to Alabama was all that difficult to predict, the All Badgers staff remained perfect, going 3-0 in Week 3. Altogether, the staff is 11-0 on the season.
Here's how the All Badgers staff sees the Badgers' Week 4 game at USC playing out.
Week 4 Staff Predictions: Wisconsin Badgers vs. USC Trojans
Dillon Graff (3-0)
Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin football team will head out to the West Coast this week to face Lincoln Riley and the No. 13 USC Trojans. While Michigan may have provided the blueprint to beating USC—run the ball, set up play action, and play sound defense—it’s tough to see the Badgers offense executing at a high enough level to pull off the upset.
This could be a defining moment for Wisconsin, especially given the struggles with establishing an offensive identity since Phil Longo took over as offensive coordinator. But the key question is whether Braedyn Locke, now the starting quarterback following Tyler Van Dyke's injury, can elevate this offense after a full week of preparation with the first team.
Even with the extra time to tailor the offense to his strengths during the bye, I still have serious concerns about whether Locke can generate the explosive plays needed to keep pace with USC. While Wisconsin will try to control the game on the ground and play smart, disciplined football, I think the Trojans’ talent and speed will ultimately be too much.
I’m taking USC 34-21. The Badgers will show some fight, but it won't be enough to keep up with Riley’s offense due to their lack of pass rush.
Wisconsin 21 - USC 34
Related: Wisconsin Football Coaching Approval Ratings Four Weeks Into the Season
Jake Meier (3-0)
We're back from the bye week, and I am ready to be hurt again. After losing Tyler Van Dyke for the season against Alabama, I don't think the bye week could have come at a better time. That said, I still don't have much confidence going into this one.
USC has been very strong through their first three games, with a dynamic passing attack led by Miller Moss and Zachariah Branch and a revamped defense that ranks in the top 50 with one of the nation's premier defenders, linebacker Eric Gentry. The Trojans lost a nailbiter to Michigan last week, and that spells trouble for the Badgers because they are going to come to play. Add in the fact that UW has a long trip to Los Angeles, and I won't be surprised if the Badgers come out slow.
If Wisconsin wants to stay in this one, leaning on the running backs should be a point of emphasis. Though USC has a strong defensive unit overall, teams have been able to get things going on the ground against the defensive line. We'll need to see continued improvement from the offensive line and some big plays on the ground to have a chance.
USC is a big favorite in this one for a reason, and though there are a couple of areas of weakness for the Trojans, I don't think Wisconsin has the talent to overcome a team of this stature.
Wisconsin 17 - USC 31
Kedrick Stumbris (2-0)
My hope: Luke Fickell, Phil Longo and AJ Blazek reject modernity and embrace the tradition of running the dang ball. The Michigan Wolverines’ 290 rushing yards in their victory over USC prove that the Trojans can be run on. Despite Michigan losing not just all five starters but six offensive linemen to the NFL, the Wolverines physically punished the USC defensive front. If Wisconsin has a chance in this one, it will be because the rushing attack that amassed 5.3 yards per rush against Alabama has a big day.
My fear: Everything we know to be true about the Wisconsin Badgers football team over the last decade is still true. UW is more than a two-touchdown underdog on Saturday in Los Angeles. The Badgers have not covered the spread, let alone won a game as a road underdog since gutting out a 47-44 victory in 3OT over Purdue in 2018. And since Wisconsin has not lost in West Lafayette since 1997, that almost feels like cheating.
My prediction: Michigan lost talent this off-season up front, but it was backfilled with players I have more confidence in than Wisconsin’s current starters. Add in the fact that Braedyn Locke limits the already stagnant Badgers offense, and I do not see a lot of reasons for optimism heading into Saturday. I'm expecting Lincoln Riley and USC to pour it on and try to provide a statement win in their first Big Ten home game.
Wisconsin 17 - USC 42
Christian Borman (3 - 0)
Coming off of a beatdown from Alabama at home in Week 3, confidence in the Wisconsin football team is at an all-time low in the Fickell era. The two uninspiring games the Badgers won before that didn't provide a whole lot of confidence either.
Now, the Badgers need to hit the road and travel almost 2,000 miles to take on the No. 13 USC Trojans who lost a close game in Ann Arbor last week.
The Badgers benefit from a week off, giving the players and staff some time to rest, recover, and devise a game plan to attack the high-powered offense of the Trojans.
At the start of the week, the Badgers opened as 15.5-point underdogs via the FanDuel odds. That's about right, in my opinion, but the Badgers are 0-3 this season against the spread, so I wouldn't be surprised if the Trojans covered on Saturday.
Unfortunately, I don't have a ton of faith in the Wisconsin offense to keep pace with USC, which is putting up 33.0 points per game. The most points the Badgers have scored in a game this season is 28 against Western Michigan in Week 1, and that was with Tyler Van Dyke at QB.
I expect the Badgers to try to dominate the time of possession, limiting time for the Trojans to score, but I still am not confident the offense can finish drives with a touchdown. Unless the defense can stifle the USC offense, I don't see a lot of hope that the Badgers leave LA with a W.
Wisconsin 13 - USC 31
Week 3 Staff Predictions: USC 4-0
Cumulative Season Record: 11-0
Related: Wisconsin Football Betting Lines for Matchup Against No. 13 USC
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