Big Ten Preview: Wisconsin Badgers

What’s happened so far in 2024?

The Wisconsin Badgers (2-1) pushed full steam ahead going into week three, following wins over Western Michigan Aug. 30 and South Dakota Sept. 7, but were nevertheless halted by an immovable object.

The No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide marched into Madison and throttled the Badgers 42-10 Sept. 14, with Wisconsin senior starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke being injured during the contest.

Van Dyke was ruled out for the season due to an ACL tear, so the Badgers must rely on another signal caller to conduct their offense going forward.

Key offensive player

Considering Van Dyke’s injury, redshirt sophomore quarterback Braedyn Locke is tasked with salvaging the Badgers’ season.

In 2023, Locke played in five matchups and made three starts for Wisconsin, achieving 777 passing yards while throwing for five touchdowns and just one interception.

Notably, Locke was the first freshman in Badger history to deliver two 240-plus-yard passing performances in a single season last year.

Key defensive player

Senior safety Hunter Wohler leads the Badger defense with 17 tackles and two deflected passes.

After a dominant 2023 season, Wohler is expected to spearhead the charge for Wisconsin once again.

In 2023, Wohler also led the Badgers and all Big Ten defensive backs with ‌120 total tackles, adding six pass breakups and two picks to boot. He was the only defensive back in the nation to record over 110 tackles and multiple interceptions on the season.

Expectations for 2024 season

Having lost its starting quarterback, Wisconsin must scramble to pick up the pieces in Big Ten play.

The Badgers must tackle one of the most difficult conference schedules, beginning with a Saturday matchup against the No. 13 Southern California Trojans to cap off a brutal two-week stretch.

A four-week gauntlet featuring home contests against No. 9 Penn State Oct. 26 and No. 8 Oregon Nov. 16, as well as away games versus Iowa Nov. 2 and Nebraska Nov. 23 will likely push Wisconsin out of contention for the Big Ten.