Wisconsin’s meeting with Western Illinois is the kind of game that can tell you something - just not everything. The Badgers are massive favorites, and that usually means the real value isn’t in the final score so much as in the details that show up along the way.
That starts up front. In Week 1, Wisconsin had to deal with one of the best defensive fronts in the sport while missing a starter on the offensive line.
Even with that challenge, the Badgers still found some running lanes, finished with 67 rushing yards and didn’t allow a sack until the game’s final drive. There was obvious room to clean things up, but considering the circumstances - down a starting guard and with two new tackles in the mix - the line held up better than expected.
Now the assignment gets a lot easier. Wisconsin is still expected to be without Mandell in Week 2, but Western Illinois looks nothing like Notre Dame.
Illinois State ran for 239 yards against the Leathernecks last week, and Wisconsin’s front should have a far softer landing spot. Western Illinois has only two defensive linemen who even reach 300 pounds, and both barely clear it: Keshawn Harrington-McKinney at 300 and Steven Oberst at 305.
That makes this a useful contrast. Notre Dame might have shown Wisconsin’s floor. Saturday night at Camp Randall Stadium should give a much better look at the ceiling.
The quarterback spot is worth watching too, even if the matchup tilts heavily toward Wisconsin. Colton Joseph may have more room to operate against Western Illinois, but his reads and decisions still matter.
Against Notre Dame, he turned in the best quarterback performance Wisconsin has seen since Week 2 of last season, when Danny O'Neil threw for 283 yards against Middle Tennessee State. Joseph completed 63 percent of his passes for 217 yards, and his touchdown to Malachi Coleman stood out as the kind of throw the offense wants to build on.
The pick-six, though, was a brutal mistake. It looked rushed and panicked, and Joseph and Chris Brooks Jr. clearly weren’t on the same page.
Even so, that was one of the few times he put the ball in danger. A couple of his throws missed the mark, but the issue there was accuracy more than decision-making.
That matters because one of the concerns coming out of Old Dominion was Joseph’s tendency to turn the ball over. Wisconsin would love to see him play clean football against an overmatched opponent and keep making the right choices all night.
If the game unfolds the way it should, the Badgers ought to be in control early and pulling away late. That could mean more snaps for backups and reserves as the margin grows.
And even if the matchup itself doesn’t reveal much about individual players, the way Wisconsin distributes those snaps could still say a lot. The coaches’ choices - who gets on the field first, who gets extended run, and which position groups are used deepest - may offer the clearest hint yet about where they think the roster has the most depth.
In Other News...
Wisconsin Fans May Wait Weeks For Real Clarity On Luke Fickell
Luke Fickell enters the season with the kind of pressure that follows any rough stretch in Madison, but Wisconsins schedule makes an immediate verdict unlikely. The early weeks should not be treated as a true referendum on whether the Badgers have actually improved, since the first few matchups are not expected to tell the full story about the team or its coach.
The real evaluation point appears to come later in the conference slate, when the Badgers start facing games that can more clearly separate progress from wishful thinking. For a fan base looking for answers, the frustrating part is simple: the most meaningful test of Fickells future probably will not arrive until the season is already well underway. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsins New QB Has One Big Chance To Silence Early Doubts
Colton Josephs first night as Wisconsins starting quarterback came with both promise and the kind of hiccups that tend to linger until the next kickoff. The Old Dominion transfer completed 19 of 30 passes for 217 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the Badgers Week 1 loss to Notre Dame, showing enough arm talent to keep the offense moving while also leaving some questions unanswered. His legs were hardly a factor, and the broader evaluation matched the eye test: a 69.9 QBR and a 57.1 PFF grade pointed to a performance that was neither a disaster nor a clean statement.
Western Illinois now offers Joseph a chance to settle things down and start building real momentum in a job that rarely allows much patience. Wisconsin does not need him to be perfect, but it does need a sharper, more controlled version of the quarterback it hopes can steady the offense as the season unfolds. A more convincing outing would go a long way toward quieting the early doubts and reinforcing that the starting role is his to keep. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Already Has One Early Injury Concern Fans Cant Ignore
Wisconsin opened the season having to shuffle its offensive line right away, with right guard Emerson Mandell unavailable in Week 1 and Stylz Blackmon and Blake Cherry stepping in and rotating through the spot during the game. For a program that puts such a premium on line play, getting through an opener without a preferred starter is never ideal, even if it does give the staff an early look at its depth and a chance to see how the next men handle live action.
Luke Fickell said he hoped Mandell could be back soon, but he also noted how physical the game was and how hard it can be to know exactly how quickly players will recover. Wisconsin also had its return game affected by Eugene Hilton being limited by injury, so the Badgers are already dealing with more than one health issue as the season gets going and the picture along both lines and special teams remains a little unsettled. [Read more 🡒]