Wisconsin gets another shot at a marquee win Saturday night, but the setup doesn’t get any simpler. After a 17-7 loss to No.
12 UCLA, the Badgers return to Camp Randall Stadium to face No. 16 USC, with kickoff set for 6:30 p.m. on NBC.
The spread has Wisconsin as a three-point underdog, and the total sits at 50.5 points. That alone tells you the market expects a different kind of game than the one the Badgers just played.
UCLA dragged Wisconsin into a defensive fight. USC brings a different challenge, even if the Trojans haven’t quite matched the preseason buzz around them.
The Badgers’ loss last weekend was the kind that lingers because the opportunity was right there. Offensively, Wisconsin finished with just seven points and ran into too many execution problems along with schematic issues.
Defensively, the group handled the run well enough, but the problem was getting off the field. That kept the offense stuck on the sideline for about 22 of 60 minutes.
Saturday offers another chance to land a statement win, but the matchup points to a tough ask. USC comes in at 6-1 and is fresh off a bye week.
Before that break, the Trojans beat Penn State 31-23, one of the better wins of the Lincoln Riley era. In that game, USC didn’t do a great job against the pass, but it shut down the run and came up with a key turnover to get the job done.
The run game should be hard to find for Wisconsin again. USC’s defense has not been sharp overall this season - the Trojans rank 131st in the country in adjusted EPA allowed per play, 117th against the pass and 118th against the run - but they still haven’t been easy to push around on the ground.
They’re allowing just 3.5 yards per carry, and Penn State managed only 68 rushing yards at 2.2 yards per carry two weeks ago. After what Wisconsin showed on offense last week, USC figures to load up against the run and force Colton Joseph to beat them through the air.
That doesn’t mean the Badgers can expect an easy day on the other side either. Wisconsin’s defense has been solid and ranks 41st nationally in havoc created at 16.4 percent, but USC’s passing game is the real problem to solve.
Against Penn State, Jayden Maiava threw for 301 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, averaging 9.1 yards per attempt while taking only one sack. If he’s comfortable, USC’s receivers can work Wisconsin over in coverage.
The Trojans also have an athletic defense that can make up for some discipline issues, which makes the Badgers’ margin for error even thinner. USC is likely to throw early to set up the run, and that puts pressure on Wisconsin to create disruption.
The Badgers couldn’t do enough of that against UCLA, and they’ll need more than steady defense this time. They need game-changing plays, especially on third downs, where USC was strong two weeks ago.
So the path for Wisconsin is clear, even if it isn’t easy: force a turnover, sustain drives, and avoid getting stuck playing catch-up. If the Badgers fall behind early, their offense hasn’t shown enough consistency to make that chase comfortable.
This feels like a difficult matchup for Wisconsin, and USC’s offense has the edge in quarterback play and receivers. Unless the Badgers can keep control of the ball and string together long possessions against a shaky USC defense, the Trojans look positioned to leave Madison with a cover.
In Other News...
Wisconsin's Kingston Allen Is Making This Recruitment Much More Tense
Kingston Allen keeps giving Wisconsin plenty to like and just as much to worry about. The high school running back, already the touchdown leader in Wisconsin state history, recently added another milestone by setting a school rushing record, a reminder that his production has stayed at a level few recruits can match. Badgers running backs coach Jayden Everett has been making sure Allen knows how strongly Wisconsin wants him, and the program has good reason to stay aggressive.
The tension comes from the fact that Allens recruitment is no longer one-sided. He has also visited Ohio State, which has offered him a scholarship, adding a heavyweight suitor to a race Wisconsin would prefer to keep quiet. For now, Allen remains publicly committed to the Badgers, but the combination of his continued standout play and Ohio States involvement has made this one of the more competitive recruiting battles Wisconsin has on its hands. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Just Got A New Reason To Believe Against USC
Saturdays matchup gives Wisconsin a fresh point of optimism against USC, even with the Badgers entering as a slight underdog. The pregame read is straightforward enough: Wisconsin has leaned on a strong pass defense, while USC has been especially efficient on third down, setting up a classic strength-on-strength feel for a game that could swing on a few key possessions.
The added intrigue is that Wisconsin already has some national attention leaning its way, with the College GameDay crew picking the Badgers to win. For a team looking to prove it can hang with a high-profile opponent, that kind of support does not decide anything, but it does reinforce the idea that an upset is at least within reach if Wisconsin can make USC uncomfortable in the right spots. [Read more 🡒]
Dalton Kincaid Just Gave Utah Fans Another Reason To Love USC Week
Dalton Kincaid gave Utah fans a little extra juice during the Oct. 24 edition of ESPN College GameDay, leaning into an old Pac-12 rivalry by publicly taking a shot at USC. The former Utah tight end, now with the Buffalo Bills, pointed back to the Utes past wins over the Trojans and used that history to back Wisconsin in the upcoming matchup, a position that instantly played well with the live audience.
For Wisconsin, the endorsement was a curious little bonus entering a game with plenty of its own intrigue. Kincaid is still remembered in Salt Lake City for the role he played in those Utah-USC battles, and his comments added another layer to a rivalry that already tends to bring out strong feelings. Whether Badgers fans embrace the support or just enjoy the reaction it stirred, it was the kind of pregame moment that tends to travel fast. [Read more 🡒]