If Wisconsin wants to avoid serious questions about the trajectory of its program after a good start to year four under head coach Luke Fickell, it needs to topple No. 16 USC at home.
This game is expected to be close, as the Trojans are narrow favorites. But it's going to take a stellar performance on both sides of the ball to upset an extremely talented USC team with its eyes on its first College Football Playoff appearance under head coach Lincoln Riley.
Wisconsin can absolutely win this game. Here's how they do it:
Get off the field on 3rd down
This was a big problem for the Badgers last week. They allowed UCLA to go 13-of-20 on third down, and their average distance to go was a manageable 6.1 yards. Bruins' quarterback Ty Dieffenbach tossed for 150 yards on 8-of-13 passing on 3rd down alone.
USC, meanwhile, is one of the best third down offenses in the country. It converts 51% of its third-down tries, 14th-best in the country.
Wisconsin is going to need its stout run defense to show up on early downs, forcing the Trojans into third-and-longs, at which point its going to need its secondary to hold up against an extremely talented group of eligibles. Pass-rush on third down will also be key.
Get Abu Sama, Darrion Dupree involved
Wisconsin's two dynamic backs combined for just 13 touches at the Rose Bowl. That can't happen; they're two of the Badgers' best playmakers. They need the ball in their hands, plain and simple.
Sama's low involvement has been especially curious. Unless he's still nursing the injury that held him out of the Michigan State game, the fact that he had just six carries at UCLA is hard to fathom. Sama was one of the Badgers' most prized offensive transfers, and he still leads the team with 6.6 yards per carry.
Quarterback Colton Joseph's legs are dynamic, and Wisconsin has significantly increased its reliance on his mobility in recent weeks; he has 212 rushing yards over the past two games after he notched just 121 across the first four games of the season.
Nonetheless, some of the pressure most be taken off his shoulders (and his legs) to move the ball. The Badgers' have a one-two punch with Sama and Dupree that could be quite dangerous if utilized fully.
Figure out the offensive line
Starting center Austin Kawecki has been listed as probable all week, so he could be nearing a return despite his broken hand. Whether he's able to return at the center position or if Wisconsin plans to slide him over to guard remains to be seen, but the Badgers need him back in their starting five regardless.
Wisconsin shuffled its offensive front to no avail last week. Former starting right guard Stylz Blackmon was fine at center, but he had his share of struggles and certainly wasn't better than Ryan Cory against Michigan State. PJ Wilkins continues to struggle in pass protection; Wisconsin finally needs to come to terms with the fact that he's not a starting-caliber offensive lineman at this point in time.
If Kawecki is available to play center, Blackmon should slide back in at guard. If he isn't, I'd play Cory at center and move Blackmon back to guard. It'll be fascinating to see how the Badgers handle their burgeoning problems along the offensive front.
Protect the football
For as ugly as Colton Joseph's stat-line looked against UCLA, he went his second straight week without throwing an interception. He also has just one "turnover-worthy play" over the last two weeks, according to Pro Football Focus, after he combined for eight over the first four games.
USC hasn't taken the ball away at a terrifying clip like the Bruins, but in order for the Badgers' offense to keep pace with the high-flying (and high-scoring) Trojans, they'll need to make every possession count and they certainly can't give USC any freebees or short fields.
Add us as a preferred source on Google