3 Burning Questions as Wisconsin Looks for Huge Upset Over No. 16 USC

The Badgers kicked off arguably their biggest stretch of the season with a disappointing road loss at No. 12 UCLA.

Wisconsin got off to a 4-1 start, but we knew that how it fared against the one-two-three punch of UCLA, USC and Iowa would be largely what defines the season. So far, the Badgers are 0-1 in the critical stretch of three straight ranked conference opponents.

Despite being surprisingly narrow home underdogs, this is a daunting matchup for Wisconsin as it must find a way to contain the Trojans' high-flying passing game and one of the best quarterbacks in the country.

As the Badgers gear up for another critical showdown with a ranked opponent, Badgers On SI breaks down three burning questions swirling around the football program ahead of Saturday night in Camp Randall Stadium:

Will Wisconsin make changes at offensive line?

It's pretty clear, especially once you dive into some of the pressure numbers, that new offensive line coach Eric Mateos has been a big upgrade in Madison. Nonetheless, his unit still leaves plenty to be desired and Saturday in Pasadena was its worst showing yet.

Wisconsin elected to move Stylz Blackmon, who had seemingly settled in at right guard, to center in the absence of starter Austin Kawecki. He was replaced by PJ Wilkins, who saw action at his third spot up front so far this season.

That was something of a curious move, considering Wilkins has struggled this season, especially in pass-protection. Rather than letting backup center Ryan Cory, who played well in Kawecki's stead, handle center duties, the staff appears insistent on keeping Wilkins in the starting five.

“It’s been a little bit difficult. When guys get dinged up, in particular Kawecki and moving Stylz back in there, we just felt like that was our best five," Fickell said as to why the staff made the moves it did for the UCLA game. "We gotta find a way to make sure we have our best five up front every week.”

He's right about that last point, and anyone who's watched the Badgers remotely closely this season could tell you that Wilkins isn't one of their best five linemen. He has the size and measurables, but his feet simply haven't been quick enough in pass protection and he's already been flagged four times.

Conventional wisdom says the Badgers should trot out, from left to right: Kevin Heywood, Colin Cubberly, Ryan Cory, Stylz Blackmon and Emerson Mandell. But conventional wisdom also says Wisconsin should've tried to stay in the game on a 4th-and-9 down two scores with five minutes to play — there's no telling what this staff will do.

Can the pass defense tighten up?

This is perhaps the worst week for major concerns about Wisconsin's secondary to surface.

After letting UCLA's backup quarterback Ty Dieffenbach toss for 264 yards on 67% completion, including 8-of-13 on third down for 150 yards, the Badgers now must face the most dangerous passing attack in the Power Four.

USC quarterback Jayden Maiava has thrown for 2,045 yards (second-most nationally), 18 touchdowns and three interceptions on 68% completion. The Trojans have a myriad of gifted skill position players and they spread the ball around; seven pass-catchers have notched at least 100 yards receiving.

"(Maiava's) connection with the wideouts, his ability to move in the pocket, his ability to even create, not maybe run as much when he creates, but always keeps his eyes downfield. He’s got a lot of trust in his wideouts, and for good reason," Fickell said about the gunslinger this week.

Wisconsin still has the No. 20-ranked pass defense in the country, but this is its biggest test yet and the Trojans are the best passing offense it'll play all season. The Badgers' secondary must go from porous to lockdown in a week's time if they want to pull off the upset.

Can Colton Joseph bounce back?

Colton Joseph has been far from perfect this season for the Badgers, but you can tell the gunslinger is a competitor. You can tell by how he runs with the football. You can tell by how he answers questions at press conferences. You can tell by his leadership.

However, there's no way around it; his performance on the road at UCLA was rough. 6-of-16 passing (38% completion) and 66 yards isn't going to get it done.

If there's a week for him to bounce back, this could be it. USC's passing defense ranks No. 109 nationally, surrendering 239.0 yards per game. But whether Joseph can take advantage of a leaky Trojans' secondary largely depends on the first burning question — how will the offensive line hold up?

If Joseph is given time to work through his progressions and allowed to escape the pocket, it's not hard to see him author a bounce-back performance. If he's under constant siege from USC pressure, and the Trojans surely took note of UCLA blitzing on 76% of Wisconsin's drop-backs last week, it could be another rough day for the gunslinger.