The USCTrojans' upcoming opponent will be the Wisconsin Badgers, formerly a contending team in the Big Ten. Wisconsin was annually strong a decade ago, but not anymore. The Badgers are pursuing a return to the glory days. Luke Fickell is trying to get his team back on the right track. Currently, the Badgers stand at 4-1. UW has collected four straight victories following a loss to Notre Dame in Week 1.
It seems the Badgers have improved at quarterback, an issue that plagued the Badgers at the start of the Luke Fickell era. Colton Joseph has been solid. He has 1132 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions this season. Joseph has also been the backbone of the Badgers' run game, as he leads the team with 262 yards and 3 touchdowns. He has shown he can battle adversity. He willed the Badgers to a comeback victory against Penn State in Week 4.
The offense for the Badgers still needs some work, and it is sometimes too reliant on Joseph to play hero ball. The other strong suit for Wisconsin is the offensive line. The Badgers have an offensive line that can steal the Trojans' lunch money if USC lets them. The Trojans' defense needs to set the tone in this game and eliminate Joseph's ability in the run game to force the Badgers' offense to be one-dimensional. That will be the key.
As for the Badgers' defense, this unit is the headliner of the show. They are allowing just 16.6 points per game. They are stout at every level. However, the secondary is as elite as they come. There is a chance this Badgers secondary could be a bad matchup for the young Trojan playmakers. The offense for Wisconsin is able to get by with being a little better than average due to how suffocating their defense is. USC can outscore the Badgers' offense, but the Badgers' defense will keep Wisconsin in the football game.
Cooper Catalano is the player to watch on this unit, as he is the enforcer of the group. Catalano has 39 tackles this season, and he will do everything in his power to take away the Trojans' run game. Sebastian Cheeks will also be a player Lincoln Riley and company need to strategically prepare for. His 27 total pressures lead college football, and he will give the Trojans' offensive line a great challenge.
On paper the Trojans are the better football team and they should be able to pull away a victory. However given it is on the road and given the Badgers have all the traits of a team in the past that would give USC trouble. This game can go either way for USC. It all just depends on which team and Lincoln Riley show up.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC must turn around and face Wisconsin after week off