Why Wisconsin Football Will Beat the Rutgers Scarlet Knights

After a bye week, Wisconsin football is back in action on Saturday against Rutgers. The Badgers will aim to build off the momentum they gained heading into the bye after winning their last two contests.

Both teams will enter Saturday’s matchup on Peacock with one loss on the season. Here is why Wisconsin will reign victorious over Rutgers.

A Win on Saturday Will Be Huge for Wisconsin Football in the Big Ten West Standings

The Big Ten West has been the side of the conference that has been the butt of many people’s jokes over the last few years. This season, the division may be as bad as ever. Despite only playing one conference game this season, Wisconsin is the only team in the West that has yet to suffer a loss in Big Ten play. A win on Saturday will be massive for the Badgers in their quest for a Big Ten West title.

Realistically, Wisconsin football won’t beat Ohio State in 2023. Due to that, the team needs to take care of business when they can against their other opponents. The Badgers know a win on Saturday will bolster their chances of winning the West significantly.

Wisconsin Had a Bye Week to Address Flaws

Although the team stands at 3-1 through their first four games, Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin football have been far from perfect early on in the season. There have been two issues in particular that were hopefully addressed during the team’s bye.

One problem the team has had is not playing four quarters of their best football. In every game, it has been a tale of two halves. In one half, the Badgers will show their team potential; in the other half, they look like a team that should finish last in the Big Ten West. If this issue was addressed during the bye, expect the best game of the season out of Wisconsin this weekend.

The other notable problem through four games has been the Wisconsin football defense. The defense has yet to play the part of the units that Wisconsin has produced in the past. Whether it be missed tackles, lack of pressure on the quarterback, or giving up large plays, it’s rare for a Badgers defense to play as poorly as this season’s unit has so far. The Badgers have likely been focusing on fixing these issues over the last couple of weeks and will be ready to prove they still have a great defense on Saturday.

Final Thoughts

You can typically look at a game against Rutgers and assume the victory will be guaranteed. This year seems different. Rutgers plays hard for head coach Greg Schiano, and win or lose, the Badgers can expect to get their best shot on Saturday. The Wisconsin football program had an extra week to correct the team’s flaws and prepare for Rutgers.

We’ll learn much about how the rest of the season will look this weekend.

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