Auburn will face off against Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl on Thursday.
I asked Eric Kohlbeck, sports content editor at the UW Badger Herald a few questions on what he thought about the matchup.
1. Given the 59-0 loss to Ohio State, how do you think the Badgers defense will stack up against Gus Malzahn's offense?
While Ohio State certainly gashed the Badgers' defense in the Big Ten championship game, I personally do not think the Wisconsin defense is nearly that bad. Even after Ohio State went for 558 yards, UW is still fourth in the nation in total defense, fifth in passing yards allowed and rank in the top 20 in both rushing defense and scoring defense. Throughout the regular season, the Badgers' defense was consistently one of the best in the Big Ten despite replacing seven starters from last season. I believe that Wisconsin has a better rush defense than they do pass defense which should help in stopping Cameron Artis-Payne and Nick Marshall on the ground. But Ohio State - behind third-string quarterback Cardale Jones - showed that the UW secondary is susceptible to giving up big plays which could result in Marshall finding his wide receivers downfield.
2. Who is the non-Melvin Gordon X factor for Wisconsin?
As obvious as it may sound, quarterback Joel Stave is the non-Melvin Gordon X factor for Wisconsin. Everybody knows what Gordon can do but if a team stacks eight, nine or even ten guys in the box and contain him (as Ohio State did) it comes down to whether or not Stave can make enough plays through the air to keep the UW offense going. Against OSU, Stave had his worst game of the season, going 17-43 for 187 yards with three interceptions which made it much easier for the Buckeyes to stack the box and keep Gordon in check while the offense stalled. However in the last regular season game of the season against Minnesota, Stave threw for 215 yards and two touchdowns which helped the Badgers move on to the Big Ten championship game. The Badgers will need Stave to complete throws early to open things up for Gordon. If tight ends Sam Arneson and Troy Fumagalli can get open, that will certainly help Stave and the UW passing attack.
3. Who from Auburn do you see giving the Badgers the most problems?
If there's one player from Auburn that could cause the Badgers some problems it's going to be Nick Marshall. His performance against Alabama speaks for itself. If he can do that against arguably the best team in college football, imagine what could happen against Wisconsin coming off of their performance against Ohio State. It hurts that D'haquille Williams will be held out but Marshall can make enough plays with his arm and legs to give the Wisconsin defense some headaches Thursday.
4. Do you think having a new coach will have an impact on the Badger's performance?
I don't think a new coach will affect the Badgers a whole lot in the Outback Bowl. Athletics director Barry Alvarez - who coached UW in the 20113 Rose Bowl after Bret Bielema left for Arkansas - is going to take over this time around once again. Alvarez essentially put the Wisconsin football program on the map after his success as head coach during the 1990s and 2000s. You would be hard pressed to find someone both on the football team and outside of the team that wouldn't want Alvarez filling in at the helm for the bowl game. In fact it was the seniors on the team that approached Alvarez and asked him if he would coach the bowl game after Gary Andersen left. Offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig will still call the plays for the offense as will defensive coordinator Dave Aranda for the defense, so I would not expect the coaching change to have a vast impact on UW's performance.
5. Score prediction?
Auburn 35 - Wisconsin 31
I think this will be a closer game than some may think. The Badgers are not as bad as their 59-0 loss to Ohio State showed, but it will take a great bounce-back effort to knock off an SEC powerhouse like Auburn. If Wisconsin's defense can play like they did in the regular season and shut down the Auburn offense while Stave converts some throws downfield and Gordon pushes the 200-yard mark, then UW has a good shot at their first bowl win in four years. But in the end, I think Auburn makes one or two more big plays and come away with a win over the Badgers.
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