It was a strange year for Utah State last year as the Aggies staggered to a 3-9 finish despite 50% of their total starts being made by seniors. Granted that four losses were by a touchdown or less, it was a terrible year for HC Matt Wells and the Logan faithful as the Aggies saw a five game bowl run snapped.
Wisconsin is often overlooked in the Big Ten thanks to the recent success of Ohio State, Harbaugh landing at Michigan, and the 2017 Penn State hype train. The Badgers will solid once again in their third year under Paul Chryst. Wisky brings back 15 starters including four offensive and three defensive linemen. The Badgers are favored to win the Big Ten West and will once again do what they do … run the ball down your throat and play staunch defense.
The teams have met twice before splitting two games. The Aggies won 20-0 way back in 1968 while Badgers prevailed 16-14 on this field in 2012, failing to cover as a -16 point favorite. This game will be a feature game on ESPN and note the time change to 9:00 PM EST. Also, check the status of both quarterbacks who are on the injury report a week out at this writing.
It’s not all gloom and doom for Utah State as most of last year’s offensive weapons return including QB Kent Myers (2384, 59%, 10 TDs), RB Tonny Lindsay (798, 5.2, 6 TDs), and WR Ron Tarver (46, 602, 13.1). With the Aggies offensive and defensive lines in a state of flux and basically rebuilt, Wisconsin is probably not the best matchup for this team to see in its season opener.
Wisconsin has won 21 games in Paul Chryst’s first two years with the Badgers. He was hand picked by Barry Alvarez when Gary Andersen didn’t work out and he should enjoy a long successful run in Madison for as long as he wants. Bart Houston and Alex Hornibrook split snaps last year with Hornibrook ultimately winning the job. The Badgers need to find a power running back but whoever that turns out to be will led by four returning on the offensive line. Two wideouts with 40+ catches and 500+ odds return.
There is a reason that Wisconsin is a four touchdown favorite here, the Badgers are a nightmare matchup for Utah State and in all honesty, the Badgers should be able to do whatever they want from start to finish. We originally thought that the total looked somewhat low but after looking at how this game probably plays out, we definitely favor the under. The thought process is this, with Utah State weak up the middle on both sides of the line of scrimmage, the Badgers will likely bully the Aggies up front. Expect lots of long sustained drives by Wisconsin which will keep the defense fresh and run lots of clocks. This line will likely go up with 28 not in play even now at this writing a week out. Look for a 35-10 or 38-6 type of result with the possibility of Wisconsin pitching a shutout very real.