The disastrous loss to unranked Maryland nearly two weeks ago has left much of the Badger faithful relatively hopeless going into the fifth game of the 2025 season — a heavyweight tilt with the No. 20 Michigan Wolverines.
In a game in which Wisconsin was favored by 10.5 points, Maryland silenced the Badger offense and stormed out of Camp Randall with a 27-10 victory. “Fire Fickell” chants rained down from seemingly miserable and exhausted students. Even after starting 2-0, the lackluster vibes in Madison are now on par, and possibly worse, than the previous three seasons.
Fresh off a bye, Wisconsin will be greeted by the Wolverines and over 100,000 fans in Ann Arbor’s “Big House.” Michigan is the first of a whopping five ranked Big Ten opponents for Wisconsin, a lineup that includes No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Oregon, No. 8 Indiana and No. 22 Illinois.
Michigan, just two seasons removed from a national championship, seem to be getting back on track after a mediocre 8-5 finish in 2024. After a tough 24-13 loss against now No. 5ifth-ranked Oklahoma, the Wolverines bounced back with a 60-point victory over Central Michigan and a strong 30-27 win against Nebraska. The Wolverines also enter this contest fresh off a bye.
Michigan is led by highly-touted true freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood, who has shown flashes of greatness. In four games, he has thrown for 733 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, while completing 56.9 percent of his passes. The stats, while underwhelming, do not tell the full story, as Underwood has captained a proficient offense, one that scores 35.0 points per game (22nd in CFB)
But despite the superstar ceiling of Underwood, Michigan heavily relies on their running game. On the ground, the Wolverines have run over, around and through every defense in their way. Junior transfer Justice Haynes has dominated, rushing for a Big Ten leading 537 yards, to go along with six touchdowns. His ridiculous 8.1 yards per carry is also good for second in the conference while having significantly more attempts (66) than the player above him (35).
Wisconsin hopes their matchup with Haynes will be a clash of the titans. Thanks to Christian Alliegro (4 TFL) and the rest of the linebacking corps (10 TFL), Wisconsin is allowing just 2.1 yards per carry (4th in CFB) and 50.0 rush yards per game (2nd in CFB). Stonewalling the Michigan rush attack could open this game up for Wisconsin to steal.
However, the Badger secondary has been its pitfall. Teams average 8.2 yards per attempt against Wisconsin, ranking 104th out of 135 qualified teams. Over the last two games, they have allowed 6 passing touchdowns and 647 passing yards. Michigan hasn’t been a proficient passing team, but a heavy dose of Underwood may be in the cards for Saturday.
The Badger offense has looked subpar, especially against stronger competition over the last two games. Overall, they run for just 117.8 yards per game (97th in CFB). Their passing game isn’t much better, throwing for 205.8 yards on average, good (or bad) for 83rd in the country.
Pass protection is also a major issue, allowing 13 sacks through just four games. The 10.48% sack rate is just outside the bottom 10 in the nation.
Going against a defense that allows just 292 yards per game (17th) and 17.8 points per game (25th) will be no easy feat. The Badgers must realize they aren’t playing Middle Tennessee State anymore. This is real football.
With their reputation tarnished, both nationally and locally, Fickell and the Badgers seem to be fighting for their lives. How Wisconsin comes out this week may determine where this season is going.
