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The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel released his predictions for the 2024 Big Ten football season on Friday.
His predicted final standings are unsurprisingly led by Ohio State (projected 12-0, 9-0 Big Ten) and Oregon (projected 10-2, 7-2 Big Ten). Iowa and Michigan also tied the Ducks with 7-2 conference records.
The Wisconsin Badgers, then, are tied for fifth in Mandel’s ranking. They are part of a pack of 6-3 teams with Penn State and Rutgers. Specifically, he projects the Badgers final record at 8-4, with that 6-3 mark in Big Ten play.
Related: Wisconsin Badgers game-by-game picks entering 2024 from ESPN FPI matchup predictor
An 8-4 season would certainly be a success for Luke Fickell in year two at the helm.
Wisconsin plays one of the nation’s toughest schedules with games against AP preseason No. 3 Oregon, No. 5 Alabama, No. 8 Penn State, No. 23 USC and No. 25 Iowa. That schedule comes as the Big Ten’s East-West division model is eliminated, which increases the required record for the Badgers to reach the Big Ten title game.
An 8-4 season means at least a few big-time victories, including against those top teams listed. It also means the team avoids upsets against the Purdues and Northwestern’s of the sport.
On the field itself, Wisconsin improving to 8-4 this season requires a significant step forward on the offensive side of the football.
While the offensive line projects to be better, the receivers are definitely improved and veteran QB Tyler Van Dyke is a good fit in Phil Longo’s scheme, there still is a necessary proof-of-concept of the air raid approach at Wisconsin. The scheme is a significant departure from the program’s classic approach, which requires tangible results before calling the change a success.
If Longo’s offense takes a big step forward and the Badgers capitalize on home atmospheres…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/athletic-stewart-mandel-predicts-wisconsin-133509494.html
Author : Badgers Wire
Publish date : 2024-08-16 13:35:09
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