Wisconsin Just Got TROUBLING News Before Notre Dame

0:00This is Belie, one network, every topic, everywhere. Wisconsin just got the kind of bad news. You absolutely do not want going into one of the biggest games of the season playing Notre Dame. Because the problem is not simply blocking their front or anything like that. It could completely change whether this game stays competitive and it shows a continued issue for Luke Fickle's program. So on this episode of the Big Ten Huttle presented by Fandall, it's about why Wisconsin's offensive line situation matters so much more than just one or two questionable starters. And why the Badgers defense may once again be asked to survive the impossible workload. Here's the part we need to establish first. Wisconsin is dealing with injuries on the right side of the offensive line going into the Notre Dame game. The right guard and right tackle have both been dealing with issues in the expectation is that they could both be game time decisions against Notre Dame.

1:01That is bad timing, you know, against almost anybody, right? Against Notre Dame, it's completely different problem. Because Wisconsin was already walking into a game with one major offensive question. How are you going to consistently move the football against Notre Dame's defense? And that should be one of the better units that they see all season long, right? And now you may be asking on offense that all in offense that already has to prove itself to do it with a potentially compromised right side up front. That matters because I do not think Wisconsin's defense is the part of the team that we should be panicking about. But we might have to if the offense can't stay on the field. Look, I took Notre Dame at 20 and a half, right? I took Wisconsin at 20 and a half for them to cover. And part of me thinks that I might regret taking Wisconsin to cover here because that many points, I kind of doubt Wisconsin is going to set up their defense for success. I think this group can make this game ugly for stretches, but not for the entire game if they don't have an offense.

2:01But a defense, it's hung out to drive by the offense is not a good formula. We've seen versions of that every year under Luke Fickle at Wisconsin. Eventually, the field position gets worse. The snap count climbs in the defense, stops getting a chance to even breathe. And that's why these offensive line injuries could be the story of the game. And this is where the story gets more interesting. The easy reaction is just to say, well, fine, Wisconsin just got, you know, they just got to protect better. And that's not enough to talk about here. Wisconsin has to create an offense that can survive Notre Dame's front without becoming predictable. If the right side is limited, Notre Dame does not need a dominant to dominate every snap. They just need to force Wisconsin into enough bad situations that the badgers start playing behind the chain, start making bad decisions. A run gets blown up because the edge caves in, a protection gets squeezed and the quarterback has to throw the ball away early or the quarterback gets hitwise in the pocket and he fumbles and Notre Dame gets everything. Notre Dame gets excellent field position, a drive that looked promising in, you know, after five plays.

3:06I mean, that is how the defense gets hung out to dry without Wisconsin necessarily turning the ball over five times. And I think that's the part people miss when we talk about good defense and bad offense. It's not, it is not just points. It's possession and field position. And whether your defense gets a four minute break or a 90 second break, it is whether Notre Dame has to drive 80 yards down the field or 48 yards down the field. That's the difference between your defense keeping, keeping you in a game for four quarters and keeping you in a game for a half. So what can Wisconsin actually do about it? I think the first answer has to involve Colton Joseph. Joseph gives Wisconsin something valuable in this matchup, a quarterback who can make the defense account for his legs. And if I'm Wisconsin, I'm not treating this as a cute change up. I'm treating it as part of the protection plan. And if Notre Dame can tee off on a traditional drop back game, especially against a compromise right side of the line, that's exactly what Notre Dame wants to do.

4:06Even if you try to run with Colton Joseph, you're essentially having to be, you go into the left every single time because that right side of your offensive line is going to cave in. Right? You move the pocket with designed quarterback rounds. You give Joseph reads where edge defenders have to hesitate because the quarterback can keep it. Those are good, but those don't typically last all game for you. You sprint, you sprint out. You use bootlegs. Get the launch point away from where Notre Dame expects you to be. That does not magically solve an offensive line problem because like I said, you can't do that all game long, but it can keep Notre Dame honest enough from playing downhill every single snap. And that is the proof bucket, you know, or proof bucket number one for me is that Wisconsin has to use the quarterbacks mobility as a structural answer, not just an emergency scramble or maybe not even just the way they were hoping to be able to use it. Before by sprinkling it in when they need it here and there. The second thing is Wisconsin cannot spend this game chasing explosives that are not there.

5:06Everybody wants to see the new offensive offense look aggressive. Right? Everyone wants to see Wisconsin prove they can throw the football a little bit more, but against this opponent with the offensive line concern, staying on schedule. Maybe the most important thing from this making not from making this not looked dangerous. I'd rather see Wisconsin live in second and five than spend the first half trying to prove it can hit five, you know, deep shots down the field because every third and long is a gift to Notre Dame. That's when the Irish can disguise pressure. That's when the tackles have to, you know, hold up longer and that's when one weak point on the offensive line can become the only thing anybody notices. So if Wisconsin wants to make this game uncomfortable, the offense may have to be boring in one of the most boring ways they could possibly be. We're talking quick game. We're talking quarterback run screens easy throws run concepts that do not require the right side to be one on one with the air with three seconds. Make Notre Dame tackle for four quarters. Then if you start cheating forward, then you take the shot, right? Those shots will open up eventually if you're successful and the little stuff.

6:15The third proof here is the one I think matters most Wisconsin cannot let the defense becomes the offense's bailout. Right? They cannot be the bailout plan. That has happened far too often in the fickle era Wisconsin. The defense hangs around the game is close. You start telling yourself if Wisconsin just find one touchdown. Maybe they can get back in this game or something and then the offense goes three and out and the opponent gets a short field and hits one explosive puts one thing together because the defense is incredibly tired. They've been on the field for 40 minutes of the 60 minute game. Suddenly the defense that looked good for 35 minutes looks like it's going to get blown out here. That's the trap that Wisconsin has to avoid on Sunday. So after looking at all that, here's where I land. I still think Wisconsin's defense is good enough to compete with Notre Dame and keep them under 30 points. I still think that can happen. I do not think the badgers are walking into this game helpless and that's why the 20 and a half point number is interesting. Wisconsin has the kind of defense that can make a big favorite uncomfortable, especially if they're able to get some turnovers and have Notre Dame make some mistakes in key situations.

7:25But I'm becoming much less confident that Wisconsin's offense can do enough to protect that defense for four quarters. On Fandall, 20 and a half, I think Notre Dame might cover this. The offense of one of injuries don't have to become catastrophic but they do have to be something that Wisconsin works around. One guy playing 70% matters. One backup having to enter the game matters. One side of the protection becoming the side Notre Dame attacks again and again and again on money downs matters a lot because the margin for error was already small for Wisconsin. Because it cannot run the ball efficiently, create easy quarterback movement throws and stay out of third and long then the game becomes exactly what Notre Dame wants it to be. A war of attrition where the deeper, more explosive team gets more possessions and that's why this could be very troubling news for Wisconsin. Not because two questionable players automatically means disaster. It is troubling because it attacks the one thing Wisconsin absolutely cannot afford to lose in this matchup which is offensive stability.

8:32And if that is right, it gives us three very specific things to watch right away. First, watch the right side of Wisconsin's offensive line on the first two drives. If you get the play game six yards or two yards just watch that side of the offensive line or they consistently getting push penetration, watch whether Wisconsin has to give some extra help, watch whether the playbook starts shrinking, see all those things. Second, watch how Joseph is used as a runner by design. If Wisconsin gives him five or six meaningful desired carries early, that tells me the staff understands the kind of game this has to be. And they were already planning on doing this. This is something we already talked about. The Colton Joseph was already going to be used as a runner more so they have the heads up here. They just might need to do it a little bit more. If they ask him to stay in the pocket and win a dropback battle, I think you're playing directly into Notre Dame's hands there. And third and third and finally, watch the snap count. If Wisconsin's defense is already playing its 35th or 40th snap early in the third quarter, that's the warning sign.

9:36Because at that point, I do not care how well the defense played in the first half. You're asking them to keep solving the same problem while the offense gives them nothing back. And eventually, something's going to break. And that's the real question for Wisconsin against Notre Dame. Can the offense do enough to protect its own defense? Because I think the badgers can defend Notre Dame. I talked about that in the preview. I did with Zach. Go listen to that if you want more analysis on that and why I think they can't. But I do think they can defend Notre Dame as much as I am much less. I think I'll put it this way. I am much less sure they can keep defending Notre Dame over and over again if the offense cannot stay on the field. If Wisconsin can protect the right side, use Joseph's legs and stay ahead of the chains. This can be a much tighter battle than people expect. If they cannot, that 20 and a half spread on Fandall could start looking a lot smaller by the fourth quarter. So what do you think? Can Wisconsin's defense keep this game close if the offense struggles again? Let me know down in the comments. Subscribe to the Big 10 Huddled Like the video for more Big 10 football analysis.

10:44And we'll catch you next time. Have a good one. See you next time.