Spring practices are already in the books and fall camps will be here before you know it, which means you’ll have an early jump on the 2006 NCAA football season. Knowing the teams now will save you time in August and Matt Fargo is here to help you understand what to expect this coming year. We go from worst to first in this 2006 college football preview.
#35 – Wisconsin Badgers 10-3 SU; 8-5 ATS
Fargo’s Take The Barry Alvarez era ended with a bang as Wisconsin posted 10 wins in a season for the first time since 1999. Enter Bret Bielema, the Badgers’ defensive coordinator for the past two seasons, as the new head coach, but will not come. to an impossible situation. At least that’s what it seems for now. Defense is going to have to be the strength despite dropping considerably last season, but with eight starters returning, we should see significant improvements. Offense is where things abound. Only three players are back and only one, quarterback John Stocco, returns at a skill position. The Badgers finished 14th in the country in scoring offense last season and reaching that ranking again in 2006 will be nearly impossible. The schedule is set up well for Wisconsin and making a Big Ten title run is very possible if the young players step up the offense. There is pressure on Bielema from the first moment.
Returning starters on offense: 3 Stocco had a sensational junior season, but matching those numbers will be a tall order since he doesn’t have anyone coming back around him. The main returning receiver is Marcus Randle El, who has only one career reception from him, while the leading return is Jamil Walker, who has only 18 career carries from him and probably isn’t even the starter. The offensive line brings back only two starters and the leader, veteran tackle Joe Thomas, is still recovering from a torn ACL. The starting line is huge, averaging 318 pounds, so it should help the inexperienced running game. Stocco will have a lot of pressure on him this year to carry the team and with 25 straight starts under his belt, he should be up to the task. He will definitely need some help and the first part of the season could be a work in progress until the offense solidifies.
Returning starters on defense – 8 The Badgers’ defense finished a disappointing 92nd in total defense in 2005, but this should be one of the best units in the conference this season. The defensive line will be the strength as there are eight players on the depth chart who have started at least one game. Two of those players are returning from knee injuries and their speedy recovery will be a must. Linebackers are youngsters with freshmen and sophomores occupying five of the six spots on the depth chart. Air defense finished 88th in the country, allowing nearly 250 ypg, the most in 10 years. The unit will be much better this year as long as the Badgers can continue to put pressure on the quarterbacks. Since the offense is expected to struggle early on, the defense will be asked to win games, but with the easy non-conference schedule to start the season, that shouldn’t be a problem.
Schedule Wisconsin begins the season by playing a neutral game in Cleveland against a rebuilding Bowling Green team. Two home games against Western Illinois and San Diego St. follow that before the Badgers Big Ten’s first game at Michigan. A second straight road game at Indiana comes after the game against the Wolverines and then their back-to-back home games against Northwestern and Minnesota. The toughest test in the second half of the conference slate is a game at Iowa, while a home game against Penn St. will also provide a challenge. The season finale is a game of cupcakes against Buffalo. Overall, the Badgers have only four real games on the road and with Ohio St. and Michigan St. off the schedule, they couldn’t ask for a better scenario to give their young team a chance every time.
You can bet on… We should see some low-scoring games in Madison this season, the complete opposite of what we saw on the field last year. Bielema has a lot of work ahead of him in his inaugural campaign, but with Álvarez staying on the show as athletic director, it should be a decent transition. Wisconsin thrives when it gets points, as it’s 13-5 ATS as an underdog since 2001, including a 5-1 mark against number one at home. The Badgers are also 11-4 ATS in their last 15 games as mutts and will find themselves in that role in their conference opener at Michigan, a team coming off a disappointing 2005 season and looking for some revenge. following a three-point loss last season. Wisconsin is 10-6 on the road the last three years, so it knows how to win on the road.