Week 3 Preview - Wisconsin
Hello and Roll Tide!
On Saturday, Alabama will host the Wisconsin Badgers, finishing a home-and-home series between the two programs. Last season Alabama won 42-10 in Madison and they look to sweep the series in Tuscaloosa. The Big 10 and SEC have emerged as the two mega-conferences and this is yet another opportunity for either conference to have bragging rights. Alabama bounced back against UL-Monroe and now they have another opportunity to prove to their fans, and the nation, that they should be considered a national contender. Below are injury notes, a Wisconsin preview, and week 3 storylines. Let’s go!
Injury Notes:
•Ryan Williams is expected to play Saturday
•Jam, Jah-Marien, and Tim are considered day-to-day
Week 3 Preview: Wisconsin Badgers
On Saturday Alabama will play host to the Wisconsin Badgers. Alabama and Wisconsin have only played twice, Bama winning both. In 2015, the Tide won 35-17 to open the season in Arlington, Texas. They were led by Heisman trophy winner Derrick Henry who rushed for 147 yards and 3 touchdowns. Then of course they played in Madison, Wisconsin a season ago. Wisconsin does not often travel south of the Mason-Dixon line for true road games. They have only done it twice in the last 25 years: In 2019 Wisconsin played at USF, winning 49-0; in 2003, Wisconsin traveled to Chapel Hill, North Carolina and beat the Tar Heels 14-5.
Leading the Badgers is Luke Fickell, in his 3rd season at Wisconsin. Fickell took over a Wisconsin program known for running the football and instead introduced the Air-raid offense. The Badgers went 7-6 in his first season then 5-7 in 2024, likely landing him on the hot seat. To make matters worse, Wisconsin’s starting quarterback has been injured since the 2nd quarter of week 1. Backup Danny O’Neill finished the game against Miami (OH) then started against Middle Tennessee State. Losing their primary passer, Wisconsin turned to the run-game but struggled against Miami (OH) and Middle Tennessee State. Over 43 attempts against Miami (OH), Wisconsin averaged only 3.8 yards per carry. There was improvement against Middle Tennessee State averaging 4.9 per carry on 31 attempts, however most of their production came in the second half. The offensive line struggled early in the contest, partially due to bad snaps. Before the season began, Wisconsin lost starting Left Tackle Kevin Heywood to an ACL tear. Then their star Center Jake Renfro also missed week 2 due to injury. The injuries have shaken up the offensive line, moving 4 starters around as Kerry Kodanko filled in for the injured Renfro. It took a while for the unit to work together, but they saw significant improvement in the second half. Wisconsin led 14-10 at halftime before scoring 28-unanswered points in the second half. Second-string Quarterback Danny O’Neill came alive after halftime. He finished the contest 23 of 27 for 283 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Fickell should enter week 3 with more confidence in his backup QB after a performance like that. O’Neill relied heavily on Senior Tight End Lance Mason who caught 7 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown. They do have a speedster at Wide receiver in Vinny Anthony who is averaging 13.4 yards per reception. He should draw attention from the Alabama secondary. Wisconsin is dealing with many injuries though the offense should have some confidence going into week 3.
On the defensive side of the ball, Wisconsin looks dialed in. Through two games, they are only allowing 33.5 rushing yards per game. As well, they’ve racked up 8 sacks. They are led by veteran linebackers Chistian Alliegro and Tackett Curtis who lead the team with 11 and 10 tackles respectably. The D-line and linebacker groups have done a great job stopping the run and impacting the quarterback. Linebackers and corners do leave room for improvement in the pass game. MTSU was able to scheme up receivers on linebackers in man coverage, catching the Wisconsin secondary off guard. As well, MTSU connected on a 37-yard pass in the 1st quarter. DB Ricardo Hallman was beat in man-coverage. They did limit MTSU to 208 passing yards, but MTSU showed areas where Wisconsin can be beat. Wisconsin was 46th in points allowed in 2024 (23.1 per game) and 41st in yards allowed per game (342.7). They were a good defense a season ago and look improved to start 2025.
Week 3 Storylines:
Return of the King: All signs point to Ryan Williams returning to the starting lineup on Saturday. Like many others, Ryan Williams struggled in week 1 against Florida State before exiting with a concussion. Ryan has oddly been the focus of negative discourse across social media the past few weeks. He did not play against ULM and looks to prove these naysayers wrong. Tomorrow is a great opportunity for Ryan to remind everyone why he is one of the most popular players in all of college football. Let’s see if Ryan Grubb eases Ryan back into play, or unleashes him. Ryan is always just one play away from doing something special.
How will the Offensive Line Operate?: Jaeden Roberts missed week 1 with a concussion and was cleared to play in week 2, yet Gino VanDeMark got the start. The line looked much improved, albeit against lowly ULM, so will DeBoer keep the starting 5 together? Wisconsin will be a much greater challenge as their front has been dominant both rushing the passer and stopping the run. This is a legitimate Power-4 defensive line that will challenge the Alabama front. We should key in on the right side of the line. Regardless of who starts at Right Guard, VanDeMark and Roberts are clearly in a position battle. As well, Wilkin Formby is known by other teams as the weak spot at right tackle. If he struggles, we may see Michael Carroll fill in for him.
Will the defense maintain their intensity?: After significant criticism due to a lack of effort against Florida State, the Alabama defense came to play in week 2. Effort was there on all 3 levels of the defense. It is easy to motivate a team after a disappointing loss, but will DeBoer get the best out of Alabama after a huge blowout? I think he will, especially with how good the backups played against ULM. If anyone in the starting 11 is lacking in effort, there are plenty of young players behind them willing to step up, specifically the middle linebackers. Justin Jefferson, Nikhai Hill-Green, and Deontae Lawson all missed tackles in week 1. Their backups, QB Reese and Cayden Jones played with high intensity against ULM, and are ready if an opportunity opens for them.
As always reach out with any questions or comments. Do you have a score prediction? Who will be the leading receiver? If you know anyone who’d like to join the list, send their info my way! Roll Tide! -Jake