Wisconsin Badgers Football: 3 Biggest Story Lines Entering The 2023 Season

It’s a great feeling to say that Wisconsin Football is back next week! Not the game portion but fall camp opens up next week. It will be a quick month of August and then the season begins September 2 against Buffalo. Wisconsin has made a ton of changes since November beginning with the hire of new head coach Luke Fickell. Players also left while new players came in. It’s been a whirlwind the last eight months. With that being said, here are three big story lines that will be surrounding the Badgers this season.

How Quick Can The Offense Adjust To The Air Raid Offense

Under new offensive coordinator Phil Longo, the Badgers will be incorporating an air raid offense. Fans will see a ton of passing from new starting quarterback Tanner Mordecai. At the same time, Longo’s offense also includes getting the running game involved. This should help Braelon Allen and Chez Mellsui run through less crowded boxes.

There’s no doubt the offense is gong to take some time to get going. Longo has new players in his system. It could take some time too for the players who stayed and were recruited under Paul Chryst especially. These players are used to ground and pound and only pass protecting when needed. Expectations are high in Madison and while it’s going to take some time, patience may not be there for some fans.

Can Wisconsin Handle The High Expectations

Both national and local media are loving the Badgers. Wisconsin is seen as a top 20 team in the country entering the season and potentially a sleeper team to contend for a national championship. Those are some tough expectations to live up to. However, it shows how much Luke Fickell and his staff are liked and respected. It also shows how much they like the transfer players and incoming freshmen class.

The schedule is also a big talking point as to why there are high expectations. Right now, the Badgers should be favored in 11 of their 12 games. The only one they would/should be an underdog against is Ohio State. That game will be in Madison on October 28.  It’s a good mixture of new players, veteran players, and a veteran coaching staff.

Big Ten West Or Bust?

If you read about the Iowa Hawkeyes, you probably have read that their beat writers are saying it’s Big Ten West title or bust for them. You could say the same thing about Wisconsin as well. As mentioned above, Wisconsin is favored in all but one game and their two toughest games (Iowa and Ohio State) are in Madison.

I never like saying it’s this and that or bust. It sets yourself up for disappointment at the end of the day. However, I will say that Wisconsin has the schedule and the path to a Big Ten West title. The schedule doesn’t get much easier especially when USC and UCLA come to the Big Ten. This isn’t to say they won’t play for a Big Ten title down the road, but it will definitely get tougher after this season. A ton of people are looking at the West coming through Madison. We will see if Wisconsin is up to to test and can defend their home field.

@DylanBuboltz and follow us @WiSportsHeroics