4/26/2021 football Edit

Michigan Football 2021 Schedule Countdown: No. 2 — Wisconsin

Austin Fox • Maize&BlueReview

Staff Writer

Here is part 11 of a 12-part series in which we count down the Michigan Wolverines football's 2021 strength of schedule from its easiest game (No. 12) to its most difficult (No. 1).

Checking in at No. 2 is Wisconsin, who Michigan will square off with Oct. 2 in Madison.

Wisconsin Badgers football — The Michigan Wolverines football's last win over Wisconsin came in 2018 in Ann Arbor. (USA Today Sports Images)

Head Coach: Paul Chryst (7th season) — 56-19 record (74.6 winning percentage)

Recruiting Rankings

2017 — 35th

2018 — 40th

2019 — 27th

2020 — 28th

2021 — 15th

2020 Record: 4-3 (3-3 in Big Ten play)

Wisconsin's 2020 season was one of interruptions and immense inconsistency. The Badgers kicked things off with a 45-7 beatdown of Illinois Oct. 23, before seeing their next two games canceled.

Wisconsin's second contest didn't occur until Nov. 14 at Michigan, which resulted in a 49-11 win. Looking like one of the best teams in the nation at that point, things began to unravel for Chryst's club.

Three consecutive losses to Northwestern, Indiana and Iowa ensued, before the Badgers closed the regular season with an underwhelming overtime home victory over Minnesota.

A 42-28 win over Wake Forest in the Duke's Mayo Bowl helped erase the sting of the three-game losing streak a bit, though the 2020 season as a whole was still viewed as one of underachievement for the program.

The Badgers' defense was elite (finished fifth in the nation), but their offense wrapped up a dismal 103rd nationally.

Did You Know?

• Michigan's last win in Madison came in 2001 (20-17). The Wolverines have lost each of their last five trips to Camp Randall Stadium.

• The home team has dominated the series as of late, owning a 9-2 record since 2005. The lone two visiting wins during that span were when Wisconsin won at The Big House in 2010 and 2020.

• In the 12 seasons since 2009, the Badgers have won 10 or more games eight times. Additionally, the only campaign since 2009 in which they won fewer than eight games was during last season's shortened year.

• U-M owns an all-time record of 51-17-1 against Wisconsin.

2021 Preview

The Badgers' 2020 offense was a problem in both the run and the passing game, finishing 62nd in the former and 108th in the latter. Then-redshirt freshman quarterback Graham Mertz burst onto the scene and got off to a marvelous start, but finished with middle-of-the-pack statistics — 61.1 completion percentage, nine touchdowns and five interceptions.

Mertz is the least of the Badgers' concerns, however, and will be heavily expected to earn the starting quarterback job again as a redshirt sophomore. The UW ground game that had been so stellar in the past took a big step back last year and only averaged 3.9 yards per carry (83rd nationally).

It also lost two of its three leading rushers in Nakia Watson and Garrett Groshek, but returns its leading ground man in redshirt freshman Jalen Berger. Berger racked up 301 yards and two scores last year as a freshman.

Again, Wisconsin's passing attack struggled mightily in 2020 but at least brings back five of its six receiving leaders, including wideouts Jack Dunn (28 catches for 255 yards), Chimere Dike (12 catches for 189 yards), Kendric Pryor (eight receptions for 119 yards) and Danny Davis (three grabs for 78 yards).

The best option, however, may very well be fifth-year senior tight end Jake Ferguson once again, whose 30 catches, 305 yards and four touchdowns all led the team last season.

A Wisconsin defense that was elite (finished fifth nationally in yards allowed per game) should be expected to be among the game's best once again.

It returns eight of its nine leading tacklers from 2020, including two all-conference performers in senior linebacker Jack Sanborn (third team from the media) and fifth-year senior cornerback Caesar Williams (third team from the coaches).

The back seven, in particular, brings back the most experience, in the forms of linebackers Sanborn, junior Leo Chenal (40 tackles and three sacks) and sophomore Nick Herbig (26 tackles), cornerbacks Williams, fifth-year senior Faion Hicks (13 tackles) and junior Donte Burton (10 tackles), and safeties in senior Collin Wilder (30 tackles) and fifth-year senior Scott Nelson (21 tackles and two picks).

The defensive line graduates its top two leading tackles, however, in defensive ends Garrett Rand and Isaiahh Loudermilk.

Why No. 2 in the Countdown?

A trip to Camp Randall Stadium is basically a root canal in itself, even when the Badgers don't feature a high-level team. The 2021 UW squad is expected to bounce back significantly from a disappointing 2020 campaign, which unsurprisingly means this will be an incredibly difficult game for Michigan to win.

The fact that the game will occur early in the year (Oct. 2) isn't ideal for a U-M squad who will have a lot of learning to do with a revamped defense and coaching staff. We knew we weren't going to list this game as more difficult than the season finale against Ohio State, but placing it at No. 2 on this list was a no-brainer.

No. 12: Northern Illinois

No. 11: Western Michigan

No. 10: Rutgers

No. 9: Maryland

No. 8: Michigan State

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