As 2016 turns in to 2017 the Wisconsin Badgers will look to end one season on a high note and set the stage for bigger things to come.
That’s because they will face the undefeated Western Michigan Broncos in the Cotton Bowl Classic. It also means the Badgers are back in the mix of the New Year’s Six bowl games and the national spotlight will fall on them.
Beating an undefeated team with two wins over fellow Big Ten West division teams? That won’t exactly be the easiest of things even if the oddsmakers believe UW has a massive advantage in this game.
Advantage UW or not, someone is going to have to win this game. So, let’s explore the five reasons that Wisconsin will win this contest.
5. Deeper Talent Pool
Often times the difference between a top-level MAC program and the Big Ten is simply depth. While the Broncos feature some very talented players at the top of their depth chart, look beyond that and there aren’t as many players to be scared of.
Yes, Corey Davis is perhaps the best wide receiver in college football. Sure, some of the numbers put up by other players are impressive (like Davis’ fellow senior wide receivers Michael Henry and Carrington Thompson). Heck, there’s even that whole “row the boat” thing P.J. Fleck has going for him in a major way in Kalamazoo, Mich.
What is key to remember in this type of a matchup is that stats are relative in some ways. Take for instance running back Jarvion Franklin and his 1,300 yards this season. On the surface that is impressive and something the Badgers have to worry about, but dig deeper and you find that he rushed for all of 38 yards against Northwestern and just 78 yards. He also hasn’t had a 100-yard game in the last three efforts.
So, when things get down in the run game, do the Broncos really have options like Dare Ogunbowale or Bradrick Shaw at their disposal. What about along the offense and defensive lines or in the secondary?
Fleck has done a great job of upping the recruiting prowess of his team since arriving, but there is no question that Wisconsin’s depth is a massive advantage and its ability to throw more than one or two big weapons at you on either side of the ball is what has gotten them this far in 2016.
4. It’s Not Wisconsin’s First Rodeo
Anyone that has ever been to the Rose Bowl or any of the other big New Year’s six bowl games understands that this isn’t your ordinary bowl game. There are different obligations, more media attention and things are just overall more amped up around these games.
Western Michigan has had an advantage this season of being able to keep a lot of what they are doing in house. Sure, ESPN’s College GameDay has come to town and head coach P.J. Fleck has been a media darling, but that has all largely been about him and not so much about the players.
Outside of Corey Davis, few players are national names on the Broncos team. Add in the fact that this is the first time the program has played in a major bowl game and you get a recipe for a team that may or may not rise to the spotlight of the national stage on January 2nd.
No such problem exists for the Wisconsin Badgers of 2016. UW played arguably the most high-profile matchup of the opening weekend with all eyes on the Lambeau Field Classic against LSU. There were high-profile games with Michigan State (before we all knew they were terrible this season), Michigan and Ohio State.
ESPN’s College GameDay also was in Madison for that OSU matchup.
Let’s also not forget that big time games like this one are the reason a lot of players come to Wisconsin in the first place. For fifth-year seniors, they were around for the last of Wisconsin’s three-straight trips to the Rose Bowl and they’ve played in countless massive matchups since then.
All of the media attention, the hoopla and all the events — none of it should phase the Badgers.
If either team lets all of the outside stuff be a distraction, it should be Western Michigan. Wisconsin’s coaching staff, players and everyone else associated with the team all know the drill here.
That is an advantage, even if it is a small one.
3. Dual Quarterbacks
Most often the two-quarterback system doesn’t work in football. However, perhaps the best example of why Paul Chryst was the pick of the media for Big Ten Coach of the Year came from his handling of the quarterback position this season.
Bart Houston got the first go and played well enough to get victories in the first few games. That didn’t last long, as the offense looked stagnant in the first half against Georgia State. Enter redshirt freshman Alex Hornibrook, who took over and gave a jolt of energy to the Badgers offense. He went 8 of 12 for 122 yards and a touchdown in the final quarter-and-a-half of that contest.
He took the reigns as the starter for UW’s final 10 games of the season and finished his first season passing for 1,243 yards and eight touchdowns to seven interceptions.
It wasn’t all roses for the frosh this season, and that was where the two-quarterback system came in to play.
Chryst did an amazing job of figuring out the ebb and flow of his offense and how his quarterbacks were playing. He rode the hot hand most of the time and it worked out to the tune of a 10-3 overall record and two quarterbacks who did what was best for the team.
It started with Chryst planning on Houston coming in for a series in each half and sometimes ended with him staying the in game to lead the more productive offense.
Rather than be a distraction, Wisconsin’s dual quarterback situation has been exactly what this offense needs at times. With Hornibrook healthy and Houston coming off a good performance in the Big Ten championship game, the Badgers face a tough situation for the Cotton Bowl.
No starter has been named, but given the history of this season we’re sure that Chryst and Co. will find a way to use the quarterbacks to the best advantage possible.
2. Corey Clement
All anyone seemingly wants to talk about heading in to this game is Western Michigan wide receiver Corey Davis. Rightfully so given his year (91 receptions, 1,427 yards, 18 touchdowns), but he is far from the only big play person on either offense.
In fact, dare we say the Badgers biggest advantage offensively is the motivation of Corey Clement playing in his final college football game. Things haven’t exactly gone to plan for Clement once he finally got his chance at the spotlight. Something about an injury or two, a suspension and an offensive line in flux in front of him for most of the past two years.
With all of that sorted out, Clement finished the 2016 season averaging over 100 yards per game. He has racked up 1,304 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground so far.
He’s going up against a good MAC rushing defense in Western Michigan, who give up over 150 yards a game on the ground. Nationally however, the Broncos rank just 47th in the nation and haven’t faced a rushing attack like Wisconsin can bring to the table.
Besides, five offenses have put up over 200 yards on the ground against the Broncos. Look for Clement to have a big day if Wisconsin is to put this game away.
1. That Wisconsin Badgers Defense
Western Michigan may be 13-0 and may have two victories over Big Ten teams, but they have never seen a defense like the Badgers can and will throw at them in the Cotton Bowl. Plain and simple, Wisconsin’s biggest advantage is the fact that it can dominate the best of opponents on the defensive side of the ball.
Let’s remind you that UW finished the season ranked No. 4 in scoring defense (15.5), No. 2 in rushing defense (96.9 yards per game) and No. 7 in total defense (303 yards per game). Wisconsin also ranks No. 6 in the nation with just 22 total touchdowns allowed on the year and is tied for eighth in turnovers created in the country.
If Western Michigan has faced a defense as all-around solid as the Badgers have been all season it came against Northwestern. That wasn’t exactly WMU’s best effort either, eeking out a 22-21 victory on the road before the Wildcats offense figured out exactly who they were.
Few linebackers (if any) that WMU has faced this season are the caliber of Vince Biegel and T.J. Watt, to say nothing of the inside presence UW has as well.
What may be key is Wisconsin’s secondary and its ability to bounce back after giving up any and all big plays in the second half collapse against Penn State in the Big Ten title game.
Given that wasn’t exactly Wisconsin’s norm, it is safe to say things will look different at AT&T Stadium on Monday afternoon.
Look for Wisconsin’s defense to be its biggest advantage by miles, and biggest reason it wins (should it).
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