Inside the Game: Wisconsin Utah State

Wisconsin kicks off its 2017 college football season against Utah State on Friday evening in Madison.  So what are the keys to the game?

The 2017 edition of Wisconsin Badger football debuts on Friday evening at on ESPN.  Wisconsin is the heavy favorite over visiting Utah State.

Nonetheless, while it may be a shock if the outcome is in doubt in the fourth quarter, there’s still plenty of reasons to watch.

The Badgers have made no secret of its national championship aspirations for the 2017 season.  The defending Big Ten West champs are once again the chalk pick to top the division and return to the Big Ten title game.

Wisconsin has a tremendous opportunity in a nationally televised home game under the lights at Camp Randall stadium.  The Badgers want to show the national college football pundits its worthy of its lofty preseason rankings.

However, the game starts at 8 p.m. Central Standard Time which is of course 9 p.m. on the east coast.  Therefore, the Badgers need to get a fast start to make the strongest impression on pollsters.

Next: Previewing the Utah State Aggies Offense

Our west coast friends in the Pac-12 are all too familiar with the challenges of later kickoffs.  I’m convinced Christian McCaffrey did not win the Heisman last season because too many east coast voters didn’t get to watch him live.

Anyways, Wisconsin is expected to roll over Utah State.  But we’ll still run down some of the key things to watch in the game.  Scroll through the list to see Badger of Honor’s important notes for week one of the college football season.