Wisconsin Football Forecast for Fighting Illini
Badger of Honor offers its Wisconsin football forecast for the Big Ten West clash between your Wisconsin Badgers and the host Illinois Fighting Illini
We all know that standard caveats and cautions about how hard it is to win a football game. Especially in the Big Ten. Most especially on the road in the Big Ten.
That is undoubtedly true. Hence, the inspiring mantra of “today we go 1-and-0” from everyone’s favorite former Wisconsin coach and soon to be former Arkansas coach, Bret Bielema.
The idea being, just focus on winning the game today and not take anything for granted.
Wisconsin Badgers Football
Wisconsin football worked hard all week preparing for Illinois despite the Illini being just 2-5 overall and 0-4 in conference play. That’s the only way to approach any game.
But it really is hard to envision a scenario not invoking some type of Murphy’s Law combination of penalties and turnovers that keeps this one competitive.
Illinois has a bad run defense and that’s pretty much leading with your chin facing Wisconsin. The Badgers have the best 3rd down conversion mark in the conference and Illinois is the 2nd most forgiving defense in the Big Ten on 3rd down.
Meanwhile an elite Badger defense should be able to stop the lowest scoring offense in the Big Ten without needing exotic blitzes and creative schemes. You get the idea.
Jonathan Taylor adds a pair of first half touchdowns before departing early giving way to Bradrick Shaw and Garrett Groshek. Troy Fumagalli gets his fourth touchdown of the season.
Defensively, I’m going to predict a Nick Nelson interception every week until it happens. The Badgers pile up the sacks as Illinois falls behind and has to throw.
Wisconsin 37 Illinois 13
Next: Wisconsin Football Illinois Fighting Illini Preview
Bonus Forecast: Not so much a forecast but a recommendation. Some Wisconsin personnel or fans should get a fantastic haircut at Gene’s barbershop on Mattis Ave in Champaign. I even wrote a google review two years ago after my son got his first ever haircut there. He became the fourth generation male Seligman to get a haircut there.