Wisconsin football takes on Michigan at Camp Randall Stadium. It looks like third down will be the decisive down on Saturday.
Third down has been a good down for Wisconsin football. That’s true for the offense and the defense.
On Saturday, third down will be critical. Especially given the contrast between the two teams on that down.
Michigan struggles on third down at least offensively. The Wolverines are just #112 in the country in college football with a .331 conversion mark. On a related note, Michigan is just #107 in first downs.
Wisconsin Badgers Football
Yet, the Michigan defense is thriving as the Wolverines are best in the NCAA on third down. They are limiting opponents to just a .237 conversion percentage number. Therefore, they’re #2 in first downs allowed, getting off the field often.
For the season, Wisconsin retains the #1 spot in the national NCAA statistics for third down conversions. The Badgers have a .520 conversion number, moving the chains on 66 of its 127 third down attempts. Wisconsin is #40 nationally in first downs.
So we have a match up with the best third down offense (Wisconsin) and the best third down defense (Michigan). Something doesn’t have to give necessarily. The Badgers converting around 38 percent of its third downs would split the difference.
Yet, given the strong defenses on both sides, field position is going to be critical. So whoever moves the chains at a minimum can help flip the field a little bit.
So even if the drive sputters (and plenty will on Saturday), picking up a couple first downs means you have a chance to pin the opposing offense. Then you start your next possession in a better spot and thus more likely to get some precious and rare points.
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One problem for the Badgers is that Michigan has the top three Big Ten leaders in tackles-for-loss. So the Wisconsin offensive line has to be at its best in disrupting the Wolverines TFL trio. Because Bucky doesn’t has the offense to catch up when behind the chains. Especially without risking devastating turnovers.
So hail to the victor on third down between the Badgers and Wolverines. It’s a key statistic to watch all game long.