Wisconsin football has a case to move up in Big Ten power rankings

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IOWA CITY, IOWA- SEPTEMBER 22: Running back Jonathon Taylor #23 of the Wisconsin Badgers runs up the field in the first half in front of defensive back Jake Gervase #30 of the Iowa Hawkeyes on September 22, 2018 at Kinnick Stadium, in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images) /

No matter how ugly it looked or how badly it felt like they wanted to, the Badgers just couldn’t let us down. Playing a night game at Iowa with the early head start in the Big Ten West on the line is exactly the kind of game that Wisconsin is built for.

This game wasn’t going to be won early with big plays or home run shots. That’s just not how Wisconsin or Iowa work. The team that was strongest at the end of the fourth quarter was going to win this one. That’s exactly what happened.

Wisconsin won the turnover battle 3-0 and possessed the ball for 35 minutes to Iowa’s 24. Wisconsin didn’t lean on the running game as much as it could have, which was strange. But the run was still a large part of the win. Jonathan Taylor had over 100 yards rushing and Taiwan Deal had 42 of his own on 7 yards-per-carry.

In the end, Wisconsin made just enough plays to win and did so in true-Wisconsin fashion. It made all the key stops and conversions down the stretch it needed to and did it with confidence. I don’t think anybody was surprised at the result of the game. The ride was fun and stressful and full of emotions, but the result was predictable.

Wisconsin has a bye, then hosts Nebraska before going to Michigan. The Badgers should be able to handle Nebraska with ease and we’ll get a good look at both the Wolverines and the Badgers in a few weeks.