Wisconsin Football: A “Way Too Early” look at the 2023 season

In the battle of big-name first-year Big Ten coaches, Matt Rhule and Nebraska take on Fickell and the boys. Rhule is a great college coach, but it has historically taken him time to implement his system and his players. Nebraska has been a dumpster fire for years, having only one winning season out of the last seven.

Rhule will get things turned around, just not this year. Wisconsin has another big spread, about 17 points, and in a repeating refrain of the season, the Badgers win big.

Thanksgiving weekend has Wisconsin fans thankful for their 11-0 team ending the regular season at Minnesota. One of college football’s most storied rivalries, these programs have met 130 times. “Paul Bunyan’s Axe” has resided in Minnesota for the past two seasons, much to the disgust of Badger fans.

Rivalry games like Wisconsin-Minnesota are what makes college football special. This series is incredibly close, with Wisconsin leading 62-60-8. Bucky gets to put a little distance between Goldy Gopher, with an emphatic 45-14 win.

Barring any catastrophic injuries, Wisconsin goes 12-0 and plays in the Big Ten Championship. They’ll face one of three teams: Michigan, Ohio State, or Penn State.

So ends the “Way Too Early” prognostication. While they probably won’t go undefeated, I honestly expect them to win the Big Ten West and play for the Big Ten championship and a place in the college football playoffs. Wisconsin football fans have been disappointed for quite some time now. I see that disappointment coming to an end this year.