The last game of the regular season is here for the Wisconsin Badgers and there are a lot of worried fans out there. That's because with a win, the Badgers will reach six wins on the year, but with a loss, they'll finish 5-7 and see their 22-year bowl streak come to an end.
This is something Luke Fickell has on his mind and he's also hoping his guys will step up after posting four straight losses. Once 5-2, Wisconsin is now 5-6 and things have been a mess over the past month.
However, come Friday, the season can be saved. In order for that to happen, these three individuals must answer the call for the Badgers to prevent a nightmare end to the campaign from being recorded:
3. DC Mike Tressel
We're starting things off with one of Fickell's assistants, as defensive coordinator Mike Tressel and his defensive coaches need to come up with the right game plan. In the loss to Oregon, the Badgers kept Dillon Gabriel in check and they held the No. 1 Ducks to only 16 points.
However, Wisconsin gave up a mind-blowing 42 points to Iowa the week before and Nebraska put up 44 points on the team just last week. That's inexcusable. Tressel needs to be on his game and make some in-game adjustments if his original plan doesn't work out.
2. QB Braedyn Locke
We've been hard on Braedyn Locke this campaign, but now is the time for him to shine. In the loss to Nebraska last week, he tossed for 292 yards and three touchdowns. He made some impressive throws, but he also tossed yet another interception. Taking care of the football has been a problem for him.
Against the Gophers, we need to see Locke be smart with the pigskin and also make some quality throws. In order for Wisconsin to have a legit shot in reaching win No. 6 on the year, Locke needs to be at his best. If he struggles again, the bowl streak will end - it's as simple as that.
1. RBs Tawee Walker and Darrion Dupree
We're saving two RBs for last, as we've got our eyes on Tawee Walker and Darrion Dupree. In the loss to Nebraska, Walker posted 14 carries for 55 yards (3.9 yards per carry), while Walker carried the ball eight times for 63 yards. People are calling for Wisconsin to get back to smash-mouth football, winning battles in the trenches and running the ball.
Will we see that against Minnesota? We hope so. Look for Walker and Dupree to both get a lot of work in, and hopefully it will come in a win for the Badgers to punch their tickets to a bowl game for the 23rd straight year.