When looking at the Wisconsin Badgers' Week 3 matchup at the No. 19 Alabama Crimson Tide, few people outside of Madison believe Luke Fickell's team even has a snowball's chance. The betting line has been over -20.5 in Alabama's direction all week long. On paper, the Crimson Tide are absolutely the better team. However, paper does not win on the field. It is the 11 guys playing on the gridiron...
One area where the Badgers may have a decided advantage is with their pass rush. They have had eight sacks in two games this season. Yes, they have only played the likes of the Miami RedHawks and the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders, but Mike Tressel's defense is showing that it can bring the pressure on any given Saturday. There is also another factor to this team that cannot be overlooked.
That would be backup quarterback Danny O'Neil getting his second career start for the Badgers in lieu of the injured Billy Edwards Jr. While O'Neil will probably be able to hold his own in some capacity vs. the Alabama defense, what could transpire if he were to lead the Badgers to a stunning upset road victory over the Crimson Tide? Is anyone ready to be living in that world across all of college football?
It has to happen first, but here is what the fallout could be like for both teams with a Wisconsin win.
What may happen if Wisconsin beats Alabama on Saturday in Tuscaloosa?
From a Wisconsin standpoint, it might be next to impossible to have Edwards reclaim his starting job over a red-hot O'Neil should the Badgers pull off the stunning upset. There is a non-zero chance that the Maryland transfer gets Wally Pipp-ed by the San Diego State transfer. For whatever reason, the offensive line and the offense as a whole seems to respond to O'Neil's brash type of leadership style.
In theory, this would be the biggest win Wisconsin would have in years. It would go wonders for Luke Fickell's job security, in addition to potentially having his two coordinators of note in Jeff Grimes and Mike Tressel possibly in line to lead their own teams one day. Again, to win at Bryant-Denny is a huge ask, but all the pressure is on Alabama in this one to not stumble yet again before playing at Georgia.
This is a bit of a trap game for the Crimson Tide, so maybe the Badgers could take advantage of it?
What may the fallout be for Alabama should the Crimson Tide lose here?
In the rare event that Alabama falls to Wisconsin, three things will start to happen if they have not already... The first is Kalen DeBoer's hot seat becomes scalding hot. If Alabama were to somehow fall to 1-3 with a brutal loss to Georgia following the Wisconsin game, it may result in him being let go before October. That seems a bit harsh, but the expectations he was facing coming in were so high.
The second would be a quarterback change to the future. The Ty Simpson era under center in Tuscaloosa would be over. Clearly, he is not equipped to lead a Power Four contender if he falls to 1-3 in his first four starts for Alabama this year. That would usher in promising freshman Keelon Russell to take over to potentially save DeBoer's job. The third is the boosters will start to accumulate a buyout.
An Alabama loss to Wisconsin would be on par with the disaster at rival Auburn under Bryan Harsin.
What is the most likely outcome for Wisconsin taking on Alabama?
Rather than go to extremes, the most plausible outcome in this game on Saturday afternoon is for Wisconsin to cover the 20.5-point spread in defeat. This defense is legit. ESPN's Bill Connelly is among the many to finally recognize that. However, the offense is not yet up to standard. It has more to do with the offensive line not being quite there as a unit, much more so than the quarterback room.
The biggest key in this game for Wisconsin is how the Badgers play from the start. A lethargic pace on offense in the first two quarters could prove disastrous. This may result in O'Neil playing with a bit more urgency than in the first two games of the season. If he can take care of the ball, then that is great news for the Badgers. If he is too reckless with it, then Wisconsin could be in for a long day...
Alabama is still the favorite to win this game, but the Crimson Tide may be laying too many points.