The single biggest worry for the Wisconsin Badgers is the offensive line. There's really not much debate about that, even with a backup quarterback getting another start, not just for this weekend but for all the games coming after. It wasn't good against Miami (OH), and it was spotty at best against Middle Tennessee.
What's the ideal offensive line through two games? If there's any chance of beating Alabama, it will depend on a good offensive line unit. What players should be in there?
What is the best offensive line for Wisconsin football?
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First and foremost, the Badgers need Jake Renfro to be healthy. If he can play, that's a huge difference and would immediately change the line. Week one, the best part of the line was the interior with Renfro at the center position. The left tackle was a problem with transfer Davis Heinzen holding it down.
Week two, when Renfro was injured, backup guard Kerry Kodanko got the start at center, and the strength of week one became the weakness of week two. It seems like Luke Fickell and offensive line coach AJ Blazek had a good tackle situation going. It wasn't great, but it was effective with Riley Mahlman moving from right tackle to left tackle, and Emerson Mandell took the start at right tackle.
If Renfro can play it seems as if the ideal line would be:
LT - Riley Mahlman
LG - Joe Brunner
C - Jake Renfro
RG - Colin Cubberly
RT - Emerson Mandell
PFF scores confirm this as the ideal line. All of the above are the highest graded PFF linemen for Wisconsin through week two. The only exception is that Davis Heinzen rated slightly higher as a left tackle than Cubberly as a left guard, but that would be a lot of shuffling and put both out of position.
Also, giving Cubberly another week with Renfro, helping him out, could drastically improve his grade and his performance. Now, if Renfro can't go against Alabama, Wisconsin fans better hope Kerry Kodanko has it figured out because it seems like the options behind him may be even worse and would even make it so there was another brand new line for a third straight week.