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Wisconsin football has a top 25 defense according to one major database

ByMark Knight|
Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell watches a drill during fall training camp at Camp Randall Stadium.
Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell watches a drill during fall training camp at Camp Randall Stadium. | Mike De Sisti / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

Early indications from Wisconsin fall camp are that the defense is going to be pretty stellar in Madison this year, which can't be far from the truth, according to Kelley Ford Ratings, which has the Badgers listed as the 22nd best defense in the country. Rated as an 87.0 out of 100, it's one of the best ratings in the FBS.

Kelley Ford has Wisconsin rated as the 22nd-best defense going into the season

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The average team rating on the Kelley Ford 100-point scale is a 50. Wisconsin is rated 37 points higher and is considered one of the better units in the country. It's the eighth-best defense in the Big Ten according to this system, behind Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Iowa, Minnesota, Oregon, and Nebraska. This certainly means there is a higher weight on the Big Ten and SEC teams than on most of the other conferences.

The first non-Big 10 or SEC school is Notre Dame, which is independent, followed by Utah. This doesn't mean the system is flawed; in fact, the score is calculated using a power rating system. This rating is measured by projected performance from categories like points allowed, opponent strength, and efficiency.

Wisconsin having to face off against some of the best offenses in the country and up against some of the toughest competition in the country last year and into this year is part of the equation. That being said, there's definite optimism from Kelley Ford in what Wisconsin has done this offseason.

Luke Fickell would agree that the defense has gotten better across the board, but most importantly along the defensive line. The fact that they were undersized and wore down last season drove him batty. He went out and picked up more 300-pound players and defensive linemen that can rotate in and out to compete in the trenches.

This will be a recipe for more success in the Big Ten this year, and the Badgers should truly have one of the better defensive units this season.

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