In a recent appearance on Always College Football, Greg McElroy of ESPN made the case as to why the Wisconsin Badgers might become a legitimate spoiler in the Big Ten this fall. He went on to imply the Badgers may prove problematic to the title aspirations of both Ryan Day’s Ohio State and Sherman Moore’s Michigan.
“They (Badgers) began 5-2, and they had their first five-game losing streak in almost 25 years. They need to sort of get back to what they want to be, and it starts with the offensive side of the football,” he said. Now Jeff Grimes has been hired…He is going to run the football and I know that will be a welcomed component of this offense.” (48:08)
The remarks indicate a definite shift in the style of offense implemented by previous coordinator Phil Longo, whose time was up in November 2024 after two mediocre seasons. The new strategy in Wisconsin under offensive coordinator Grimes will be an offense based more on the running game according to McElroy. His offense should get a boost from quarterback Billy Edwards, who is expected to start at the quarterback position.
McElroy also mentioned that Wisconsin has been able to add size and speed to its front seven via the transfer portal. McElroy emphasized that this unit has always been one of the most dependable in the Big Ten. The difficulty will be to recover that level following what he termed a 2024 season that was not what they are accustomed to.
Wisconsin’s Schedule Presents Major Challenge in 2025
As Wisconsin is possibly on the rise in roster quality, they have one of the most difficult schedules in the country. Greg McElroy said it was perhaps the most difficult schedule in the entire Big Ten, with road trips to Alabama, Michigan, and Oregon and home games against Ohio State, Washington, and Iowa. October alone has match-ups with Michigan, Oregon, and Washington, a stretch he described as “probably the toughest October in all of college football.”
Wisconsin could cause chaos in the conference race if they survive that run. Although Ohio State and Michigan are the preseason favorites, with the Buckeyes being ranked No. 2 and the Wolverines No. 14 in the most recent power rankings released by ESPN.
That defensive boost McElroy emphasized, especially in linebacker play and front-seven dominance, will be vital should Wisconsin have any chance of pulling an upset. As the Badgers bring back several contributors in the secondary and incorporate several transfer linemen.
Read More:
Big Ten Picks Side Into Wisconsin vs Miami NIL Fight With Bold Message on Sustainable College Sports
Most Defensive Ends Selected in the NFL Draft – Led By Wisconsin and Washington
