SnoTapWi Previews are one of those things that I always enjoy doing and feel bad that I’ve left out the Badgers for the first two weeks. What did we miss? Well, what we missed was a dominant Badgers team. They’ve scored 110 points in two games. They’ve allowed 0 points in two games. That’s pretty damn good. The hype around Wisconsin is very real, and they could ascend to a new level of this year’s college football world after this weekend. They take on the Michigan Wolverines, one of the hyped up teams to start the season but struggled out of the gate. Can Wisconsin continue their dominance on Saturday?

Three Storylines I Care About
1. Will Michigan’s offense show up? – Here’s the thing that I worry about in this game for Wisconsin. Michigan had a week off just like Wisconsin did, and one of the issues with the Wolverines was their new offense. Josh Gattis came from Alabama, and he tried to implement the spread at Michigan. So far, it has been a complete clusterfuck for the Wolverines. Now, if they come up fresh and looking sharp, it could be trouble for Wisconsin. I expect Michigan to come out hot with their offense and first 20 plays. We’ll see what happens with Michigan.

2. Jonathan Taylor can still have a big game – Don Brown’s defense is one of the more known good things in college football. It is very difficult to run against them. Taylor did not have that issue even in a blowout loss. He rushed for 101 yards with 17 carries for a 5.9 average. Taylor looked like a complete stud in the first two games of the season. He is catching the balls out of the backfield this season, and that could be very helpful dealing with the Michigan pass rush.

3. Badgers defense can get the ball loose from Shea Patterson – Thru two games of the season, Shea Patterson has four fumbles. Three of them went to the other team. They’ve facing Middle Tennessee and Army. Wisconsin’s defense is a whole another animal. Their pass rush has been nasty, and Wisconsin should be able to get to Patterson. Michigan is rolling two quarterbacks, but Patterson is the main guy. My assumption is that Dylan McCaffery might get a few more snaps if Patterson’s fumbles continue on Saturday.

Charlie’s Predicted Player of the Game.
Jack Coan – If Wisconsin is going to win this game, they need Jack Coan to be awesome again. Coan looked like a complete stud through two games, but Bowling Green and South Florida are different animals compared to Michigan. We discussed it on the podcast this week with Coan’s wide receivers. It is the best group they’ve had in years. Michigan’s secondary has not been tested yet this season.

Prediction
Wisconsin will win this game, 20-14 in what will be a competitive game throughout four quarters. Taylor runs out the clock for the Badgers in the waning moments as the Badgers control the scoring in this one. Badgers defense will prove that the first two games were not just two bad teams they were facing. Coan will also have a big game, and the Badgers will force a few turnovers to help their cause.

Charlie.