2021 Preview: No. 8 Wisconsin Aims to Put Disjointed Pandemic Season Behind It

The Badgers were one of the harder-hit teams by COVID-19. Were the results an anomaly?

Seven months after the confetti fell on national champion Alabama, a new college football season is nearly here. As part of Sports Illustrated's 2021 preview content, we're rolling out scouting reports for all of SI's preseason top 25 teams, featuring all the names, storylines and big games you need to know. Starting with No. 25 Nevada and running through No. 1 Alabama, we'll be featuring five teams per day from Monday through Friday.

The Big Story: Wisconsin

Things were looking up for Wisconsin after it demolished Illinois for a 38-point victory to open 2020, but the season took a drastic downhill turn from there as COVID-19 cases tore through the team. The Badgers went 4–3 on the season, averaging the program’s fewest yards and points per game for since 2004. As disappointing as the season was, it was largely due to the unusual circumstances brought about by the pandemic. With lots of production returning on both sides of the ball, will the potential Wisconsin showed early in the season come to fruition in 2021?

Can’t Miss: Jack Sanborn

The Badgers got lucky when linebacker Sanborn elected to return to school instead of opting for the NFL draft. Sanborn led the team in tackles in each of the last two seasons and is the clear anchor of a defense that ranked fifth in the nation in yards allowed per game (299.9) in 2020.

Key Question: Will the ground game rebound?

The run game has long been a staple of the Wisconsin program, but it was a clear weakness last season as the team had its fewest rush yards per game (164.6) and attempts (3.9) since 2015. The Badgers will need to improve in this area if they hope to find success in 2021, but there is a lot of uncertainty at the position, which is led by first-year coach Gary Brown. Jalen Berger emerged as the starter as a true freshman last season, but he played in only four games and never carried more than 15 times per game. The program added Clemson transfer Chez Mellusi, but there still remains a lack of depth at the position, and most of the scholarship backs were injured during spring practice.

Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel/USA TODAY Network

X-Factor: Graham Mertz

The quarterback impressed in his debut last season, completing 20 of his 21 passes for 248 yards and five touchdowns to lead Wisconsin to the victory over Illinois in the season opener. But he tested positive for COVID-19 the following day, and, after returning from the 21-day protocol, he struggled in the final three regular-season games while dealing with a shoulder injury and mild concussion. Mertz has a high ceiling; for Wisconsin to have the success it hopes for, he will need to tap into that for a full season.

Date to circle: Sept. 25 vs. Notre Dame (in Chicago)

Wisconsin faces No. 11 Notre Dame in September in one of the marquee matchups of the college football season. The two programs square off for the first time since 1964, doing so on a special stage at Soldier Field. Also adding intrigue to the event is the fact that former Badgers quarterback Jack Coan transferred to the Fighting Irish program over the offseason.

The Bottom Line

The Badgers were one of the harder-hit teams by the pandemic last season, but time will tell just how much of it was an anomaly. 

More Top 25 Team Previews:

• No. 19 Penn State
• No. 16 Iowa
• No. 14 Indiana