Wisconsin vs. Indiana: Stone Cold Final Score Prediction

Wisconsin's Quest for Big Ten Dominance Continues!

Oct 28, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Jordan Hancock (7) pressures Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Braedyn Locke (18) during the first half of the NCAA football game at Camp Randall Stadium :: © Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Wisconsin vs. Indiana

This coming Saturday, the Wisconsin Badgers will have a chance to bounce back from a tough loss to Ohio State when they travel to Bloomington to take on the Indiana Hoosiers. As it stands, the Badgers (5-3 overall, 3-2 in Big Ten) are in a 4-way tie for first place in the Big Ten West, along with Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska. With that being said, if Wisconsin wants to win their division and advance to the Big Ten Championship, it all starts with beating Indiana on their home turf.

Coming in Off a Hard-Fought Loss

Wisconsin is coming into Saturday's game off a hard-fought 24-10 loss at the hands of the now No. 1 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. The Badgers only trailed 17-10 heading into the fourth quarter, but their offense was not able to put the ball in the end zone, and the Buckeyes eventually tacked on a late touchdown to put the game out of reach.

As far as Indiana goes, it has been a season to forget. Following their 33-24 loss to Penn State (the game was tied 24-24 at one point), the Hoosiers have now lost four games in a row (all Big Ten games). In fact, the only two wins Indiana has in 2023 are a 29-27 4 O.T. victory over Akron and a 41-7 win over Indiana State.

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Injuries Mounting

Wisconsin is already without starting quarterback Tanner Mordecai, who is out indefinitely with a broken hand, and now they could be without starting running back Braelon Allen. Allen, who is the Badgers' leading rusher so far in 2023 (754 yards and 8 touchdowns), suffered an injury on the final play of the first half against Ohio State. During his weekly presser, Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell provided an update on Allen's status, noting that not much was known at this point.

“No, don’t know a whole lot,” Fickell said about the availability of Allen and wideout Chimere Dike. “They were out of practice on Sunday, didn’t do a whole lot. But it’s only Monday, so we’ll have to find out some things as we move forward in the week.”

Wisconsin running back Jackson Acker (34) finds a seam in the Ohio State defense during the third quarter of their game Saturday, October 28, 2023 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. Ohio State beat Wisconsin 24-10 :: © Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

Wisconsin MUST Establish The Run

So far in 2023, Indiana is giving up nearly 170 rushing yards per game, and that is exactly what Wisconsin MUST take advantage of if they want to avoid an upset in Bloomington. If Allen is healthy and plays in Saturday's game, the Badgers should be able to do whatever they want on the ground. With that being said, if Allen is unable to go, Wisconsin will roll with Jackson Acker, who has only carried the ball 35 times so far this season. If they are not able to establish the run, the Badgers would be forced to ride the arm of quarterback Braedyn Locke, which is not ideal.

Wisconsin vs. Indiana: Stone Cold Final Score Prediction

The Wisconsin football team has plenty of issues on the offensive side of the ball, but they are solid enough defensively that even if the offense struggles to score, the Badgers should win the game. At this time (Wednesday night), we don't know for certain if Braelon Allen will be able to give it a go or if he will miss Saturday's game against the Hoosiers. For this prediction, I am going to assume he will play and that the Badgers will be able to establish the run on offense and shut down Indiana on defense.

Wisconsin 23 Indiana 13

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