For one short week, Wisconsin basked in glory previously unachieved by head coach Luke Fickell .
After taking down then-No. 16 USC at home for their second top-20 upset this season, the Badgers catapulted into the AP Top 25 and had fans and national analysts alike dreaming big about what Wisconsin could accomplish this fall.
Fast forward to Halloween a week later, and a 30-0 blowout at the hands of Iowa has the Badger faithful contemplating changes everywhere from head coach to offensive coordinator to starting quarterback.
Wisconsin emerged from its more difficult first two-thirds of the season with a 5-3 record (3-2 in Big Ten play). It took care of business against Western Illinois, Eastern Michigan, Penn State, Michigan State and USC with losses to Notre Dame, UCLA and Iowa.
Now, it's about to enter the portion of its schedule that was universally deemed easier before the season started, and through nine weeks and change of college football, that perception remains the case.
There's no better representation of how weak this stretch of Wisconsin's schedule is perceived to be than the opening line against Rutgers, which is pretty significant considering how poorly the Badgers played last week - and considering that Rutgers just held its own against Michigan, covering the spread in that game and losing 28-21.
The Badgers are currently a 17.5-point home favorite over Rutgers in Week 10 on FanDuel Sportsbook .
Rutgers Scarlet Knights quarterback AJ Surace. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Rutgers immediately announced itself as one of the laughing stocks of the college football world this season when it got blown out by UMass, a team that didn't win a single game last season, in Week 1. The Scarlet Knights sit at 2-6, with wins over FCS Howard and lowly Maryland.
Defensively, they've been abysmal, ranking No. 123 in the nation in total defense. Their offense is a curious study in that they have two of the better skill players in the country in tailback Antwan Raymond (893 total yards, seven touchdowns) and receiver KJ Duff (45 catches, 774 yards and nine scores) but remain middle of the pack statistically, which can largely be attributed to poor quarterback play.
Starter Dylan Lonergan, who's questionable moving forward with a head injury, has completed under 60 percent of his passes and has been mightily inconsistent. His backup AJ Surace is coming off a showing against Michigan in which he completed 3-of-12 passes for 123 yards and a score.
Ultimately, Rutgers can't stop anybody but it can certainly put up some points. Wisconsin needs to reset completely from the Iowa disaster and lock in against an offense that features multiple NFL players.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/wisconsin as Badgers Open as Surprisingly Big Favorite Over Rutgers Despite Blowout loss at Iowa .
