After Wisconsin 's 41-13 loss at the hands of Notre Dame , a disappointing yet altogether entirely expected result, head coach Luke Fickell uttered a familiar phrase : "The season starts now."
Forgive me if that doesn't hold much water as Fickell now sits at 17-22 as head coach at the University of Wisconsin. It's going to take more than empty words to turn this program around.
As Wisconsin looks to flush the blowout loss to the Irish and bounce back , prep for FCS Western Illinois is already underway. Badgers On SI examines three burning questions ahead of Week 2:
Wisconsin quarterback Colton Joseph. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
It's safe to say that after yet another disappointing result against a national heavyweight, anything less than wire-to-wire domination against the Leathernecks would enrage Badgers fans and make the situation in Madison quite tense.
Wisconsin was expected to get manhandled by Notre Dame . The fact that they didn't in the first half, only to expedite the process of getting destroyed in the second half, doesn't make matters any better. But the Badgers went status quo for Week 1, and the end result was essentially exactly what we expected. Now, they must continue to do exactly what's expected of them in Week 2 and dismantle an extreme underdog FCS opponent.
The Badgers have opened as an enormous 36.5-point favorite over Western Illinois, per FanDuel Sportsbook. ESPN's FPI gives them a 99% chance to win.
Western Illinois isn't a particularly good FCS team, but even it it was, anything less than utter domination by the Badgers on Saturday night in Madison will get us closer and closer to DEFCON 1.
Wisconsin offensive lineman Colin Cubberly. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
The Badgers had four of five starters available against the Fighting Irish , and three of them (Kevin Heywood, Austion Kawecki and Colin Cubberly ) looked pretty good against one of the best defensive fronts in the nation.
However, left tackle PJ Wilkins had a rough day in pass protection, and the revolving door at right guard between Stylz Blackmon and Blake Cherry was problematic; both players had their share of struggles.
If Wisconsin opens up a huge lead over the Leathernecks, they'll surely deploy their second-team offense at some point. But in terms of who trots out with the starters, what does the Badgers' starting five up front look like?
At left tackle, Wilkins wasn't great but he was also facing some top-tier edge rusher talent. He wasn't unplayable, but he had a few rough pass sets that resulted in big negative plays for the offense. In my eyes, he doesn't deserve to be benched quite yet.
At right guard, the Badgers need to figure something out. Cherry in particular was rough against the Irish, and while head coach Luke Fickell said this week that starter Emerson Mandell could return in the next two weeks, Wisconsin needs to figure something out at that position.
University of Wisconsin wide receiver Malachi Coleman. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
At 6-5, blazing fast and with some ridiculous route-running he put on display against the Irish, there's no one on Western Illinois's roster who can even fathom guarding Coleman one-on-one.
Sunday night at Lambeau Field, Coleman was the Badgers' leading receiver with four catches for 76 yards and a score. But more than that, he looked capable - physically, talent-wise, all of the above - of emerging as Wisconsin's No. 1 wide receiver.
Again, against an FCS school, Coleman should have every opportunity to put up a monster stat-line. The Badgers don't need the receiver to replicate or surpass his production against Notre Dame to beat the Leathernecks; I could see any number of offensive players emerging against an overmatched opponent. But if Coleman has another big day, it'll be a great sign that he'll be a true WR1 all season long.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/wisconsin as Three Burning Questions as the Badgers Look to Bounce Back vs. FCS Western Illinois .
