Diving into Alabama's 2024 opponents: Week 3, Wisconsin
Alabama Football Head Coach Kalen DeBoer during A-Day at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, AL on Saturday, Apr 13, 2024.In just two games all-time between two historic programs, both teams have tasted victory and defeat. The only difference is the Alabama Crimson Tide lost to the Wisconsin Badgers just once in 1928 by a score of, 15-0. On the flip side,... The Alabama Crimson Tide and Wisconsin Badgers have played each other in the past, with one game between the two teams being played in 1928. This match will be held in week three of the college football season in 2025. The Badgers lost to Alabama in the most recent game in 2015, 35-17. The Crimson Tide is set to travel to Madison, Wisconsin to face the Badgers in the game. Despite an up-and-down season in 2023 under first-year head coach Luke Fickell, Badgers had a mixed season under Ficke and are hoping for a sophomore surge this season. The team must replace key players such as Tanner Mordecai and Braelon Allen, who were replaced by replacements for both these players. Redshirt senior transfer Tyler Van Dyke is expected to play for the Badger, but don't count out Braedyn Locke for the starting position. If the Badggers can upset the Crimson Tide, they could lead the college Football World on watch.
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In just two games all-time between two historic programs, both teams have tasted victory and defeat. The only difference is the Alabama Crimson Tide lost to the Wisconsin Badgers just once in 1928 by a score of, 15-0. On the flip side, The Crimson Tide beat the Badgers in their most recent matchup in 2015, 35-17.
2024 will serve as the rubber match thus far between the two football programs as the Crimson Tide are scheduled to travel to Madison, Wisconsin to take on the Badgers in week three of the college football season.
The Crimson Tide will be coming off of two home games against Western Kentucky and South Florida while the Badgers will have hosted both Western Michigan and South Dakota.
The Badgers had an up-and-down 2023 season under first-year head coach Luke Fickell. Alabama is familiar with Fickell after playing his Cincinnati team in the 2021 Cotton Bowl in the College Football Playoff Semifinals. The Crimson Tide won the game 27-6, but it was clear Fickell was destined to make the jump from the Group of Five to the Power Five after taking the first Group of Five team to the playoff in it’s eight year history.
In 2023, The Badgers finished with an overall record of 7-6 and a 5-4 BIG 10 record. Wisconsin appeared in the Reliaquest Bowl where they played the LSU Tigers losing, 35-31.
This season, Fickell is hoping for a sophomore surge in his second year at the helm of the Badgers. Wisconsin returns plenty of talent on both sides of the ball, but they must replace former Oklahoma and SMU quarterback transfer Tanner Mordecai as well as star running back Braelon Allen.
Replacing to key cogs in their offensive machine and maintaining consistency throughout the season will be difficult, especially in the new-look BIG Ten, but this challenge isn’t new for someone like Fickell. Wisconsin will have the opportunity to put the college football world on watch if they upset the Crimson Tide at home.
In past Wisconsin offenses, long before Fickell arrived to campus, running backs were the featured players in the Badgers offense. Ron Dayne, Jonathan Taylor, Montee Ball, Melvin Gordon, and others have all set a standard at that position for the Badgers. But, in today’s college football, teams chasing a National Championship need someone behind center capable of stretching the field, making good decisions, and delivering the ball accurately to fellow teammates.
With Mordecai gone, Fickell has two good options to lead the Badger offense. Redshirt senior transfer Tyler Van Dyke arrived to Madison before spring practice from Miami. Van Dyke started off and on for the Hurricanes from 2021-2023. In those three seasons, Van Dyke completed 581-910 (64%) for 7,478 yards, 54 touchdowns, and 23 interceptions while appearing in a total of 30 games.
Van Dyke has starting experience Wisconsin lost when Mordecai departed. However, Wisconsin’s backup quarterback from 2023 showed flashes of promise in 2023 when filling in for an injured Mordecai.
Redshirt sophomore Braedyn Locke returns for his third season in Madison and will challenge Van Dyke for the starting position. Last season, in three starts and five total games played, Locke completed 76-152 (50%) passes for 777 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception.
Most believe bringing in Van Dyke would make him the starter, but don’t count out Locke.
As for running back, the Badgers lost another program great in Braelon Allen this past offseason. In his three-year career, Allen put together two 1,000 yard rushing seasons in 2022 and 2023, accumulating a total of 3,494 yards rushing and 35 rushing touchdowns in his career.
Replacing that much production is a tall task, but the Badgers might have another star waiting in the wings with sixth-year senior running back Chez Mellusi. Mellusi suffered a season-ending fractured fibula injury in a win against Purdue in 2023. In his five year career, Mellusi has a total of 2,022 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns all as a backup.
If the former Clemson transfer can come back from that injury and lead the running back room in 2024, look out for another 1,000 yard running back sporting the Badgers jersey.
Besides Mellusi, the Badgers also return backup redshirt junior running back Jackson Acker who ran for 322 yards and two touchdowns last season.
Wisconsin’s leading receiver from 2023 redshirt junior Will Pauling returns for another season in Madison. Last year, Pauling hauled in 74 receptions (42 more than Wisconsin’s second leading receiver) for 837 yards and six touchdowns.
While Pauling, barring injury, should return to his role as Wisconsin’s number one receiver, who will step up and sideline Pauling as the Badger’s second receiving option? Two prime candidates including returning senior Bryson Green, and Michigan State transfer Tyrell Henry standout.
Green finished second on the Badgers in receiving last year catching 32 passes for 480 yards and two touchdowns. Henry transferred in from Michigan State as a junior. Last season in East Lansing, Henry caught 24 passes for 195 yards and three touchdowns. One or both of these receivers must relieve some pressure from the shoulders of Pauling and become a dependable target for whoever is quarterbacking the Badgers.
Wisconsin returns two big pieces from last year’s top 40 defense
Last season, Wisconsin ranked 32 of 133 in total defense in Division I College Football according to ESPN allowing 331 yards per game. While it was certainly a group effort headlined by Fickell and his defensive staff’s gameplan’s, the Badgers top two leading tacklers from 2023 return in 2024.
Senior safety Hunter Wohler returns after a 2023 season where he recorded 120 total tackles last season including two interceptions, six pass deflections, and one sack.
Senior linebacker Jake Chaney also returns alongside Wohler anchoring the Badger defense. Chaney recorded 80 tackles and three sacks last season.
While both of these players performed well for the Badgers last season, the team barely finished above .500. This season, the pieces around Wohler and Chaney must step up for the Badger defense and team to take them farther.
Safety Preston Zachman, outside linebacker Darryl Peterson, corner back Nyzier Fourqurean, and other returning Badgers must take the next step this season.
Fickell also added defensive help from the transfer portal this offseason. USC’s Tackett Curtis, Arkansas’s Jaheim Thomas, and North Carolina’s Sebastian Cheeks all join Chaney in the linebacker room providing immediate impact and depth to the Badger’s front seven.
Wisconsin also received an immediate pass rushing threat out of the transfer portal, John Pius from William and Mary. Last season, Pius recorded 53 tackles, 16 of them being tackles for loss, nine sacks, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. Pius was rated a four-star prospect in the 2024’s transfer portal cycle.
In Alabama’s first road game of the 2024 season, the Crimson Tide are sure to walk into a rowdy environment despite the 11 a.m. CT kickoff. Facing a strong Wisconsin defensive front seven, will Alabama’s offensive line be able to move their opponents at the point of attack in both the run and passing game?
Early on this might be a difficult task due to the environment, difference in caliber of athlete from weeks one and two to three, and finally, the outstanding linebacker room Wisconsin has.
If the Crimson Tide run the ball with success early and protect quarterback Jalen Milroe, the Crimson Tide could cruise to a big road victory a week before hosting the Georgia Bulldogs. If they can’t block the Wisconsin defensive front effectively early, in both the pass and run game, the scoreboard at Camp Randall Stadium will show little difference in points between the two teams.