Wisconsin Football: Best Case, Worst Case, and Most Likely Scenarios vs. Maryland
· Yahoo Sports
The vibes were generally good for freshman quarterback Ryan Hopkins and the Wisconsin Badgers last weekend against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in a 31-10 victory, but things are about to get deceptively harder Saturday in College Park.
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No, the Maryland Terrapins haven’t exactly been a juggernaut, sitting at 3-6 (1-5) and having jettisoned coach Mike Locksley in late October. But they have been better under their interim guy, former defensive coordinator Aazaar Abdul-Rahim. This includes last week’s solid 34-29 at Purdue, where the Terps were led by sophomore quarterback Malik Washington, a name Badger fans should recall with dread from last season.
So, let’s get right to the predictions.
Best Case
I want to get it out of the way from the jump. I don’t see the Badgers blowing out Maryland, even here. I simply don’t think this team is equipped to boat race a Big Ten team, let alone on the road.
But Wisconsin has it in them to dictate things against the Terps. If Hopkins can build a bit on what we all saw against Rutgers and Mike Tressell’s defense comes to play as it has in all but two games this season, Bucky should be in great shape.
Here, the Badgers control the game from start to finish and leave with a bookending win (see 2025).
Score: Wisconsin 27-10.
Worst Case
I’ve come to hate these. Not just because of their negative vibes but also how often they’ve been correct this season.
Under this bummer of an outcome, Wisconsin comes in less than locked and loaded and a Terrapins squad on the upswing gives them headaches all day, especially the talented, hyper-athletic Washington, who leaves Wisconsin defenders huffing and puffing in his wake the entire game much like he did last season.
Hopkins struggles a bit in his first road start and Luke Fickell’s guys just never get it going on the way to their second most disappointing loss of the season.
Score: Maryland 27-23.
Most Likely Case
This feels like such a sexy and obvious upset pick that I had to give this some real thought.
But I feel like the Wisconsin team that (I think) I know will find a way to get it done in College Park on Saturday.
It will be far from pretty, with galling Badger errors on both sides of the ball, but a couple of massive plays (one from a running back and another by a defensive guy) will turn the tide of a tight game in the Badgers’ favor and they escape with win No. 7.
Score: Wisconsin 24-21.