1. DEFENSIVE DEPTH SHINES
The Wisconsin defense has suffered its fair share of injuries this season, but it hasn't skipped a beat on the field. Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema is a strong proponent of the ""next man in"" mentality, and there have been solid defensive performances by the players filling in for their injured comrades. Junior cornerback Marcus Cromartie is starting in place of senior Devin Smith, who is out for the year after undergoing foot surgery in September. Cromartie has started in the last four games and has played solid football.
""I know my teammates have confidence in me, and that's all that really matters for me right now,"" Cromartie said. ""We just depend on each other to play our best each and every week.""
Junior defensive end David Gilbert won't be back until late November because of a broken foot. In the wake of Gilbert's injury, junior Brendan Kelly jumped into the starting lineup at defensive end against Nebraska and recorded his first career sack and forced a fumble.
""We're grateful for the opportunities that we're given, and we're going to try to do the best we can,"" Kelly said.
This weekend, look for Cromartie and Kelly to further assert themselves as starters of the Wisconsin defense. If the two can combine to make some big plays, the Badgers should feel confident about this defense as they head toward the difficult part of the schedule.
2. ROAD GAMES AWAIT
Wisconsin has yet to play a true road game this season, though the Badgers did head down to Chicago for a neutral site game against Northern Illinois back in September. The matchup with Indiana will be the final game for Wisconsin before they head into the murky abyss that is Big Ten road play.
Looking at Saturday's matchup objectively, there is almost no possible way the Badgers could lose to the Hoosiers. With that in mind, it may be a good idea for Wisconsin to try out a few different wrinkles in preparation for road games at Michigan State and Ohio State. The Wisconsin offense may need to get creative against the solid Spartan defense, and the Indiana game provides a perfect opportunity to practice new plays.
Thanks to Bielema's strict policy—every Wisconsin game is of equal importance—you won't hear any coaches or players admit to that type of strategy, but that doesn't mean they can't work on things that will be useful for upcoming challenges.
3. 2010 BADGER EXPLOSION
Wisconsin's offense went on a record-breaking rampage against the Hoosiers last season, blowing out Indiana by the score of 83-20. Though Indiana has a new head coach in Kevin Wilson, there are still likely numerous players on the team who have that game fresh in their minds. Regardless, the rumblings out of Bloomington are that the Hoosiers do not want to rely on a revenge factor for motivation on Saturday.
On the flip side, the Badgers must find a way to keep their intensity level high against Indiana. Wisconsin's success is predicated on not playing up or down to their opponents, and the Badgers cannot afford to fall into bad habits with Big Ten road play looming.
4. DOUBLE QB BONANZA
Indiana could be going with two quarterbacks this weekend, even though last week's starter, Dusty Kiel, is injured and will not play. Edwin Wright-Baker and Tre Roberson are both in contention to see playing time at quarterback on Saturday.
Wisconsin already faced a team with two quarterbacks against Oregon State. The Badger defense did not allow a single point in that game, so it's safe to say they will be able to handle two quarterbacks again this week.
""It is tougher to prepare for two quarterbacks if they both bring something different to the table,"" senior safety Aaron Henry said. ""Both of [Indiana's quarterbacks] are pretty similar as far as their mechanics go and as far as how athletic they are.""
The Badgers could face yet another team later in the season who can't decide on playing just one quarterback: Penn State. There is a popular saying that goes ""if you have two quarterbacks, you don't have any,"" but Wisconsin still has to prepare for all potential quarterbacks accordingly.
5. O-LINE REBOUND
The Badger offensive line looks to rebound after a less than stellar performance against Nebraska. The Huskers got into the backfield early and often at Camp Randall. That was the first time this season senior quarterback Russell Wilson encountered significant pressure in the pocket. Frankly, it was an odd sight to see Wilson get sacked by a defender. It stands to reason that the Wisconsin offensive line is not quite as good as last year's edition, however. The Badgers lost a lot of offensive line talent to the NFL this past offseason with the departures of Gabe Carimi, John Moffitt and Bill Nagy.
Wisconsin will likely run the ball most of the time against Indiana, but there will still be some opportunities for the offensive line to work on their pass blocking. Fortunately, Wilson's elusiveness in the pocket can erase many offensive line mistakes, but the linemen will need to elevate their level of play as the Badgers prepare for difficult road tests.
