Instead of providing a solid idea of what 2015 has in store for Wisconsin, the official account of events offers a window into an enigmatic whirlwind that hasn’t settled.
On December 6, 2014, the Badgers lost the Big Ten Championship game 59-0 to Ohio State. Four days later, head coach Gary Andersen resigned to take the same position at Oregon State. A week and a half after that, Paul Chryst was hired as the 30th head coach in school history and on New Year’s Day UW topped Auburn, 34-31, in the Outback Bowl.
Stretch further back in the timeline and the decidedly uneven outlook for Wisconsin football becomes even more perplexing. The “408 Game,” otherwise known as UW’s 59-24 drubbing of Nebraska behind Melvin Gordon’s record- breaking rushing effort in mid-November, seemingly set the stage for an outside run at the College Football Playoff. The absolute pan- tsing at the hands of the Buckeyes dashed that notion away in a hurry.
Now, Wisconsin faces the task of replacing Heisman Trophy finalist Melvin Gordon, replenishing the gap in its defensive front seven after the graduation of four starters and developing some semblance of a passing game, all under the tutelage of a new coaching staff.
Chryst’s lack of head coaching mileage and 19-19 record in three seasons at Pittsburgh doesn’t impress, but his tenure as Wisconsin’s offensive coordinator from 2005-’11 sparkles. Utilizing primarily a pro-style offense, the Badgers averaged 34.1 points and 416.3 yards per game under Chryst, culminating in two consecutive trips to the Rose Bowl in his final years in Madison.
Chryst’s quarterback exper- tise (he serves as the quarterbacks coach and played the position at UW in the mid-‘80s) should benefit chronically underperforming red- shirt senior Joel Stave, the No. 1 signal caller going into 2015. With the Tanner McEvoy experiment likely over, as he’s expected to switch to wide receiver and safety next season, it’s up to Stave alone to find a way to improve on his 6.6 yards per attempt and 9-10 touchdown- to-interception ratio from last year.
After spotting Gordon last season, junior running back Corey Clement will get the lion’s share of the carries and be the centerpiece of the Badger offense. Clement has big-play potential, as evidenced by his 6.46 yards per carry and nine touchdowns in 2014, but he also had nearly 200 fewer carries than Gordon, so his endurance could be an issue with his increased workload.
Well-regarded defensive coordinator Dave Aranda must fill the void on the inte- rior of the defense left by the graduation of defensive end Warren Herring, nose guard Konrad Zagzebski and inside linebackers Derek Landisch and Marcus Trotter, but most of the supporting cast is back to stimulate that process. Veteran safety Michael Caputo and outside linebackers Joe Schobert and Vince Biegel should ease McEvoy’s transition back to safety and the development of defensive lineman Chikwe Obasih and Alec James, as well as inside linebackers T.J. Edwards and Leon Jacobs.
Wisconsin’s 2015 edition is about as unpredictable as its 11-3 predecessor a year ago. The looming showdown with Alabama to open the season is a chance to clear the air.
