The Wisconsin football team (6-3, 4-2 Big Ten) is back on the road this week to take on the Maryland Terrapins (3-6, 1-5 Big Ten) in College Park.
Maryland is in the middle of another losing season. They sit at 3-6 overall, with two wins against FCS Hampton and UConn. After years of underwhelming seasons, the disastrous start to the year cost head coach Mike Locksley his job.
But under interim head coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim, the Terps have been much more competitive. They lost a close game to Illinois, 20-17, two weeks ago and then beat Purdue 34-29 last week.
The BadgerNotes staff all picked correctly last week, pushing their combined record to 22-13 overall. Last week seemed like (and was) a slam-dunk pick. The matchup with Maryland feels the same, but we’ve seen this program lose games they should have won handily in the past.
Here are the staff predictions for Week 11.
Staff predictions
• Dillon Graff
Season record: 7-2
Ryan Hopkins gave Wisconsin something against Rutgers that this offense has been missing for much of the season: a downfield passing threat.
Now, I’m not going to pretend one productive afternoon against an inferior opponent means the Badgers have solved their quarterback problems.
Hopkins is still a true freshman. There’s plenty to clean up, particularly when it comes to processing defenses and working through progressions. But there’s also plenty to work with, and that matters. The arm talent is there, he’s decisive with the football, and the ceiling as a passer is intriguing.
That’s what makes these remaining games important.
Maryland is 3-6, struggling defensively, and quite frankly, a team Wisconsin should beat rather easily. I’m not sure we’re going to learn anything definitive about this program by winning on Saturday. The Badgers should be able to control the line of scrimmage, lean on their defense, and give Hopkins opportunities to continue developing.
But the habits they establish matter.
Can Wisconsin build some continuity offensively, particularly on the ground? Can the staff put more on Hopkins’ plate without asking him to do too much? Can this team start stacking competent performances rather than alternating between encouraging wins and inexplicable setbacks?
Those are the things I’m watching.
Because the real opportunity here is building toward the final week of the regular season, when Wisconsin might actually face a test that tells us something meaningful about its progress.
Saturday should be another step in that direction. Anything less would be disappointing.
Prediction: Wisconsin 24, Maryland 14
• Christian Borman
Season record: 5-4
I’m wary of this one.
On the road, freshman quarterback, PTSD from the Maryland game last year, and an opponent that seems to be playing better under an interim head coach? All are ingredients for an upset loss. The only thing we are missing is the big game the following week.
Offensively, the Badgers have also struggled on the road this season. They are averaging just 11.0 points per game while giving up 27.
Maryland, by contrast, gives up 36.5 points per game at home to FBS opponents this season while scoring 27.6.
Like I’ve thought all season, the Wisconsin defense (when they aren’t on the field the entire game) can keep them in any game. I think they can limit the Terps enough, giving the offense plenty of opportunity to put the game away late.
I’m not sure I’ll be comfortable most of the game, but I think the Badgers get their second road win of the season.
Prediction: Wisconsin 27, Maryland 21
• Seamus Rohrer
Season record: 5-4
The more this week has dragged on, the less confident I am in Wisconsin’s ability to win this game.
The Terps are playing inspired football the past two weeks, as they’ve rallied around their interim head coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim. After firing Mike Locksley, Maryland lost to Illinois on a last-second field goal and then proceeded to beat Purdue for their first Big Ten win since they tossed the Badgers around last year in Camp Randall Stadium.
This will also be an extremely sleepy crowd at a 12:00 P.M. local kickoff in what I expect to be a sparsely populated stadium; the Badgers are going to need to bring their own energy. They can’t afford to come out flat and get into an early hole, giving Maryland a jolt of confidence right out of the gate.
Terps’ quarterback Malik Washington has struggled against the better defenses he’s faced, and the Badgers certainly fall into that category statistically. But we all remember what he did to Mike Tressel’s unit last season in Madison as a true freshman.
Still, I think that as much as Maryland feels rejuvenated under new leadership, Wisconsin must feel similarly refreshed now that it has a new QB1. If the Badgers can protect Ryan Hopkins, I think they’ll win this game, but I’ve got a strange feeling it’s either going to be an extremely tight win for Wisconsin or a massive letdown. Hopkins gives me enough hope to, very hesitantly, go with the former.
Prediction: Wisconsin 24, Maryland 21
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