No, Wisconsin football didn’t author the wire-to-wire domination over Western Illinois that the Badgers fanbase demanded.
It didn’t cover the massive spread that had ballooned to over 40 points by kickoff.
It didn’t look all that sexy beating a team from the FCS that isn’t particularly good. And that has, understandably, sparked a lot of outrage and doomsday narrative-peddling from Badgers fans.
Wisconsin fans yearn for a team like the ones of the not-too-distant past that physically dominated most schools they faced, especially extremely overmatched opponents like Western Illinois.
But these 2026 Badgers are not that. They might be getting there. They might be on their way. But as of Week 2, 2026? Absolutely not.
This obviously wasn’t Wisconsin’s cleanest game, but the reason there wasn’t more distance between the two teams on the scoreboard can come down to a few key plays.
First of all, three pass plays on which Wisconsin got beat in man coverage accounted for about half of the Leathernecks’ passing yards. Cornerback Eric Fletcher got beat one-on-one twice on the same drive by wideout Jacob Kania. On the first series of the second half, Jai’mier Scott gave up a 45-yard completion to Kania in man-to-man. Both drives ended in field goals.
The Badgers also had to settle for three points on their second drive, but if quarterback Colton Joseph’s pass to Jacob Harris in the end zone was a couple of inches lower, they would’ve had six points.
Which brings me, of course, to the main narrative from this game: the struggles of Joseph through the air.
I still have yet to see a measured reaction from a fan about Joseph’s struggles. Apparently, the sky is falling in the Badgers’ quarterback room. But as we know, multiple things can be true at once.
Joseph’s performance against the Leathernecks was concerning. He needs to tighten up his accuracy in a hurry, because he won’t be so lucky against faster, more athletic defenses.
However, his performance is by no means a reason to bench him or a reason to write off the rest of the 2026 campaign.
Don’t overreact to Colton Joseph’s Week 2
