Why Wisconsin's Bye Week Couldn't Have Come at a Better Time

Wisconsin got lucky to have an early bye week for a couple of reasons.

In what seems like a blessing in disguise, the Wisconsin Badgers football program heads into its bye week at a crucial juncture in the season.

With a 3-1 record and their Big Ten opener in the rearview mirror, head coach Luke Fickell and his Badgers have much to address during this well-timed breather.

Let's examine some of the key items the Wisconsin Badgers coaching staff needs to sort out during the bye week.

The Badgers Running Back Conundrum

The loss of Chez Mellusi to a season-ending injury during the Purdue game cannot be understated and has left Wisconsin football in a precarious situation at running back. 

The challenge now is finding the right balance between mixing in unproven options like Jackson Acker and Cade Yacamelli to complement Badgers star running back Braelon Allen, who has his own injury history to manage. 

I don't think you can turn to Allen and say, hey, you're getting 20+ carries a game again because we've seen that leads to him wearing down late in the season. The Badgers are uniquely positioned as favorites in the weak Big Ten West, so load management is crucial. 

The bye week provides a valuable opportunity to devise a strategy that keeps Agent 0 fresh and the ground game formidable moving forward.

Wisconsin Has Some Defensive Woes to Iron Out

Under the guidance of Mike Tressel, the Wisconsin football defense has shown significant areas of vulnerability -- some of which are troubling. 

Currently, the Badgers rank 77th in the country in total defense, 51st in rushing defense, 105th in passing defense, and 43rd in scoring defense.