Badgers Confidence Meter: How I Feel About the O-Line, Pass-Rush, More Ahead of Notre Dame

Offering a confidence level for several pressing Wisconsin football topics ahead of Week 1.

Wisconsin's Sebastian Cheeks. | Christian Borman

As head coach Luke Fickell said, the Badgers are going to find out a lot about themselves this week.

Unlike previous seasons in the Fickell era, Wisconsin has no "preseason" game in Week 1, as the skipper described it. The Badgers must immediately line up against No. 4 Notre Dame, one of the trendiest national title picks in the country.

Heavy 20.5-point underdogs, there's a slew of question marks about how the Badgers will fare against a marquee opponent under the lights at Lambeau Field. Below, I give my confidence level on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the most confident, about a handful of pressing matters for Wisconsin football in Week 1.

Wisconsin's offensive line

Wisconsin OL coach Eric Mateos. | Christian Borman.

Confidence level: 4

Center Austin Kawecki and left guard Colin Cubberly look like rock solid starters, and Ole Miss transfer PJ Wilkins, while inexperienced at left tackle, has all of the physical tools to excell.

But if the Badgers are forced to replace starters Emerson Mandell and Kevin Heywood on the right side of their offensive line at guard and tackle, respectively, they could be in big trouble against a deep, talented Notre Dame front.

The headliner of the Irish's front seven is pass-rusher Boubacar Traore, a 6-foot-5, 253-pound defensive end who notched 6.5 sacks and 10 TFLs. On the other side, junior Bryce Young also showed promise last fall across 12 games with one start. On the inside, Notre Dame has size, experience and athleticism, headlined by sixth-year defensive tackle Jason Onye.

If Wisconsin was facing a lesser defensive front, my confidence would be higher. But with Fickell saying "I bet you you'll see a lot of guys play," in regards to the offensive trenches, a patchwork offensive line doesn't bode well against Notre dame.

Facing cornerback Leonard Moore

Notre Dame Fighting Irish cornerback Leonard Moore (15) comes up with an interception against the Boise State Broncos. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Confidence level: 5

Moore is obviously an immensely talented player; last fall, the corner racked up five interceptions, seven pass breakups and a forced fumble.

“I’m not saying he’s not the best in the country…but you still have to be able to run your offense," Fickell said. "He’ll have a chance to prove he’s the best in the country.”

Still, I'm more concerned about Notre Dame's front seven controlling the line of scrimmage. If Moore has a great game Sunday night, he could essentially shut down a large portion of the field for the Badgers' passing offense.

But this is still a run-first team that's going to take what the defense gives them in the passing game; if Joseph makes sound decisions and is smart with the football, he could simply avoid throwing Moore's way and while that could certainly hinder the passing attack, it wouldn't wreck the game for Wisconsin.

Badgers' pass-rush

Wisconsin linebacker Sebastian Cheeks (15) during practice. | Christian Borman

Confidence level: 6.5

Pass rush is probably my biggest area of concern on Wisconsin's defense, but even against an experienced Irish defensive front, the Badgers might be able to win some one-on-ones on the edge.

When looking at Notre Dame's tackles, specifically, there's some question marks the Badgers could exploit. Starting left tackle Will Black is a former five-star recruit, but he played in just three games last fall and is making his full-time starting debut.

Meanwhile, at right tackle, Guebry Lambert is a returning starter, but he started all 12 games at right guard last season and is switching positions, At 6-7, 325 pounds, he's certainly got a tackle's frame, but that's still two new starters at tackle for the Irish.

Colton Joseph vs. the best defense he's ever faced

Wisconsin QB Colton Joseph. | Christian Borman.

Confidence level: 7

Watching Joseph's Week 1 presser, the former Old Dominion Monarch just has an air of quiet confidence about him that leads me to believe he's ready for this massive showdown. That's not to say the Badgers' offense as whole, particularly its offensive line, is quite ready, but Joseph is a ball player against any opponent. He proved that last year when he carved up Indiana on the ground in Week 1 to the tune of 179 yards and two touchdowns.

In that same vein, I'd like to see the Badgers' get Joseph's legs going early. A few designed keepers sprinkled in with the bevy of options Wisconsin deploys in its ground game could get the quarterback in a rhythm early and open up the Badgers offense.

Joseph can be prone to some poor decisions, and his ability to limit those will go a long way in determining how the Badgers' offense fares Sunday. But if Wisconsin's offense is stagnant at Lambeau Field, I don't foresee Joseph deserving the most blame.