Badgers Confidence Meter: How I Feel About the Pass Defense, Spread, More ahead of Week 2

Wisconsin football found out a lot about itself in a disappointing Week 1 loss to No. 4 Notre Dame.

Say what you will about how the game was closer than the final score indicates, but the Badgers ultimately got throttled by the Irish, re-affirming how far away they are from competing with the nation's elite.

Wisconsin is going to find out a lot about itself in Week 2 as well, though perhaps in a different way. Just like you learn a lot about yourself playing one of the best teams in the country, how you perform against a middling FCS squad can also be quite telling.

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 2:

Wisconsin covers the spread

Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Chris Brooks Jr. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Confidence Level: 7

Wisconsin is currently a 38.5-point favorite over the Leathernecks on DraftKings. That's a pretty massive spread, and it's only increased as the week has gone on. But Western Illinois is an exceedingly weak opponent, by far the worst football team Wisconsin will face all season.

The Badgers should have no problem hanging at least 40 points on Saturday night, and then it's a matter of how their defense performs. A 42-3 victory would do it, for example. I do see Western Illinois scoring once or twice, so it may come down to how many drives Wisconsin gets on offense.

That may come down to the Badgers' game-plan; are they content to ride their running game all night, pummeling the Leathernecks into submission while potentially scoring less due to fewer/longer drives?

It won't necessarily be cause for alarm if Wisconsin doesn't cover the spread as long as it's still an easy victory that, to borrow a phrase from Notre Dame, "leaves no doubt." But on paper, the Badgers should really dominate this game from wire-to-wire.

Badgers' pass defense

Wisconsin Badgers cornerback Javan Robinson. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Confidence level: 7

If Wisconsin had to play another FBS team this week, I'd be more concerned about its secondary that didn't offer much resistance against CJ Carr and the Irish passing attack that tossed for 239 yards and two touchdowns on 66% completion. Notre Dame didn't rip off any huge passing plays through the air, but it consistently carved up Wisconsin's zone coverage as the Badgers' hardly ever went man-to-man.

Western Illinois has a pair of quarterbacks it likes, both of whom have seen action this season and both of whom are captains. But as the only saying goes, if you have two quarterbacks, you really have none. If the Leathernecks continue to rotate signal-callers in Madison on Saturday night, it's hard to envision either of them getting into a rhythm against what, despite the second half at Lambeau Field, still looks like a tough Wisconsin defense.

This would be a great game for the Badgers to work on their man-to-man coverage. That's been an area of emphasis all offseason, but defensive coordinator Mike Tressel stuck with his zone in Week 1 to no avail. Let's see what these cornerbacks have one-on-one.

Wisconsin's offensive line

Wisconsin Badgers running back Abu Sama III. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Confidence level: 8

Again, a more daunting opponent might be cause for greater concern for Wisconsin's offensive line. But this is a unit that largely held its own against one of the top defensive fronts in the nation, and now they appear poised to take out some frustration on what should be a hapless Leathernecks' front.

One prevailing thought from the Notre Dame tape?

LG Colin Cubberly might be the #Badgers’ best offensive lineman right now.

Physical, nasty and can move people against their will. pic.twitter.com/uMDdX1nIcy
— Seamus (@seamus_rohrer) September 8, 2026

Sure, the Badgers only mustered 67 rushing yards on 2.2 yards per carry. That can certainly be improved upon. But Wisconsin did manage to create some running lanes for its ball-carriers, and while it wasn't a pretty day on the ground overall, the Badgers' linemen created a handful of creases against a loaded front seven. They wasn't good enough to take down the No. 4 team in the country, but they should be just fine against a weak FCS opponent.

I do think Eric Mateos' line is going to improve as the season wears on. Right guard Emerson Mandell should be back within a few weeks. New starting tackles Kevin Heywood and PJ Wilkins should continue to settle in and improve. Center Austin Kawecki and left guard Colin Cubberly already look very good up front.

Again, it wasn't the prettiest against Notre Dame. But Wisconsin's offensive line remains enormous and I did see flashes of talent across the board. That should be more than enough to manhandle the Leathernecks' defensive front.

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