Akron Zips

Analysis of Badgermaniac's Keys to the Game

1. Badger pass rush

   I actually thought the D-line battled pretty hard, but with only 4 1/2 (with the injury to Cochart) playing and with all the short drops and roll-outs, they weren't able to mount consistent pressure. D-Line depth will continue to be a concern.

2. Run/Pass Split

   They remained pretty balanced, though they did have some trouble running the ball early in the second half. On this day, they needed to pass to open things up.

3. Free Points

   No advantage here. If they had received "free points", they probably would have won.

4. Final Margin

   The Badgers showed glimpses, but I think it is clear there are still some questions that need to be answered before proclaiming them a true contender.

While it was tight for a bit longer than I expected, the game went almost exactly as I expected.

Badgermaniac's Keys to the Game

1. Badger pass rush

   Akron is going to throw the ball all over the place. How much pressure will a depleted defensive line be able to put on the Akron quarterback? How well do inexperienced players like Traison Lewis and Pete Monty play?

2. Run/Pass Split

   Akron is a team that Wisconsin typically will just bludgeon to death via the run. However, how does Wisconsin continue to run a pretty balanced offense while still retaining their physical dominance up front? It is notable that the Badgers did not take control of West Virginia until they went to their "Jumbo" package and resorted to pure smash-mouth football.

3. Free Points

   I think Akron will put a few points on the board as their offense is pretty good. However, in order to compete, I believe they will need "free" points off turnovers or special teams.

4. Final Margin

   With all due respect to Akron, this is one of those games that a Big Ten title contender should blow out. A marginal victory might indicate that the Badgers aren't as good as some fans believe, while a dominant blow out would be encouraging.

I expect a fairly high scoring game. I think Wisconsin will jump out early by a couple touchdowns, but Akron will hang in there with a few scores of their own. It will still be a marginally competitive game until the 4th quarter when the Badgers salt it away. Final score of 42-24.

The line says...

Sagarin has Wisconsin as a 35 point favorite. Howell has Wisconsin as a 25 point favorite with an 84% chance of winning. Projected score is 40-15.

NCAA Stat Rankings

Here is how the two teams ranked last season in terms of NCAA stats:

Rushing Offense: WIS 35, AK 54
Passing Offense: WIS 94, AK 38
Passing Efficiency: WIS , AK
Total Offense: WIS 84, AK 28
Scoring Offense: WIS 69, AK 59
Rushing Defense: WIS 50, AK 74
Passing Defense: WIS 83, AK 36
Passing Efficiency Defense: WIS 83, AK 71
Total Defense: WIS 73, AK 77
Scoring Defense: WIS 39, AK 90
Turnover Margin: WIS 6, AK 69