2020 Wisconsin Might be 3-2 When Facing Us

[Yah-E]

So I was looking at our 2020 schedule, on Michigan's schedule and realized that Wisconsin plays Michigan before us so I decided to look at Wisconsin's schedule. Man, they play Michigan and then Notre Dame before they play us. The West is definitely looking good for us this year. Hope we have a season this year.

 

[Some guy]

Wisconsin could be 5-0 and top 5

whxih would be more fun to be honest

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

Notre Dame and Michigan ... those are winnable games for Wisconsin I think.

 

[WAGopher]

Wisconsin could be 5-0 and top 5

whxih would be more fun to be honest

And we could be 5-0 and top 10 with wins over Iowa, BYU and Maryland for an Elite midseason matchup. GameDay in Madison?

 

[Yah-E]

So you guys rather see Michigan coming into TCF Bank with a loss?

I rather see us and Michigan undefeated match up with GAME DAY at TCF Bank, no?

 

[Yah-E]

And we could be 5-0 and top 10 with wins over Iowa, BYU and Maryland for an Elite midseason matchup. GameDay in Madison?

WAGopher, just realized that you and I joined the HOLE the same day!!! NICE!

 

[WAGopher]

So you guys rather see Michigan coming into TCF Bank with a loss?

I rather see us and Michigan undefeated match up with GAME DAY at TCF Bank, no?

I would like that better. I grew up thinking the Little Brown jug was the most important game of the year. It’s changed now, but that would be a great GameDay. Better for the Gopher brand too.

 

[WAGopher]

WAGopher, just realized that you and I joined the HOLE the same day!!! NICE!

Awesome!

 

[Mitu]

Undefeated matchup at TCF for the jug? Sign me up!

 

[#2Gopher]

Undefeated matchup at TCF for the jug? Sign me up!

Sounds great to me! I'll take whatever happens. Can't control what teams do.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

Sounds great to me! I'll take whatever happens. Can't control what teams do.

Or... can you?

 

[Some guy]

And we could be 5-0 and top 10 with wins over Iowa, BYU and Maryland for an Elite midseason matchup. GameDay in Madison?

I just don’t think Michigan is that good

 

[stocker08]

Undefeated for the jug for sure. Plus....I want Wisconsin to lose as many games as possible.

 

[BTChamp]

I'm still hoping for the magic meteor to hit when those 2 dinks play each other. Would that hurt or help the Gophs ranking if they had 2 extra bye weeks?

 

[oak_street1981]

Notre Dame has a pretty long history with all historical Big Ten teams. I always felt it was a shame that only Purdue, Michigan and MSU played them on a regular basis.

It was nice to see Northwestern play them again, but I always wanted to see Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois even, get a crack at ND again. Minnesota has not played them since the Knute Rockne era, and Iowa had some battles with them in the 50s.

This Wisconsin game vs. ND was one I was looking forward to watching. I really enjoy the big games in the non conference college season. Losing the Wisconsin Notre Dame game this fall would be tough for me.

 

[oak_street1981]

I just don’t think Michigan is that good

I am not sure they are that great either, but they can rise up and play well like when they crushed Notre Dame last year 45-14, then look like garbage for weeks at a time. Harbaugh had a physical, tough teams at Stanford, that played a Big Ten style, yet at Michigan they are not even close to that with better talent. They seem to almost never run the ball well, and the defense is OK, but not great.

Harbaugh has not come close to replicating his Stanford model at Michigan. A strong Michigan team is good for the Big Ten image, but I'd like them to hit a Nebraska skid or Gopher dark ages stretch to get some humility back. I still enjoy watching the 2014 game at Michigan on the DVR to see all those pouting, spoiled Michigan fans enduring the spanking the Gophers put on them. Harbaugh has been almost as much of a failure as Brady Hoke.

It must be about continuity with the staff, not having the same chemistry, and with the Big Ten being tougher than the PAC 12 from his days there from top to bottom. Franklin at PSU has passed him up, and he cannot get even close to competing with Ohio State.

 

[btowngopher]

I’d give Indiana and App St a punchers chance of knocking off Wisconsin before we play them as well.

 

[RememberMurray]

I’d give Indiana and App St a punchers chance of knocking off Wisconsin before we play them as well.

Exactly!

Wisconsin's schedule leading up to our game includes Indiana, Appalachian State, at Michigan, Notre Dame. Appalachian State was 13-1 last season, and ranked #19 by the AP, #18 in the Coaches Poll.

All of those games are at Camp Randall, except Michigan is at the Big House.

 

[Jike Spingleton]

All of those games are at Camp Randall, except Michigan is at the Big House.

Notre Dame-Wisky is at Lambeau.

I can't bring myself to ever root for Wisky, but a Notre Dame loss is always sweet.

 

[RememberMurray]

Notre Dame-Wisky is at Lambeau.

I can't bring myself to ever root for Wisky, but a Notre Dame loss is always sweet.

Good catch. You're right about Lambeau.

 

[Taji34]

Someone on the r/CFB subreddit did a "Gameday locations 2020" prediction. They saw an undefeated Minnesota matching up against an undefeated Michigan with Gameday coming to Minneapolis for the 2nd time ever, and the 2nd time in 2 year. It would be cool if that happened!

That being said, I think Michigan and Notre Dame generally are overrated to some degree, so I think those games will both be tossups with Wisconsin.

Also, beating a up to then undefeated Wisconsin in Madison to take back the Axe has more appeal to me than beating an undefeated Michigan in Minneapolis to take the Jug, but that's just me. Beating an undefeated Michigan (especially if we are undefeated at that point) to complete the trophy case for the first time ever would definitely be wild though!

 

[#2Gopher]

Notre Dame-Wisky is at Lambeau.

I can't bring myself to ever root for Wisky, but a Notre Dame loss is always sweet.

Whole heartedly agree.

 

[PMWinSTP]

I just don’t think Michigan is that good

OK...14-4 in conference play last two years.

 

[MplsGopher]

Good catch. You're right about Lambeau.

Nonetheless, five of their first six weeks of the season they play in the state of Wisconsin, from Memorial weekend at Camp Randall to Oct 10 at Camp Randall vs the Gophers.

 

[RememberMurray]

Key games for Michigan, leading up to their visit to TCF:

@Washington (West Coast road game)
WISCONSIN
PENN STATE
@Michigan State

------------------

Key games for Wisconsin, leading up to playing the Gophers in Madison:

INDIANA
APPALACHIAN STATE
@Michigan
NOTRE DAME (Lambeau)

------------------

Key games for Iowa, leading up to playing the Gophers @ TCF:

IOWA STATE
Note: two weeks after playing the Gophers @ TCF, the Hawkeyes face this key 3-game stretch:

MICHIGAN STATE
@ Ohio State
@ Penn State

Bottom line: if the Gophers can pass their early tests against Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan they might be sitting pretty.

 

[Jeshurun]

Undefeated matchup at TCF for the jug? Sign me up!

I too would like to sign up for jugs.

 

[Gophergrandpa]

I think there is a decent chance Wisconsin is 5-0 when we visit them in Madison. If we come to Madison undefeated and leave in the same condition, it could be an interesting race to the finish line.

 

[WhoFellDownTheGopherHole?]

Every year i think Wisconsin might have a down year, they don't.

 

[MNVCGUY]

Every year i think Wisconsin might have a down year, they don't.

The difference is that in the past we needed them to have a down year to have any real hope of competing with them. The hope is that Fleck is building this thing to a point where we are competing at the same level as them and their days of dominating the West are numbered.

 

[Jeshurun]

The difference is that in the past we needed them to have a down year to have any real hope of competing with them. The hope is that Fleck is building this thing to a point where we are competing at the same level as them and their days of dominating the West are numbered.