Wisconsin Badgers Football Jersey, Wisconsin finished the 2011 season with an 11-3 record and enjoyed plenty of success last year. The Badgers won the first ever Big Ten Leaders division title, as well as the first Big Ten championship game. Entering the 2012 season, Wisconsin has a ton of momentum and will look into getting a third-straight Big Ten title.
Offense
The Badgers had the best offense in the Big Ten a year ago. With a whopping 44.1 points and an impressive 469.9 yards/game, they finished first in Wisconsin Badgers Football Jersey both scoring and total offense last year. They were one of the most dangerous teams in the nation on the ground, as they lead the conference with 235.6 rushing yards per contest.
Wisconsin seems to have the personnel once again to have one of the best rushing attacks in the country with three offensive linemen returning and Heisman Trophy contender Montee Ball coming back. Ball is an absolute workhorse and his intensity helps get the best out of the rest of his teammates.
With the departure of Russell Wilson at quarterback, former Maryland signal caller Danny O\'Brien will inherit the responsibility of making opposing teams pay for cheating on up in the box defensively in the hopes of slowing down Ball.
O\'Brien had a tremendous year in 2010, winning the ACC Rookie of the Year, but struggled last year under new coach Randy Edsall\'s zone-read scheme. With Wisconsin\'s pro-style attack, however, he looks to put his career right back on track.
With wide receiver Jared Abbrederis and tight end Jacob Pederson coming back, their receiving corps will be just as strong as last year, if not better.
Defense
Wisconsin Badgers Football Jersey />The Badgers\' defense last year wasn\'t the best in the Big Ten, but they were very solid overall. They ranked fourth in the conference (13th nationally) in scoring defense with 19.0 points allowed/game. They also ranked third in the league (15th nationally) in total defense with 316.4 yards allowed/game. They were especially dangerous against the pass, as they ranked second in the Big Ten (4th nationally) with 163.6 yards allowed/game.
While those numbers are obviously pretty good, they could still improve against the run. They finished sixth in the Big Ten (60th nationally) in run defense with 152.8 yards allowed/game. It will also serve them well to apply more pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Defensive lineman David Gilbert will certainly help them in making that happen. A Wisconsin Badgers Football Jersey broken foot sidelined Gilbert for the last ten games of the season and ended his solid campaign last year.
Linebackers Chris Borland and Mike Taylor anchor their second level of defense and do it well. Taylor recorded 150 tackles in 2011 and Borland added 143 stops.
Returning cornerback Devin Smith could do wonders in the secondary and free safety Dezmen Southward will be relied upon to replace free safety Aaron Henry.
Big Ten Leaders Prediction: 1st Place
Wisconsin\'s national title hopes came crashing down after they had heartbreaking losses to Michigan State and Ohio State on back-to-back weeks last year.
This year they will be looking for a little revenge as they face both Michigan State and Ohio State at home. They were able to get a measure of revenge against the Spartans in the Big Ten title game, but their crushing defeat against Michigan State that virtually squashed their chance at a National Championship will certainly be on their minds.
The biggest obstacles on their schedule are once again the Spartans and the Buckeyes, but that shouldn\'t stop them from winning their third straight Big Ten title. Especially since Ohio State is ineligible to play for the Big Ten championship game this season.
