Hey guys, Badger fan here. I'll be on a plane during this game, unfortunately, but I think I'll be able to watch. Anyway, I would bet the under on this game.
The Badger D is being underestimated here, IMO, but Coan does know better than any player in CFB about what they're trying to do. There was a graphic shown in the last game that shows the Badgers are in the top 5 defenses of college football over the last 5, 10, and 15 years. Most people think of the identity of Badger football as the ground-and-pound offense, for good reason, but the D has been very good, and it's not common knowledge. I do think the secondary is the weak spot, especially on deep balls. The antidote to that is pass rush, so if and when ND can protect, they should have some success.
The Badger offense is the opposite. We've been very spoiled with NFL RBs who almost perennially won Doak Walker awards. When Jonathan Taylor left after the 2019 season, the string ended. Mellusi transferred in from Clemson, and he's good, but he is not the guy who can take it the distance on any play. Guerrendo, who is one of the two other RBs who'll get carries, does have that element, but he doesn't always hit the right hole. Anyway, the inability to make the quick strike TD means UW has to go on 10+ play drives to score, and mistakes can be and are made when you have to do it that way. That keeps the other team in the game.
Anyway, I'm glad this matchup is finally here! Have fun!