Badgers in solid position for College Football Playoff headed down the stretch

MADISON – Don’t expect much – if any – drama when the fourth College Football Playoff rankings are revealed Tuesday night.

One week after upsets allowed Wisconsin to move up three spots to No. 5, the top 10 held serve on Saturday. 

The top seven teams – No. 1 Alabama (11-0), No. 2 Clemson (10-1), No. 3 Miami (10-0), No. 4 Oklahoma (10-1), UW (11-0), No. 6 Auburn (9-2) and No. 7 Georgia (10-1) all won by double digits.

Although UW likely will hold at No. 5 entering its regular-season finale at Minnesota (5-6, 2-6), the Badgers likely impressed the members of the committee by dominating a ranked team over the final two quarters. 

“It’s incredible, after last year, feeling like we were barely hanging in the game,” UW linebacker T.J. Edwards said, referring to the 14-7 loss last season in Ann Arbor. “To come out and be the enforcers the whole game was huge. 

BADGERS CHAT: Jeff Potrykus' weekly Q&A at 6 p.m. Monday

UW 24, MICHIGAN 10: Badgers dominate in second half

D'AMATO: It's time to show these Badgers some respect

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Live scoreboard, box scores, standings, statistics

“It was a big-time win and we needed it. We came in with high confidence and we kept it rolling.”

Perhaps the most encouraging development for UW’s coaches and players was that all three phases contributed critical plays.

Leon Jacobs forced a fumble inside the UW 5 and UW later limited Michigan to 8 yards on four plays after Alex Hornibrook’s lone interception. 

Despite taking over at the UW 29, the Wolverines had to settle for a field goal and 10-7 lead. 

Michigan rolled up 169 yards on 35 plays in the first half but UW limited the Wolverines to 65 yards on 28 plays after halftime. 

UW outscored Michigan, 17-3, in the second half. In 11 games this season, UW has outscored its opponents by a combined 212-58 after halftime. 

“They certainly, all year, have played well,” Chryst said when asked about the ability of the defense to slow teams in the second half. “But I think that there’s a competitiveness in them and I think there's a pride in it.

“They know that it's all of them doing it. I think there’s a little bit of they want to make sure they’re doing their part individually. But collectively, certainly.

“I think the coaches have done a really nice job of giving them good plans. But they’re playing and executing. They're making plays.

“Every guy, you can kind of look at, and it's hard just when you're watching the flow of the game, but I can kind of think of every guy making a play that was big.

“And so I think they're just challenging themselves and not settling on: ‘We’ve arrived.’”

UW’s special teams got a 50-yard punt return for a touchdown by Nick Nelson, Zach Hintze recorded touchbacks on three of his five kickoffs and Anthony Lotti helped flip the field in UW’s favor with some timely punts. 

Hornibrook made several outstanding throws on UW’s two third-quarter touchdown drives, his receivers attacked the football in the air and the ability to throw the ball down the field helped opened the running game.

“Because he threw the ball in the second half is where you saw those rushing numbers start to show up,” BTN analyst Howard Griffith said on The Final Drive. “Because they struggled to rush the ball in the first half. ... They needed the passing game to open up things for the run.”

In the second half, the Badgers dominated Michigan in rushing yards (123 to 22) and total yards (226-65) and converted 4 of 9 third downs to 1 of 8 for Michigan.

UW’s defense continues to be the team’s rock.

“They have a defense they can take anywhere in the country and win,” Griffith said. “That is the big key. 

“Offensively, they have to stop making mistakes, though.” 

Griffith and fellow analyst Chuck Long believe UW will qualify for the playoff if it can beat Minnesota this week and Ohio State in the Big Ten title game.

"Undefeated is undefeated," Long said. "They'll be in the playoff if they go undefeated."

Victories over Iowa and Michigan have changed Griffith's view.

"I was on the fence a few weeks ago," he said. "Because I didn't think they were playing the kind of football and I didn't think they had the resume at that particular point.

"But they continue to find ways to win football games. That is the important part, and knowing what they have ahead of them."