The Camp: A Wisconsin Badgers Football Podcast · The Zone

Wisconsin-Michigan preview, Overreaction, er No?, Week 6 picks

·45 min·4 clips

Can Wisconsin stay close against Michigan, or has the bar fallen too low for this struggling team?

This episode of The Camp previews Wisconsin's upcoming football game against Michigan and addresses broader concerns about the team's performance. Hosts Zach Heilprin and Jesse Temple analyze the Badgers' prospects as significant underdogs heading into Ann Arbor. They also discuss recent basketball content and make picks for other Week 6 college football games. The Badgers are 17.5-point underdogs for their game against the 20th-ranked Michigan Wolverines. Jesse Temple questions whether simply staying competitive, rather than winning, constitutes success given the team's recent poor performances. The hosts identify avoiding catastrophic negative plays, like a 23-yard loss on a bad snap, as a key for Wisconsin. Michigan's offense, ranking eighth nationally in rushing, presents a major test for Wisconsin's top-ranked rush defense. The Badgers' pass defense has allowed five plays of 50 or more yards, tied for worst in the Big Ten. Offensively, Wisconsin ranks 117th nationally in total offense and 108th in scoring. The hosts debate if quarterback Dany O'Neill, who has five touchdowns and five interceptions, gives the team its best chance to win. A surprising insight is that the team's tradition of running a hill for conditioning predates the Badgers, originating when Bo Ryan coached at Platteville. Temple attempted to run Bascom Hill with the current basketball team, a feat he last tried 11 years ago resulting in him vomiting. The hosts reveal that former player Brad Davison was called by coach Greg Gard while preparing for a season opener in Spain to become a special assistant. They argue the offensive line's inconsistent performance is as big an issue as any for the team. A proposed front-office change involving hiring a general manager to oversee football separately from Athletic Director Chris McIntosh is discussed as a potential "stupid" idea. The tone is conversational and analytical, blending game preview with critical assessment of the program's direction. The style is direct and opinionated, with hosts freely sharing their skepticism about the team's current state. This episode is ideal for Wisconsin Badgers fans seeking a blunt, detailed breakdown of the team's challenges ahead of a tough matchup. Listeners looking for optimistic homerism or who are sensitive to critical team analysis might want to skip it.

As heard by us

A blunt Michigan preview focused on what success would look like on Saturday.

The Camp turns Wisconsin's trip to Michigan into a narrower question than a simple score pick: what would a workable Saturday actually look like for this team?

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Why you'd press play

You want a clear pregame read on Wisconsin before Michigan.

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