2. Wisconsin is not a Top 25 team, but Iowa could be
Week 5 wasn’t kind to Wisconsin (No. 19), as the Badgers were outmuscled by their Big Ten West rival Iowa Hawkeyes, who won 10-6.
This was a remarkably ugly contest, but consistently Wisconsin was overmatched up front as Iowa’s relentless big men — on both sides of the ball — won at the line of scrimmage. Iowa’s defense, in particular, was the star of the game, and cornerback Desmond King couldn’t be happier.
“Once our offense couldn’t get anything done, we knew the game was going to be on our defense,” said King. “Our goal was to keep them at a minimum scoring.”
It was a particularly poor showing by the Badgers on the ground, where they gained just 86 yards on 34 carries, averaging just 2.5 yards per carry. Making matters worse, quarterback Joel Stave threw two interceptions.
This was the second loss of the season for Wisconsin after being handled easily by Alabama in Week 1. The poor showing must certainly mean a trip out of the top 25 in the rankings. On the flip side, Iowa might draw some consideration, considering its 5-0 record.