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The Wisconsin Badgers’ defensive line ranks No. 11 out of the 18 teams in the expanded Big Ten entering the 2024 season, according to 247Sports.
Its ranking is led by Ohio State at No. 1, Michigan at No. 2, Penn State at No. 3, Oregon at No. 4 and Iowa at No. 5. It is no coincidence that those top four teams also happen to be the four conference favorites and will likely be College Football Playoff participants. History shows that there is a significant correlation between a great defensive line winning on the scoreboard.
Related: Wisconsin’s all-time record against every Big Ten football team
The Badgers’ group of James Thompson Jr., Elijah Hills (transfer), Brandon Lane (transfer), Ben Barten, Curt Neal and Cade McDonald is arguably the team’s biggest question entering the season. Thompson is established as a legitimate contributor. It appears that the performances of the transfers Hills and Lane could be what decides whether the unit is improved after a sub-par 2023 season.
Here’s what 247Sports wrote about Wisconsin’s defensive line and its No. 11 ranking:
“Other than Thompson, Wisconsin does not have much for returning production on the defensive line in 2024. That is not to say this unit will be the weakness of the Badgers’ defense, but it is a critical area if they want to finish in the top half of the Big Ten this season.”
The bottom of the ranking is Indiana at No. 14, Minnesota at No. 15, Michigan State at No. 16, Illinois at No. 17 and Purdue at No. 18. It’s no surprise that those project to be the five teams at the bottom of the conference standings when the season concludes.
Again: a great defensive line loosely equates to winning on the field. A bad defensive line, on the other hand, usually leads to losses. Wisconsin’s group is below average entering the season and could be the…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/247sports-not-confident-wisconsin-defensive-113059463.html
Author : Badgers Wire
Publish date : 2024-06-30 11:30:59
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