Scouting the Badgers: 5 questions, prediction with a Wisconsin reporter

No. 1 Oregon travel to Wisconsin on Saturday (4:30 p.m., NBC) at Camp Randall Stadium.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reached out to Wisconsin beat reporter Jake Kocorowski ( on X) of The Wisconsin State Journal to pose five questions and get a prediction.

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Kocorowski: "Wisconsin offensive coordinator Phil Longo has long praised Locke being a 'phenomenal student of the game,' a quote he used just this past week. He knows Longo's iteration of the Air Raid offense so he can make checks and change plays if needed. Once the Badgers offense can get a first down, he can turn up the tempo and throw opposing defenses off. That's when he's at his best, and it was seen in the first half of the eventual loss at Southern Cal and in the wins against Purdue and Rutgers.

"But there's also been a prevailing theme of Locke not protecting the ball. All eight of his interceptions have come in the last six games, and there have been crucial picks that have come back to bite the team in recent losses against Penn State and at Iowa. Here's also been inaccurate at times, as he's completed under 60% of his passes this season. If Oregon can make him uncomfortable in the pocket, there's a good chance for takeaways."

Kocorowski: "The loss of redshirt senior defensive lineman James Thompson Jr. prior to the season sticks out incredibly. His 6-foot-5, 295-pound frame is ideal for what Wisconsin wants out of that position group, but he also has incredible strength and athleticism. He could have been used effectively pass rushing and also clogging up gaps in the run game.

"Wide receiver Bryson Green hasn't played the last four games. He's shown an ability to make contested catches as an outside receiver, though the emergence of junior Vinny Anthony II as a deep threat has helped lessen the blow."

No. 1 Oregon (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) at Wisconsin (5-4, 3-3)

When: Saturday, Nov. 16

Time:

Where: Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin

TV channel:

Stream: You can watch this matchup live for FREE with Fubo (free trial). If you don't have cable and want to watch the game on the cheap, sign up for Peacock Premium ($7.99/month) and get it on NBC's streaming service to watch Notre Dame, Big Ten and more top college football games this season. You can also get this game on DirecTV Stream (free trial). You can also watch the event live on NBC Live if you already have cable or satellite provider login information.

Oregon Ducks football 2024 season schedule, scores

Kocorowski: "Defensive coordinator Mike Tressel talked in January 2023 about attempting to 'mesh the elite' of Wisconsin's defense under former coordinator Jim Leonhard, which included dominating against the run, and what Tressel did at Cincinnati with a very good pass defense. That hasn't happened yet as we're nearing two seasons into the Luke Fickell era.

"The Thompson injury plays significantly into this as someone who could made an impact within the current rotation of defensive linemen. Senior Elijah Hills, an FCS transfer, has been a pleasant surprise for this unit and has become the best defensive linemen this season, and four-star freshman Dillan Johnson has become a contributor and one glimpse of the future of the unit. But there simply hasn't been enough plays made up front by others in the rotation, and opposing offenses have been able to taken advantage of that. The Badgers have another three defensive line recruits slated to join their 2025 class, but I wouldn't be surprised if they also looked to the transfer portal again in the offseason to add more talent (but then again, so is every Power Four team at that position)."

Kocorowski: "I think any receiver with speed and height's going to be a challenge for any cornerback, which includes the 5-10, 185-pound Hallman. Even in a season where he hasn't had the flashy numbers (see: interceptions), he's normally held up well and is a physical defensive back that sticks with his coverage. He is the Badgers' best cornerback, but if Oregon can confuse Wisconsin's secondary and miscommunication ensues, that also helps. Otherwise, opposing offenses have definitely targeted Wisconsin's other cornerbacks on the opposite side of the field with some success this season."

Kocorowski: "Wisconsin comes off its second bye week of the 2024 season, and it couldn't have come at a better time after the blowout loss at Iowa. But the Badgers face the most complete team in the nation currently that will stress them in multiple ways. The key for Wisconsin offensively will be establishing the run game and getting Locke in sync with throws to get him comfortable (and also protect him). Moving the chains and using tempo would help here. Defensively, the Badgers have to stop the run, but I feel it's going to be too hard to contain both that and a high-powered offense with Dillon Gabriel airing it out to his dynamic targets.

"Wisconsin had Penn State on the ropes until the fourth quarter a few weeks ago, and I think the Badgers could start off well against the Ducks as it did on its opening drives against the Crimson Tide in September and the Nittany Lions last month. But I feel Oregon's offense, in both the pass and run games, and defense will be too much for an upset. It's also hard to trust Locke not turning the ball over in some fashion. Oregon 34, Wisconsin 17."