Will Wisconsin be able to pick itself up off the turf after being run over by Alabama? The Badgers played okay in the 35-17 loss, but they didn’t have the Crimson Tide talent. Miami University got past Presbyterian in the opener, but now the hard part kicks in. This is the first meeting between the two.

Below we dive into the Wisconsin vs. Miami (Ohio) prediction and full game preview.

Wisconsin vs. Miami (Ohio) Prediction & Preview

Broadcast

Date: Saturday, September 12
Game Time: 12:00 ET
Network: ESPNU

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Why You Need To Care

It’s not that Wisconsin was bad against Alabama as much as it was simply an awful matchup vs. a team full of NFL talents. The Badgers run the ball, Alabama has one of the best run defenses in college football – it’s almost that simple. Now is when the payoff comes with Miami University this week, Troy to follow, then Hawaii as part of a run of five home games in the next six. Struggling offensively against Alabama is one thing, but that can’t continue against the RedHawks. This is where the road back into the playoff hunt begins. Likely to be favored in every game the rest of the way, it’s time to go back to looking like Wisconsin.

If it’s possible to be in a bit of a rebuilding phase after going 2-10, that’s Miami University with seven starters missing from last year’s good offense. Everything worked fine in the opener against Presbyterian, but this starts a run of four road games in the next five with a home date with Cincinnati up next. There’s just enough of a defense returning to possibly make this more than a polite exhibition.

Why Miami (Ohio) Will Win

There aren’t a slew of future millionaires on the defensive front seven like Alabama owns, but MU has a veteran defensive front with just enough good players to know what they’re doing. Linebacker Kent Kern is among the best in the MAC, and he showed why in the opener with nine tackles, helping the run defense to keep Presbyterian to just 155 yards and under four yards per pop. The front four is just big enough to hold up here and there.

Why Wisconsin Will Win

Just a few scores should do it – Miami doesn’t have the same offensive pop it showed last year with Andrew Hendrix at quarterback. All the parts worked against an FCS defense last week, but the revamped offensive front is going to have a hard time generating a push against a Wisconsin defense that’s going to look for a good performance after the problems against Alabama. After dealing with the Crimson Tide lines, facing Miami’s will be a day at the beach.

Player Who Matters

The Badgers’ leading rusher last week? Alex Erickson, and he’s a wide receiver. He took off for one 25-yard run, and that was it for a ground game that managed 40 net years. Corey Clement went absolutely nowhere, running eight times for 16 yards having nowhere to move whatsoever. Now he has to show he’s ready to be the next great Badger back, and now he has to show off what he’s capable of.

What’s Going To Happen?

This is where the Wisconsin defense steps up and shines, and this is where the running game starts to rock again. This won’t be pretty.

Wisconsin vs. Miami (Ohio) Score Prediction

And now, here is the Wisconsin vs. Miami (Ohio) prediction…

Final Score: Wisconsin 45, Miami (Ohio) 10

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