The Wisconsin Badgers took a sharp dive in ESPN’s SP+ following their 38-14 Week 3 loss to Alabama. After entering the marquee matchup at No. 38 nationally, in range of Big Ten foes, Washington, Nebraska and Michigan, the team fell 14 spots down to No. 52.
More specifically, the Badgers’ offensive and defensive units fell from No. 67 and No. 21, respectively, to No. 79 and No. 27. Those downgrades occurred after the Crimson Tide out-gained the team 454 to 209. Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson’s 382-yard day through the air, 165 of which went to star wideout Ryan Williams, led that production. While Wisconsin’s rush defense held strong, keeping Alabama to just 72 yards on the ground, the defense struggled to find a consistent answer for Alabama’s dual-threat offense.
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Wisconsin now moves forward to an important Week 4 home matchup against Maryland. The Terrapins, ranked No. 43 in SP+, are one of the lower-ranked teams remaining on the Badgers’ schedule. After the two teams meet, the Badgers continue with contests against Michigan (No. 18), Iowa (No. 34), Ohio State (No. 3), Oregon (No. 6), Washington (No. 32), Indiana (No. 13), Illinois (No. 16) and Minnesota (No. 47).
Saturday’s result, which signals Wisconsin’s potential downward trajectory, makes the Maryland matchup close to a must-win for the team to have an inside shot at returning to bowl eligibility.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin’s updated ESPN SP+ ranking after Alabama loss
