MADISON, WIS. -- Four games should be a solid sample size to see what this Wisconsin program is all about.

This holds especially true during the 2021 season. Three of its first four games came against ranked opponents. Start off undefeated or 3-1, and more national talk would likely come forth for a team that returned many starters on both sides of the ball. Any less, more questions would arise as the heart of conference play crouches around the corner.

Now, Wisconsin sits 1-3 overall, 0-2 in the Big Ten, after Saturday's 38-17 loss to No. 14 Michigan. The two other defeats came against now-No. 4 Penn State and No. 9 Notre Dame, though the Irish fell to No. 7 Cincinnati this weekend.

Sifting through the stats sheets, the quotes, the quartet of contests so far in 2021, this is what Wisconsin is at the moment through a third of its regular season games: an inconsistent offense that cannot rely on either its running and passing attacks; a strong defense that repeatedly keeps its team competitive but has developed a tendency to give up a few big plays through the air in otherwise stout performances; and special teams units that have not produced game-changing plays in the Badgers' favor, but rather the opposite in the last two contests.