After delays, cancellations and rescheduling, an unusual and unprecedented 2020 Big Ten season kicks off tonight when No.14 Wisconsin hosts Illinois at Camp Randall Stadium.
The first game of the Big Ten season begins a nine-game, conference-only schedule that was announced by the Big Ten on Sept. 16 following the initial postponement of the league’s season on Aug. 11 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Per usual, the Badgers are the favorites to win the Big Ten West, a division it has won five times in the seven years of existence.
However, the Badgers enter the 2020 season needing to replace several key offensive positions and are facing an Illinois defense that forced 28 turnovers in 13 games last season. Although favored by nearly 20 points, this appears to have the makings of a challenging contest for Wisconsin.
My guest this week is my fellow BadgerBlitz writer, Jake Kocorowski, who will spend the majority of this podcast with me breaking everything down from what we know about this roster and giving a preview of tonight’s opponent – the Fighting Illini.
How odd is starting the season tonight?
For you history buffs, October 23 marks the latest start to a Wisconsin football season since the Badgers opened the 1918 campaign by hosting Camp Grant on Oct. 26. That season was delayed by the last pandemic the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-20 and came during the final days of World War I.
The last time the Badgers opened a season in the month of October came when they hosted in-state rival Marquette at Camp Randall on Oct. 4, 1941.
Wisconsin hasn’t opened a season with a Big Ten opponent since taking on Michigan to begin the 1982 campaign. The last season-opener vs. a Big Ten foe at Camp Randall was the Badgers’ 21-14 win over the No. 1-ranked Wolverines in 1981.
Wisconsin has opened a season by taking on Illinois just once, a 14-5 defeat on Oct. 26, 1907
So, needless to say, tonight with be historic in a lot of ways.
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