Madison — The Badgers get set for one of the most important games of the season Saturday, with Iowa rolling into town, Heartland Trophy in tow.

As Wisconsin looks for a 3-0 start in conference play and a rivalry win, what are the hottest questions surrounding the football program?

Almost exactly a year ago, buried on the depth chart and barely seeing any reps in practice, then-Wisconsin quarterback Deacon Hill entered the transfer portal. He initially committed to Fordham, but ultimately flipped to Iowa. At first, he was projected to be a third-stringer. Now, in the wake of Cade McNamara's injury, he's starting under center for the Hawkeyes.

His first career start was...forgettable. Somehow, Iowa beat Purdue last week despite Hill's dismal stat line of 6-for-21 passing, 110 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Iowa went just 3-of-13 on third down and was out-gained by 52 yards. They still won by a touchdown.

Hill didn't complete a pass to a receiver against Purdue. He had five completions to tight end Eric All and one to running back Kaleb Johnson. With the way Iowa's offense operates, that's not all that surprising. Still, his lack of command and inaccuracy are big red flags.

Let's go back further, though, to Hill's time in Madison. In the limited glimpses reporters got to see of him in practice, his greatest asset was his rocket arm. His deep balls, even when they fell harmlessly incomplete, were always something to behold. His biggest weaknesses? Consistent accuracy, for one, as well as a distinct lack of mobility. Hill is somewhat of a sitting duck in the pocket.

Iowa's longest completion this season has gone for 36 yards. Until Hill changes that, Wisconsin should dare the quarterback to throw it over the top. Expect Mike Tressel to crank up the heat on Hill and try to force him into bad decisions.

The biggest question last week was how the Badgers' offense, particularly it's ground game, would look in the absence of Chez Mellusi. 213 yards, 4.6 yards-per-carry and a touchdown later, much of that concern has been alleviated.

A large reason why is the performance of Jackson Acker. The newly minted tailback played very admirably as the Badgers' first running back off the bench, tallying 65 yards on five yards-per-carry and displaying a bruising, physical style. He should continue to see his workload increase as the staff tries to keep Braelon Allen as fresh as possible.

Wisconsin now has to face a stout defense for the second consecutive week. Iowa's run defense, checking in at 55th in the nation in terms of yards-per-game allowed, perhaps isn't as dominant as it has been in recent years. Still, the Hawkeyes have fantastic players in their front seven, namely linebackers Jay Higgins and Nick Jackson. Iowa has lived and died in the trenches this season, and in all likelihood that's exactly where this game will be won or lost.

If the Badgers can run the football with any degree of success, they'll have a massive leg up. If they can control the clock and keep the ball out of Iowa's hands, the Hawkeye offense will be under much more pressure when it does have the ball. With an inexperienced, erratic signal-caller like Hill under center, that doesn't bode too well for the gold and black.

Wisconsin's defense has been under a microscope for much of the season, and rightfully so. They've struggled in all kinds of areas. Still, give credit to the way Tressel had his unit ready to go against Rutgers. They understood what they had to do — stop the run — and they did it, severely crippling the Scarlet Knights' offense effectiveness.

Now, one good performance is fine and dandy, but as the Badgers seek to remain unbeaten in conference play, they'll need to continue to show growth on that side of the ball. How the quarterback Hill performs is one question, but how Iowa's offense plays is another one entirely.

How did Iowa win last week when Hill only completed six passes? For one thing, excellent defense, but their running game was a force to be reckoned with as well. Star sophomore running back Kaleb Johnson, coming off an injury no less, ran wild, compiling 134 yards and a score with a healthy 7.9 yards-per-carry. Leshon Williams, their leading rusher, also played very well. He tallied 74 yards on 13 carries.

Déjà Vu? The recipe for Wisconsin's defense looks awfully familiar this week. Shut down the running game, and make a middling quarterback beat you through the air.

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