We now enter that time of the sports calendar year where football and basketball intersect, which is a win for all fans of college athletics.

This week, the Wisconsin football program rests for its second open weekend of the 2019 season, while the Badgers' men's basketball team takes the court for its in-state exhibition against UW-La Crosse on Friday.

With that, I have five burning questions this week that involve both programs.

As reported by the Wisconsin State Journal's Jim Polzin on Oct. 18, the Badgers "filed a request of reconsideration" after the NCAA initially denied the waiver appeal of forward Micah Potter. Wisconsin men's basketball coach Greg Gard was asked during his Monday press conference if the team was still in a holding pattern with the status of Ohio State transfer.

"We haven’t gotten a decision back on that yet," Gard said. "I don’t understand it because obviously there’s a level of frustration that continues to grow with that because you see all these other waivers getting approved across the country, and I don’t understand really the logic behind why this one wouldn’t get if it doesn’t.

“In terms of you want a student athlete, or you want a young man in your program, he’s been phenomenal since day one, and I think that was always my trepidation when he transferred in or was going to transfer in. How does he fit in your locker room? What message does he bring? How is he as a person? How is he as a teammate? He’s been off the charts phenomenal. He’s done a terrific job academically. I just don’t, it’s hard when you see somebody that tries to do it the right way, could get extenuating punishment in terms of if he’s not eligible. He’ll sit longer than anybody else in the country. In terms of there’s so many that have played last year, and watching all these waivers get approved and 30-something games, 20-something games, and they’re immediately eligible. We don’t know always the underlying reasons, but I know the reasons behind Micah, and I’ve seen how he is day in and day out, what he does academically. You’ve seen my other statement. Everybody knows he’s missed a year already. It’ll be a year-and-half if this doesn’t move forward.

“Like I said, not many things raise my blood pressure. This is one that is.”

At the moment, Potter is eligible to return to the game action after the first semester concludes, so the Dec. 21 game against Milwaukee. That leaves just Nate Reuvers and Aleem Ford as forwards on the team who have significant game time experience entering the season -- which starts next Tuesday in Sioux Falls, S.D. against No. 20 Saint Mary's.

In terms of how he is feeling about his depth if the NCAA will not reconsider Potter's status, Gard mentioned he received "a lot of answers to that on Saturday" in a closed scrimmage to Iowa State.

"I liked what I saw," Gard said. "Reuvers actually picked up two first half fouls, and I was planning to get [Joe] Hedstrom some more experience. I got him more sooner than I thought I would, and it wasn’t all perfect, but he did some good things. I was put in a position where I had to play him, like I said, a little sooner than I planned to in that first half, and we were just fine.

“There’s different combinations. We can be so, I’ve used four at the five some in this preseason in practice just because of the versatilty of this group and the mobility. The day of positionless offense has led to positionless defense which you’re switching a lot of things, so this group with the experience that’s there and the mobility and flexibility, allow for a lot of different combinations to be on the floor.”

Fans will see a very different team on the court without the presence of both Happ and Iverson. Those 4,000-plus saw a little bit of that in the Red/White Scrimmage earlier this month, though admittedly the team struggled shooting.

Happ, an All-American and All-Big Ten honoree, led the team in scoring per game (17.3), rebounds per game (10.1), assists (153), steals (38) and free throw attempts (161, of which he hit only 46.6 percent). The offense revolved around him with his ball handling skills but his presence on the inside, while on the other end of the court he also blocked 44 shots (second on the team to Reuvers).

Another solid defender, Iverson emerged offensively during the final half of the season where Wisconsin's shooting from beyond three-point land dipped considerably. He finished his senior campaign averaging 6.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per contest, but in seven of his last nine games he scored in double digits.

This group of Badgers will have to step up to draw fouls, distribute the ball and overall pick up the slack. Not just one or two players will be called upon to do so -- it will be a group effort.

As I noted in BadgerBlitz.com's 3-2-1 column yesterday, the last four conference games have not boded well for Wisconsin's run game. Against Northwestern, Michigan State, Illinois and Ohio State, UW has gained 591 yards on 159 carries (3.72 yards per carry).

That average dips to 3.32 yards per rush if you exclude Kendric Pryor's 66-yard touchdown run against the Spartans a few weeks ago. The Badgers ran for 222 yards against MSU that week -- the most against those four aforementioned Big Ten teams.

Going against Iowa will be tough sledding. Though it may not have faced programs who have necessarily gashed opposing defenses to the reputation Wisconsin has, the Hawkeyes still rank seventh in the FBS in rushing yards allowed at 87.8 yards per game.

The open weekend allows Wisconsin to take a breather and refocus after two rough losses as it prepare for its critical final third of the regular season against Big Ten West division opponents.

Now set with a 3 p.m. CT kickoff against Iowa for Nov. 9 in front of a nationwide audience on FOX -- and right after No. 13 and undefeated Minnesota hosts No. 5 Penn State at TCF Stadium -- can the team regain its dominant footing held in the first six contests of 2019?

It will need to in hopes of reaching Indianapolis again, as Wisconsin trails Minnesota by two games in the Big Ten West. Winning out is a must, along with getting help from at least one of the Gophers' opponents.