MADISON, Wis. – Will we have college football in the fall?

It’s almost unimaginable to consider but it’s a question that is starting to be raised by several in the industry, including multiple athletic directors and university presidents laying out numerous “what-if” scenarios if the season is altered due to COVID-19 coronavirus.

For now, the Badgers are preparing to open the season in roughly five months against Indiana at Camp Randall Stadium on Friday, Sept. 4.

This will mark the fourth time in the last 10 years that UW has opened a season with a night game at Camp Randall (2011 vs. UNLV, 2017 vs. Utah State and 2018 vs. Western Kentucky). It is also the first time since 1982 that Wisconsin has started its season with a conference game.

The Badgers playing a Hoosiers team that went 8-5 last season is a good early measuring stick, putting stress on the expected position battles on the offensive line, a new-look special teams unit and a defense that has the potential to be one of the best in the country. But is playing the Hoosiers in primetime to open the season one of the most intriguing games on a 2020 schedule that currently includes six home games, four road games and two neutral site games?

Pondering that question, the BadgerBlitz.com staff put our heads together (from at least six feet away) to try and nail down our picks for the five most intriguing games on UW’s schedule.

There were a lot of options for the fifth spot, playing at Iowa to close the season and playing against Northwestern at Wrigley Field in early November are interesting. However, with no spring practices, likely no summer conditioning and the potential for an altered fall camp, the amount of on-field preparation the Badgers will have before their opener will be the shortest it’s been in decades, if not ever. What will the offensive line look like? Who are going to be the main options at tailback? Who will emerge as pass-rushing goliaths in the place of Zack Baun and Chris Orr? We have ideas, but we won’t truly know until the Hoosiers visit.

What was the last time there was actual excitement/fear for a non-conference opponent the Badgers were hosting at Camp Randall Stadium? Oregon in 2000? Scheduling the Mountaineers is a bold move considering Appalachian State is far from a push over. The Mountaineers went 13-1 last season and beat UAB in the New Orleans Bowl under new head coach Shawn White (App. State’s former OL coach). While they must replace the 2019 Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year in tailback Darrynton Evans (1,678 total yards and 23 touchdowns), the Mountaineers return a lot of veteran players who will challenge the Badgers, who have become used to non-conference home blowouts against overmatched opponents for years and years.

Wisconsin regained Paul Bunyan’s Axe last season with a thorough victory over No.9 Minnesota, clinching a spot in the Big Ten title game and ruining the Gophers Big Ten title chances yet again. However, Minnesota rebounded to upset No.12 Auburn in the Outback Bowl and finish 11-2 this season. The fact the Gophers were on the national stage that late in the season (remember College Gameday was on site for the game?) is a sign that Minnesota is starting to become a threat in the division. The Badgers will be coming off two emotional games the previous two weeks and Minnesota should have some confidence after dominating UW in the previous Madison meeting in 2018.

Although it’s a cross-divisional game, Wisconsin trip to Ann Arbor will likely be its toughest Big Ten game all season. The Badgers and Wolverines have split their last four meetings over the last four seasons with the home team winning each game, including last year’s UW victory where Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said the Badgers “out played, out coached, out everything” his team. Like the Badgers, Michigan has plenty of questions on offense with the need to replace four offensive linemen and break in a new quarterback but there are also dangerous pieces at receiver, running back and throughout defensive coordinator Don Brown’s unit.

UW doesn’t play Ohio State or Penn State this season. And considering the Badgers will likely be the strong favorites in the West, how they fare in this game will say a lot about whether the program can win its first Big Ten title since 2012.

Ever since Wisconsin knocked off No.5 LSU in 2016 at Lambeau Field, fans have been waiting patiently for the Badgers to return. Not only will they return, but they are facing a name-brand Midwest opponent in the Irish. Although the two schools are separated by roughly 240 miles, Wisconsin and Notre Dame haven’t faced each other since 1964. The Irish went 11-2 last season and are projected as an early top-10 team with quarterback Ian Brook (3,034 passing yards, 34 TDs, 6 INTs) and five offensive line starters all returning. This one won’t count in the Big Ten standings but winning a potential top-10 matchup would dramatically boost Wisconsin’s College Football Playoff profile.