2. Wisconsin Badgers (Madison, WI)
Let me be the first to tell you, playing in Madison, Wisconsin is not easy. Having lived in Madison for four years and having been to three games at Camp Randall Stadium, the crowd is fantastic, and it’s not easy. I would equate it to playing in Kinnick, but with a bit more natural talent.
Heading into the 2019 season, the Wisconsin Badgers have been ranked right around the Iowa football team in preseason rankings. They return a Heisman candidate at running back in Jonathon Taylor, but much of their success comes down to their quarterback play.
If Jack Coan improves from a pretty horrendous showing last year or Graham Mertz looks like the quarterback of the future in Madison, this is going to be a real tough game for the Hawks.
Also, with this game being late in the season on November 9th, if these two teams are ranked, we are likely to see this game flexed to night time, which for some reason in college football, gives the home team a significant advantage. I don’t know if it’s the added time for college kids to consume alcohol or just the electricity of playing under the lights, but it’s not an easy task. Because Camp Randall (in my opinion) is one of the best atmospheres in the country and they have a high ceiling, they are number two on my list.