The Alabama Crimson Tide bounced back from a “Bama Standard”-lowering 31-17 Week 1 loss against the Florida State Seminoles with a 73-0 beatdown of the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks this past Saturday.
Now, they face a Wisconsin Badgers team that hasn’t been tested yet during the 2025 season’s early going. Wisconsin has faced the Miami OH RedHawks and Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders through two weeks and has scored 59 points between the two games while giving up 10.
Great numbers against competition that doesn’t much forecast what’s to come in Big Ten play. Or an Alabama team that has its back up against the wall.
AL.com’s Matt Stahl warned first-year Badgers play-caller Jeff Grimes about the imminent increase in competition the Crimson Tide presents on the road. Kalen DeBoer, of note, has never suffered a home loss at Alabama.
Stahl also warned the Crimson Tide defensive front, which Tommy Castellanos toyed with two weeks ago, that Wisconsin will go back to an offensive style it abandoned under Phil Longo, head coach Luke Fickell’s first offensive coordinator in Madison.
“Historically, the Badgers have relied on the run game to remain near the top of the Big Ten, if never become the conference’s elite team. When Longo arrived, his air raid style just never fit in Madison,” Stahl wrote.
“Before the 2024 season ended, Fickell fired Longo, who landed as the head coach at Sam Houston. With Jeff Grimes now in Longo’s old spot, the Badgers are looking to return to a more run-based offense.
“So far, results have been mixed. Alabama will provide a real glimpse at whether the change back to the old way is likely to succeed this time around.”
Oddsmakers expect a one-sided matchup in Alabama’s favor. Urgency and being battle-tested should help the Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium with an opponent that profiles as its second-toughest foe through the campaign’s first three games.