Michigan Football: 5 Predictions for Wolverines against Wisconsin

Cade McNamara manages the game

As I said earlier, this game is going to come down to the quarterbacks. Which will protect the football better and who will find a way to make plays?

Cade McNamara has been spectacular at all. In games against Washington and Rutgers, he barely averaged more than 100 yards passing. But he hasn’t thrown an interception or had any turnovers and that’s been his best attribute.

To be clear, Cade can’t play the way he did in the second half against Rutgers. He missed some easy throws and made some poor decisions. This offense can’t function in third-and-10, especially not against this defense.

I think we’ll see a lot of punts on both sides. It won’t be a bad play Saturday in what is sure to be a field-position game. McNamara won’t be great, but he’ll avoid turnovers again, yet will he do enough for Michigan football to win the game?

Score Prediction

At the start of the season, I didn’t feel confident at all in this matchup for Michigan. But the defensive front seven is better than expected, especially if Ross is able to go.

The Wisconsin passing attack worries me too. Mertz has struggled but the Badgers have weapons like Kendric Pryor, Danny Davis, and Jake Ferguson.  If the pass rush doesn’t get home and if the Badgers are in manageable situations all day, those guys will get open.

The bottom line is that this is a 50/50 game if there ever was one. If it was in Ann Arbor, I’d pick the Maize and Blue much more confidently. As it stands, a lack of red-zone production on both sides leads to a low-scoring nailbiter.

Call me crazy or a homer, but somehow, someway, Michigan does just enough to win ugly at Camp Randall if a game that won’t be for the faint at heart.

Final score: Michigan 16, Wisconsin 13.