Wisconsin vs. Alabama 2025: Must-Know Keys and Predictions in Week 3

It’s Wisconsin vs. Alabama as the Badgers hit the road for a Week 3 matchup against in Tuscaloosa with a lot on the line. This is arguably Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell’s most important game to date leading the program. The Badgers need to be competitive in this game, or many will start to question the direction of the program under his leadership.

Can the Badgers keep it close and potentially win? Or will a motivated and more talented Alabama team run Wisconsin out of the stadium?

Let’s dive in.

Wisconsin Badgers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide: Series History

Wisconsin and Alabama have faced off three times, with the Badgers going 1-2 in those contests. The first meeting came all the way back in 1928, where the Badgers pulled off a 15-0 victory. Recently, the Badgers have not had much success against the Crimson Tide, being outscored 77-27 in the two previous matchups.

Wisconsin was blown out in 2024 against the Tide, 42-10, after starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke suffered a season-ending injury. The Badgers were also not very competitive at all during last year’s matchup at Camp Randall and are looking to turn the tide for this 2025 contest.

Wisconsin vs. Alabama 2025: Must-Know Keys and Predictions in Week 3

Alabama’s Key Players

As with most teams, the key player is the quarterback. And for Alabama, it’s no different. Ty Simpson came under a lot of criticism after an up-and-down Week 1 against Florida State, but responded well last week against a much lesser opponent in Louisiana-Monroe. Simpson finished 17-of-17 for 226 yards and three touchdowns, leading a 73-0 blowout win.

Simpson can sling it if he has a clean pocket, which is why it’s imperative the Badgers are able to rush the passer.

Jam Miller was RB1 for Alabama in fall camp, but unfortunately suffered a collarbone injury during the team’s scrimmage. Miller has missed the first two weeks of the season, but his health has been trending upwards. On Wednesday, Crimson Tide head coach Kalen Deboer said Miller is a true game-time decision. If he is able to play, Miller will add a huge boost to this Alabama rushing attack.

On the outside, Alabama has two stud wide receivers. Ryan Williams missed last week due to a concussion, but he looks like he will be playing on Saturday. Williams struggled in Week 1 against Florida State, which caused an uproar from a lot of Alabama fans. Look for him to bounce back this week against Wisconsin. When focused and locked in, Williams is an All-American and a supreme talent.

Germie Bernard, opposite Ryan Williams, is an extremely underrated receiver. Bernard finished with three receptions for 67 yards and two touchdowns against UL Monroe last week. Bernard is one of the many weapons that the Crimson Tide has at its disposal on the offensive side of the ball.

Defensively, with star nose tackle Tim Keenan still out, the Tide have a three-headed monster in safety Keon Sabb and linebackers Justin Jefferson and Deontae Lawson. The trio of Sabb, Jefferson, and Lawson are all uber talented and are all tackling machines.

With Tim Keenan still out due to injury, LT Overton has to win on the edge for Alabama and create pressure. The Crimson Tide has struggled to create pressure so far this year and was unable to record a sack last week. Alabama will be looking to change that on Saturday.

Wisconsin Key Players

Honestly every single player on this Badgers roster is key this week, as they all will have to play well for Wisconsin to win. However, Danny O’Neil, Mason Reiger, and Omilio Agard are especially key players for the Badgers this week.

With the status of quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. still unknown (and likely out), this game will rest on the shoulders of O’Neil.

O’Neil played well last week and guided the team to a 42-10 victory against Middle Tennessee. He made quick and confident decisions, finishing with 283 yards passing. That number is the most in program history for a first career start. O’Neil will need to play with the same confidence and decision-making against a much better team this week in Alabama.

Alabama has a stud left tackle in Kadyn Proctor, who rarely makes mistakes or gives up pressure. Whoever is rushing opposite Proctor needs to win in order to get pressure against Ty Simpson. That’s where Mason Reiger comes into play.

Reiger will most likely be matched up against right tackle Wilkin Formby on every passing down, and he needs to win that 1-on-1 matchup for the Badgers. Don’t get me wrong, Formby is no slouch. However, he is not on the level of Proctor. The other edge players for the Badgers are also key, as Sebastian Cheeks and Darryl Peterson will get their chances to win on the edge as well.

Ricardo Hallman is a star and brings a ton of experience to the corner position for the Badgers. Opposite him, there are some question marks. Omillio Agard had a great game last week, jumping a route for an interception and making a couple of key tackles.

Agard and D’Yoni Hill have been in a little bit of a position battle since fall camp that has trickled over into the season. With Agard’s success last week, expect him to earn the start against Alabama. Hallman and Agard will be matched up against Bernard and Williams, which is a very intriguing and important matchup for this game. They will need to contain the Alabama receivers if Wisconsin wants to win this game.

Lastly, the trenches are going to be very important for both teams. Yet this is especially true for Wisconsin, which is less talented and has far less depth than the Tide.

Game Predictions and Analysis

Depending on which sports book you look at, Alabama is a 20.5-21.5 point favorite against Wisconsin. They opened as 17.5 favorites, but after the good news of Jam Miller and Ryan Williams, the line has moved a few points in favor of Alabama.

As mentioned earlier, every starter and two-deep player for Wisconsin will need to have a good game for Wisconsin to have success. Under Luke Fickell, the Badgers have had historically had slow starts. They usually don’t kick it into gear until the third quarter. That won’t fly against Alabama like it did against MTSU last week. The first few possessions for the Badgers are key. If Wisconsin falls behind early, they won’t be able to run the ball and will put O’Neil into harm’s way by becoming one-dimensional.

Wisconsin’s front seven should be able to hold their own, so it’s imperative that the Badgers’ offensive line wins their matchup. Question marks arose after a poor performance last week for the Badgers’ line, especially in the run game. The ability to run the ball will ease the burden on O’Neil and won’t make this a one-dimensional game on offense.

To help the offense, Trech Kekahuna, Vinny Anthony, and Chris Brooks need to win on the outside and create separation against the Alabama corners on passing downs.

One thing to watch is how much the Badgers throw the ball downfield. If there is a weakness in O’Neil’s play so far, it’s the inability to push the ball downfield. For the Badgers to have success, offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes needs to be creative and find ways to get the deep ball going. End arounds and quick passes won’t work against this team like they did against MTSU.

Florida State had great success running the ball against the Crimson Tide’s front seven. If the Badgers are able to improve from last week and can move the ball, Wisconsin could find success.

It will be hot down in Tuscaloosa, so hydration and endurance will be key. Alabama does have the leg up there, so the Badgers might start tampering off as they get deeper into the game. Yet, Wisconsin did luck out with a noon kickoff, as the environment won’t be as crazy as a night game.

Expect a physical and hard-fought game on both sides. Both head coaches in this matchup have been under fire and are essentially coaching for their lives to some extent. With that in mind, Wisconsin has a great opportunity to surprise a lot of people in this game.

Wisconsin should be able to hold their own on defense for a while, and Coach Grimes should call a good game and will give Alabama looks they haven’t seen before. If the offense can play well, Wisconsin can cover the spread. If the Badgers come out lethargic and scared, it could get ugly quickly, but I don’t envision that happening. Week 3 will show us what this Badgers team is made of and if they are ready to take the next step under Luke Fickell.