# 2020 Wisconsin Badgers football team

The 2020 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Badgers were led by sixth-year head coach Paul Chryst and competed as members of the West Division of the Big Ten Conference. They played their home games at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.
On August 11, 2020, the Big Ten Conference suspended all fall sports competitions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, on September 16, the Big Ten reinstated the season, announcing an eight-game season beginning on October 24.

## Offseason
### 2020 NFL Draft

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL Club |
| 2 | 41 | Jonathan Taylor | RB | Indianapolis Colts |
| 3 | 74 | Zack Baun | LB | New Orleans Saints |
| 4 | 146 | Tyler Biadasz | C | Dallas Cowboys |
| 5 | 166 | Quintez Cephus | WR | Detroit Lions |
| Undrafted | Undrafted | Chris Orr | LB | Carolina Panthers |

### Transfers

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Transfer to |
| Bradrick Shaw | #7 | RB | 6'1 | 205 | Senior | Hoover, AL | California |
| Aron Cruickshank | #1 | WR | 5'9 | 155 | Sophomore | Brooklyn, NY | Rutgers |
| Seth Currens | #10 | ILB | 6'3 | 230 | Junior | Pickerington, OH | Miami (OH) |
| Christian Bell | #49 | OLB | 6'4 | 246 | Senior | Hoover, AL | South Alabama |
| Griffin Grady | #47 | OLB | 6'2 | 205 | Sophomore | Dublin, OH | - |

## Preseason
### Spring game

The Badgers spring scrimmage and practice on April 18, 2020 was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

### Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released
| Award | Player | Position | Year |
| Davey O'Brien Award | Jack Coan | QB | SR |
| Chuck Bednarik Award | Jack Sanborn | LB | JR |
| Doak Walker Award | Nakia Watson | RB | SO |
| John Mackey Award | Jake Ferguson | TE | JR |
| Butkus Award | Jack Sanborn | LB | JR |
| Jim Thorpe Award | Eric Burrell | S | SR |
| Outland Trophy | Cole Van Lanen | OL | SR |
| Manning Award | Jack Coan | QB | SR |
| Maxwell Award | Jack Coan | QB | SR |
| Wuerffel Trophy | Madison Cone | S | SR |
| Bronko Nagurski Trophy | Eric Burrell | S | SR |

### Preseason Big Ten poll

Although the Big Ten Conference has not held an official preseason poll since 2010, Cleveland.com has polled sports journalists representing all member schools as a de facto preseason media poll since 2011. For the 2020 poll, Wisconsin was projected to finish first in the West Division.
Media poll (West Division) :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Wisconsin | 221 (19) |
| 2 | Minnesota | 209.5 (14) |
| 3 | Iowa | 157 |
| 4 | Nebraska | 117 |
| 5 | Purdue | 105 |
| 6 | Northwestern | 87.5 (1) |
| 7 | Illinois | 55 |

## Schedule
### Games canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic

The Badgers 2020 schedule originally consisted of six home games, four away games, and two neutral site games. The Badgers would have hosted two of its three non-conference games at Camp Randall; the first on September 12 against Southern Illinois from the Missouri Valley, then the next week on September 19, playing Appalachian State, a member of the Sun Belt Conference. The last non-conference matchup on October 3 was a primetime game guaranteed to air on NBC against Notre Dame as part of the Fighting Irish's neutral-site Shamrock Series at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, with Notre Dame as the designated home team.
The Big Ten Conference canceled all non-conference games on July 9 due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the day before, the November 7 away game at Northwestern was moved from the neutral site Wrigley Field in Chicago back to Ryan Field in Evanston. Both Notre Dame and Wisconsin plan to fulfill their contract and play the Lambeau Field game in a subsequent season.
On November 25, Wisconsin's game vs. Minnesota was canceled, leaving the team with only 5 games maximum and thus making the Badgers no longer eligible for the 2020 Big Ten Football Championship Game.

### Current schedule

In Big Ten Conference play, Wisconsin will play all members of the West Division, and draws Indiana, and Michigan from the East Division.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| October 23 | 7:00 p.m. | Illinois | No. 14 | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI | BTN | W 45–7 | 0 |
| October 31 | 2:30 p.m. | at Nebraska | No. 9 | Memorial StadiumLincoln, NE (Freedom Trophy) | FS1 | No Contest | – |
| November 7 | 2:30 p.m. | Purdue | No. 10 | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI | ABC | No Contest | – |
| November 14 | 6:30 p.m. | at Michigan | No. 13 | Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, MI | ABC | W 49–11 | 605 |
| November 21 | 2:30 p.m. | at No. 19 Northwestern | No. 10 | Ryan FieldEvanston, IL | ABC | L 7–17 | 0 |
| November 28 | 1:00 p.m. | Minnesota | No. 16 | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI (Paul Bunyan's Axe) | BTN | Rescheduled | – |
| December 5 | 2:30 p.m. | No. 12 Indiana | No. 16 | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI | ABC | L 6–14 | 0 |
| December 12 | 2:30 p.m. | at No. 16 Iowa | | Kinnick StadiumIowa City, IA (Heartland Trophy) | FS1 | L 7–28 | 1,445 |
| December 19 | 3:00 p.m. | Minnesota | | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI (Paul Bunyan's Axe) | BTN | W 20–17 $^{OT}$ | 0 |
| December 30 | 11:00 a.m. | vs. Wake Forest* | | Bank of America StadiumCharlotte, NC (Duke's Mayo Bowl) | ESPN | W 42–28 | 1,500 |
| *Non-conference gameRankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings (after November 24) released prior to gameAll times are in Central time ||||||||
*Wisconsin's game with Nebraska was canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak at Wisconsin. The game will not be rescheduled. Instead, both teams will have a bye and will have just seven games.
*Wisconsin's game with Purdue was cancelled due to a COVID-19 outbreak at Wisconsin. The game will not be rescheduled. Instead, Wisconsin will have a bye and will have just six games, and Purdue will have a bye and will have just seven games.
*Wisconsin's game with Minnesota was initially cancelled due to a COVID-19 outbreak at Wisconsin. The game was eventually rescheduled for Big Ten Championship weekend.
Source:

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Final |
| AP | 12 | 12* | — | — | 19 | 16 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 10 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 25 | — | | |
| Coaches | 12 | 12* | — | 17 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 25 | — | | |
| CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 16 | 16 | — | — | | Not released |

## Game summaries
### Illinois

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Fighting Illini | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| No. 14 Badgers | 7 | 21 | 0 | 17 | 45 |

### At Nebraska (Cancelled)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 9 Badgers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cornhuskers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The Wisconsin at Nebraska game was canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak at Wisconsin. The game will not be rescheduled. Instead, both teams will have a bye and will play just seven games.

### Purdue (Cancelled)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Boilermakers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No. 10 Badgers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The Purdue at Wisconsin game was canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak at Wisconsin. The game will not be rescheduled.

### At Michigan

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 13 Badgers | 14 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 49 |
| Wolverines | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 11 |

### At Northwestern

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 10 Badgers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| No. 19 Wildcats | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 17 |

### Minnesota (Rescheduled)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Golden Gophers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No. 16 Badgers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The Minnesota at Wisconsin game was canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak at Minnesota. The game was rescheduled for December 19 at 3:00 p.m..

### Indiana

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hoosiers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Badgers | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 |

### At Iowa

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Badgers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Hawkeyes | 3 | 3 | 15 | 7 | 28 |

### Minnesota

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Golden Gophers | 7 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Badgers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 20 |

### Vs. Wake Forest (Duke's Mayo Bowl)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Demon Deacons | 14 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| Badgers | 0 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 42 |

## Awards and honors

Weekly Awards :
| Player | Award | Date awarded | Ref. |
| Graham Mertz | Big Ten Co-offensive Player of the Week | October 23, 2019 | |
| Graham Mertz | Big Ten Freshman Player of the Week | October 23, 2019 | |
Individual Awards :
| Player | Award |
| Cole Van Lanen | First Team All-Big Ten Offense (Coaches)/Second Team All-Big Ten Offense (Media) |
| Jake Ferguson | First Team All-Big Ten Offense (Media)/Second Team All-Big Ten Offense (Coaches) |
| Logan Bruss | Third Team All-Big Ten Offense (Coaches/Media) |
| Caesar Williams | Third Team All-Big Ten Defense (Coaches)/Honorable Mention Defense (Media) |
| Isaiahh Loudermilk | Third Team All-Big Ten Defense (Media)/Honorable Mention Defense (Coaches) |
| Jack Sanborn | Third Team All-Big Ten Defense (Media)/Honorable Mention Defense (Coaches) |
| Mason Stokke | Honorable Mention Offense (Coaches) |
| Tyler Beach | Honorable Mention Offense (Coaches) |
| Leo Chenal | Honorable Mention Defense (Coaches/Media) |
| Eric Burrell | Honorable Mention Defense (Coaches/Media) |
| Faion Hicks | Honorable Mention Defense (Coaches/Media) |
| Andy Vujnovich | Honorable Mention Special Teams (Coaches) |

## Players drafted into the NFL

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL Club |
| 5 | 156 | Isaiahh Loudermilk | DE | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 6 | 213 | Rachad Wildgoose | CB | Buffalo Bills |
| 6 | 214 | Cole Van Lanen | OG | Green Bay Packers |