They may be only two games into the 2025 season, but it’s already felt like a long year for No. 19 Alabama and coach Kalen DeBoer. That’s the type of thing that tends to happen when you enter the season with national title aspirations and get blown out in your first game despite being a two-touchdown favorite.
No, Alabama fans did not react well to the team’s 31-17 loss to Florida State, but at least the team did last week, beating UL-Monroe 73-0. Now the Tide will welcome a tougher opponent to Bryant-Denny Stadium in the Wisconsin Badgers. It’s the second leg of a home-and-home after Alabama went to Madison and beat the Badgers 42-10 last season.
These are very different teams a year later, though. Neither starting quarterback in that contest will play in this game, and Wisconsin overhauled its defense in the transfer portal in the offseason. The early returns are promising on that side of the ball, as Wisconsin has allowed only 10 points during its 2-0 start. That said, holding Miami (OH) and Middle Tennessee off the scoreboard is a bit easier than doing it to Alabama on the road.
Alabama vs Wisconsin: Need to know
Wisconsin won’t have starting QB Billy Edwards: It was in last season’s loss to Alabama that Wisconsin’s starting QB, Tyler Van Dyke, was lost for the season. The Badgers had high hopes for the transfer and his injury derailed the season. This year’s transfer QB was Billy Edwards, and he was injured in Wisconsin’s opener against Miami (OH). Danny O’Neil replaced him and will start this game, too. While the defense has been solid, Wisconsin’s offense has been inconsistent in its two games, though it piled on late last week to make things look more comfortable than they were.
Alabama has won 83 straight home games against unranked opponents: It’s ridiculous to read that aloud to yourself, isn’t it? To put it in context, 83 games is the equivalent of 6.9 regular season schedules. What’s crazier? The second-longest streak of the past 30 years was Boise State winning 64 straight from 2001 to 2011. Alabama has surpassed that mark by 19 games. And, for those of you wondering, the last loss was to UL-Monroe, the same team Alabama beat 73-0 last week. It took place in 2007, Nick Saban’s first year as coach. Things turned out pretty well afterward.
It’s only the second time Alabama has hosted a Big Ten team: I love the new trend of schools scheduling these games on campus. Last year, Alabama played at Wisconsin, and now Wisconsin is making the return trip. If things like this happened more often, it wouldn’t be the first time a Big Ten team has played at Alabama since Penn State made the trip in 2010. Nor would it be only the second time it’s ever happened. Fewer neutral site games, more campus games.
How to watch Alabama vs Wisconsin live
Date: Saturday, Sept. 13 | Time: 12 p.m. ET
Location: Bryant Denny Stadium — Tuscaloosa, Alabama
TV: ABC | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free)
Alabama vs Wisconsin prediction, picks
Wisconsin’s offense has not looked great in either of its first two games but managed to hit a few big plays in the passing game last week against Middle Tennessee. For some reason I don’t think the Middle Tennessee team that lost to Austin Peay is in the same weight class as Alabama, so it’s hard for me to imagine the Badgers having a lot of fun on offense here unless Alabama turns the ball over frequently. Pick: Alabama -20.5
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