Greg McElroy calls Wisconsin a 'big sleeper' in 2023

The AP’s Preseason Top-25 obviously included the country’s best within the ranking. However, one team towards the back end of the poll that Greg McElroy is keeping his eye on is the Wisconsin Badgers.

McElroy named Wisconsin as the team that could surprise early and work their way up the national rankings during the course of the season on SportsCenter on Monday. In his eyes, he thinks they have relatable vibes to what TCU had at this time last year with Luke Fickell taking over in Madison.

“I’m looking at Wisconsin. They feel so similar, to me, to what TCU had last year,” said McElroy. “New coach. The previous regime? Things had just gotten a little bit stale. Now, in comes a breath of fresh air with Sonny Dykes? TCU makes a run, ends up finishing second in college football last year. Wisconsin feels somewhat similar.”

Let’s check the boxes from the Horned Frogs last year. New coach with previous success elsewhere? Yes. Fickell won nine or more games in five of six seasons at Cincinnati and even took the Bearcats to the College Football Playoff. Quarterback? Sure. Tanner Mordecai, after five seasons at Oklahoma and SMU, could definitely play the Max Duggan role. Add in the run game from the likes of Braelon Allen and their defensive excellence in the last decade and a half and, to McElroy, all the pieces to make this happen are there in Camp Randall.

“We know they have a great quarterback in Tanner Mordecai who’s thrown for 7,000 career passing yards. They went and attacked the portal at wide receiver and had three holdovers from last year that they feel really good about. They’re six or seven deep out there on the perimeter,” McElroy noted. “A dynamic one-two punch at running back. And Wisconsin’s always been elite, always been elite on the defensive side.”

McElroy isn’t the only one who feels this way either. He referred to Wisconsin’s odds and betting lines as more reasons to back the Badgers over the course of the upcoming season.

“You look at some of those early lines? Wisconsin, right now, is expected to be favored in 10 games. 10 games!,” exclaimed McElroy. “The two that they’re not? On the road at Minnesota and then Ohio State. And they’re only a one-point ‘dog at Minnesota so that’s a toss-up to begin with.”

Wisconsin wants to go from pretty good to back to being great in the Big Ten as well as nationally. For McElroy, he believes that could be right around the corner for them too based on how he currently feels about the Badgers coming into 2023.

“Wisconsin is a big sleeper there at No. 19,” McElroy stated.