The Wisconsin Badgers looked to be the real deal after stomping Illinois in the opening week of the football season, 45-7. Graham Mertz, who is the highest-rated quarterback to ever commit to Wisconsin, put on a show tossing for 248 yards and 5 touchdowns while throwing only one incomplete pass in his first collegiate performance.
Play like that in the Big Ten’s opening game caught the eyes of even the biggest names in football:
Then, COVID struck Mertz and the program and the Badgers have missed the previous two weeks.