Neither redshirt freshman left guard J.B. Butler nor junior center Brad North will take the bait.
Is Wisconsin the toughest test this year?
“I think every week is our biggest test,” North said. “We’re focused on Wisconsin right now.”
“Every week is a new challenge,” Butler echoed.
So much for that narrative.
But that’s not what the numbers say.
The numbers will tell you that this is indeed the toughest defense Northwestern will have faced to date. The Badgers are fourth in the nation in defensive S&P+ — eighth in rushing, sixth in passing and third in Isolated Points Per Play Plus (a measurement of explosiveness) — and third in points per game allowed.