Flash back to the beginning of the 2016 Wisconsin football season.
The Badgers opened the season against No. 5, LSU, without their returning, leading tackler from the 2015 campaign. T.J. Edwards was held out of the game due to injury and the Badgers lost yet another promising player in Chris Orr on the first play from scrimmage.
About halfway through that season, Wisconsin lost Jack Cichy, who suffered a season-ending injury. Even without key pieces to the defense, the Badgers ranked fourth in the NCAA in scoring defense in 2016, allowing only 15.