A little over a year ago, the Badgers and the Terps were set to do battle in Camp Randall with Billy Edwards expected to make his return from injury and get the train back on the tracks in Madison. Instead, he went down again, that time for the season, and Maryland stomped on Wisconsin’s throats in a 27-10 win.

The sentiment couldn’t be more different this season ahead of Saturday’s meeting between the two teams. Aazaar Abdul-Rahim is leading the Terrapins as interim head coach and the Badgers have turned to a true freshman quarterback and clinched bowl eligibility for the first time since 2023.

Here’s what I’ll be watching in Saturday’s matchup.

Week two of the Ryan Hopkins experience

By all means, Wisconsin got everything you can ask for from a true freshman in his collegiate debut last week as Hopkins threw for 241 yards and three touchdowns against Rutgers. He more than earned another start this week at Maryland, but there’s questions that come with that nod for the young quarterback.

Entering last week, from a game-planning standpoint for the Scarlet Knights, Hopkins was an unknown. There were plenty of rumblings about his talent throughout fall camp, but he’d essentially played one quarter of college football in a game that was entirely decided in Iowa City. Greg Schiano didn’t have a ton to base his gameplan on. The Terrapins have at least one full game to scout to prepare for Hopkins. 

Against Rutgers, Hopkins avoided the freshman head-scratching mistake until late when he fumbled, but there were a few close calls. Under heavy duress, he lofted a ball into no-man’s land and was picked off, but luckily drew a roughing the passer call. Opening the second half, he had what should’ve been a walk-in pick-six for the Scarlet Knights, but luckily, the defensive back had the ball go straight through his hands.

Perhaps the two close calls and late fumble were the wake-up call for Hopkins. If not, Maryland is an opponent Wisconsin should handle, even with a mistake or two from Hopkins. Once again, the freshman quarterback will get a crack at a bad defense, so I’m not going to jump to outlandish conclusions if he has another quality game, but stacking consistent performances in the Big Ten would be a huge indicator of the Badgers having found their long-term quarterback answer.

Wisconsin’s response to the atmosphere

In some ways, this game is giving me a similar vibe to a trip to the old Ryan Field at Northwestern. Sure, I trusted those Pat Fitzgerald-led teams to give Wisconsin more fits than these Terrapins, but SECU Stadium has been a ghost town as of late. Needless to say, the Badgers certainly didn’t look motivated for this game a season ago.

Maryland, which has just one game since Sept. 12, for the first time in months, will be coming off a win when it takes the field on Saturday. Not to say that that’s momentum that should carry the Terrapins over Wisconsin, but things have looked bleak for much of the season in College Park, so I can’t imagine it will hurt.

I’m not concerned about Maryland’s talent being overwhelming and creating a messy situation for the Badgers, but I think it’s a fair question to ask if Luke Fickell’s team will be able to get up for this game. It’s a game you should win, against a program with an interim head coach and just one win in conference play. 

Fickell’s teams have been a little hit-or-miss in terms of the energy levels. On one hand, games like USC prove that this team can compete with anybody, especially defensively, when it shows up ready to roll, but games like Iowa and even Maryland last season indicate that there’s a lack of consistency when this team brings its A-game. I don’t think it needs its A-game to beat the Terrapins, but in a practically empty stadium against a low-profile opponent, you have to bring your own energy and that’s something I’ll be watching closely.

A chance for redemption

When Maryland walked into Camp Randall last September and handled the Badgers for 60 minutes, it marked a — at the time — new low for the program. Forget the fact that Edwards seemed to have returned from injury in that contest before going out for the rest of the season. The Terrapins punked Wisconsin on its home turf in that contest.

No, this isn’t a rivalry game, it’s not even a battle between two long-time opponents. But, it is a game that, prior to last season, the Badgers took care of business in. The way it went last season only suggested that the program had taken steps back rather than forward. And for that reason, this game that otherwise has fairly little appeal, becomes a crucial one.

Outside of another embarrassing loss at the hands of Iowa, Wisconsin has done plenty to suggest the program has turned a corner this season. Its three losses are to teams in the top-15 of this week’s CFP rankings and its biggest rivalry game still lies ahead. Going 3-0 in the next three weeks would cement a good season for Fickell. While most eyes have turned to the season finale against Minnesota, avoiding disaster in the next two weeks, in games the Badgers should win, is invaluable.

Priority No. 1 needs to be avoiding the puzzling loss to an inferior opponent in the next two weeks. This week, that means getting revenge on the team that got you booed off the turf in your own building just a year ago. After you take care of that business, you can discuss the streak against Purdue and getting to the Axe game. For now, Wisconsin has re-established some momentum thanks to Hopkins and can keep proving this staff can be the one to turn things around with a win in College Park.