Badgers stocks rise, stocks fall: 1 riser and 2 losers before week 3

The Wisconsin Badgers' 42-10 loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide was…not pretty. It was a clear example of Murphy's Law in action: “If something can go wrong, it will go wrong.”

Not only did Wisconsin suffer a loss at home, but they also lost their starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke for the rest of the season. That's a big blow. As you might expect, the mood within the team is not at its best.

Still, there were some positives to this game. Here's what's up and down in the Wisconsin football program.

Stock price falls: Wisconsin's quarterback situation

Losing Van Dyke was the worst-case scenario for the Badgers. There's no sugarcoating it. Second quarterback Braedyn Locke has the potential to be useful, but unlike Van Dyke, he lacks experience and throwing ability.

One thing about Locke that puts the Badgers in a slightly better position than people might think is the fact that Locke dealt with a similar situation last season when starter Tanner Mordecai got injured. Locke struggled in the game when Mordecai got hurt, similar to his slow start against Alabama, but he ended up playing solid enough on the road at Illinois and at home against Ohio State.

There is nothing positive about Van Dyke's injury. However, the fact that Locke has been in this unexpected situation before is somewhat reassuring for Coach Fickell and his Badgers team. Let's hope Phil Longo is successful in finding a way to get Locke ready for their big road game at USC over the next two weeks.

Stock up: Wisconsin's run defense

Despite the final score, Wisconsin's run defense looked better for most of the game. While they did allow some long runs to Milroe and Miller, those two were the outliers in this game.

Wisconsin managed to stop the run on some crucial third-down plays, which gave them a chance early in the game. If Wisconsin wants to have a chance at the end of close games, they need to limit long runs and make sure they force the opponent to make more passes.

I want to give credit to defensive coordinator Mike Tressel, who clearly made the necessary adjustments in the run defense the week before the Alabama game. Hopefully he can get back to a strong start in two weeks against USC.

Share price falls: Phil Longo’s “air raid”

Phil Longo's attempt to bring an “Air Raid” offense to Wisconsin was disappointing. The Badgers' offense suffers from an identity crisis simply because Luke Fickell's offensive style is run-heavy while Longo's passing style is strong.

The Badgers seem to be stuck in a rut, which is why their offense has been so stagnant this season and struggled in parts of last season. For a team to be successful, there has to be synergy between the head coach and the strategies his team is pursuing.

Unfortunately, Fickell and Longo's vastly different playing styles are only hurting Wisconsin's rebuild. Either these two coaches need to come up with game plans that fit both of their visions, or Fickell needs to part ways with his offensive coordinator and bring in someone else who can execute his game plans more effectively.