The Wisconsin Badgers ended their 2022 football season with an overall record of 7-6 and a 4-5 record against conference opponents. They went 2-1 in their non-conference schedule, but would ultimately fire head coach Paul Chryst following a 2-3 start to the season with losses to Ohio State and Illinois.

Interim head coach Jim Leonhard, now a senior football analyst for Illinois, led the squad to a 4-3 record and a win over Oklahoma State in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. Running back Braelon Allen led the Badgers with 116 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown in the 24-17 win at Chase Field. Quarterback Chase Wolf threw for 116 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

After they brought in a new coaching staff and talented additions through the transfer portal, what are some bold predictions for the Wisconsin Badgers heading into the 2023 season?

4. Braelon Allen will lead the Big Ten in rushing yards

Allen, a former four-star recruit from Wisconsin's 2021 class, ended the 2022 football season with 1,242 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. He took fourth place in total rushing yards in the Big Ten behind Illinois running back Chase Brown, Minnesota running back Mohamed Ibrahim and Michigan running back Blake Corum. Allen recorded as many as 165 rushing yards during a loss to Ohio State in September, adding on one rushing touchdown and three receptions as the Buckeyes took a 52-21 win in Ohio Stadium.

Allen and running back Chez Mellusi will return to the Badgers in 2023. Mellusi took second place on Wisconsin's roster with 473 rushing yards during the nine games he played for Wisconsin last season. The running back duo will have to face tough competition in Corum and Michigan running back Donovan Edwards. Edwards ended the previous season just shy of 1,000 rushing yards.

If Allen can carve out his role on a new-look Wisconsin offense next season, he can have a solid chance at repeating as one of the top rushers in the Big Ten and taking a top spot in the conference's rushing yard list.

3. Tanner Mordecai shines in air raid offense

The Badgers brought in quarterback Tanner Mordecai from SMU in December. He recorded 3,524 passing yards and 33 passing touchdowns in 2022. He took third place on SMU's all-time passing yards list during the two years he played for the Mustangs.

Wisconsin hired offensive coordinator Phil Longo after he spent few years in the same position with the North Carolina Tar Heels. Cincinnati receivers Will Pauling and Quincy Burroughs joined USC receiver C.J. Williams and Oklahoma State wide receiver Bryson Green as some of the newer additions to the team's receiving corps.

“It's one of the deepest rooms of receivers I've had in a long time,” Longo said earlier this month, via Associated Press Sports Writer Steve Megargee. “I don't know who the elite guys are yet. That will get established this year, obviously, with how productive they are. But you go down and look at receivers seven, eight and nine, and you're excited about the future that they could have. That obviously bodes well for us.”

Mordecai will have the opportunity to repeat his two impressive seasons at SMU if he can work well in Longo's Air Raid offense and with the team's talented new wideout additions.

2. Luke Fickell wins Big Ten Coach of the Year

The Badgers hired former Cincinnati head football coach Luke Fickell in November. He spent the last six seasons with the Bearcats, where he helped guide the team to a 57-18 record and a trip to the College Football Playoff Semifinals in 2021.

“My family and I are thrilled to join the Wisconsin family,” Fickell said in a November release. “This is a destination job at a program that I have admired from afar for years.

“I am in total alignment with Chris McIntosh's vision for this program. There is a tremendous foundation here that I can't wait to build upon. This world-class university, athletic department and passionately loyal fan base all have a strong commitment to success and I can't wait to be a part of it.”

Turning Wisconsin's football program around and leading it to a top spot in the conference would put Fickell in the discussion for Big Ten Coach of the Year. 

1. Wisconsin will win the Big Ten West

The Big Ten West saw its fair share of change following the 2022 season.

Nebraska hired head coach Matt Rhule in November after he spent three seasons with the Carolina Panthers. Purdue hired former Illinois defensive coordinator Ryan Walters as its head coach in December. Illinois and Nebraska saw four-star quarterbacks transfer to their respective programs. Former Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara transferred to Iowa in December.

Wisconsin will face all four teams, along with a Big Ten East contender in Ohio State, during its 2023 football campaign. If the offense can click in Longo's system and its defense can improve under defensive coordinator Mike Tressel, it will have an excellent chance at taking the top spot in its division in 2023.