The Wisconsin Badgers may have suffered a loss to the #20 Michigan Wolverines, but the team may have found answers to some questions that were asked before the game.

Wisconsin notably entered the contest without starters playing at quarterback, center, and safety, yet those three positions were arguably some of the top performers against the Wolverines. Davis Heinzen did not have a bad snap at center and proved that he can fill the void left by Jake Renfro if needed. The Wisconsin secondary limited big plays deep despite the Wolverines entering the contest with intentions of dropping the ball over the top.

Another player who stepped up and performed was quarterback Hunter Simmons, a former SIU backup who earned a shot at starting for Wisconsin this week. The Badgers split reps between quarterbacks Simmons and Danny O’Neil, who has been the main option at quarterback as Billy Edwards Jr. continues to heal. With Edwards Jr. out and O’Neil in need of more development, Simmons might be the best option at quarterback moving forward for Wisconsin.

Is Hunter Simmons the Best Quarterback Option For the Wisconsin Badgers?

While Simmons was not able to secure a win over Michigan, plenty went right for the quarterback and the offense had the most success seen all season. Simmons finished the game with 177 yards passing on 18-of-29 passing with one interception that occurred on an under-thrown ball into double coverage. Aside from the interception, the quarterback did not try to test the Wolverines defense in the secondary very often and kept the majority of his pass attempts tame compared to the one long shot.

Simmons was obviously not going to come into the game and rip throws down the field for Wisconsin, but an argument can be made that the quarterback was too calculated. Simmons had a long of 27 yards but otherwise did not look to attack deep through the air. Wisconsin took what the defense gave them and chipped away piece by piece, which is not the most entertaining way to play but on the first drive in particular the method proved to be effective.

Moving forward, Wisconsin will only be able to play one quarterback the majority of the time and a decision will have to be made. The team has plenty of moving parts and changes that are occurring each week, but quarterback is a position where continuity and repetitions are needed.

The Badgers’ staff will have to make an important decision as playing different quarterbacks will likely have different outcomes. Simmons can play old school Wisconsin football, which will excite many fans but might not be what the staff truly wants to do. A healthy Edwards Jr. can test defenses down the field and would have by far the best arm on the roster, but the question is when will the quarterback finally reach full health as playing injured again is out of the question.

O’Neil could certainly return to play for Wisconsin due to how he stretches out the offense with his legs, but between his arm and decision making, Simmons might be both the best and safest option moving forward. The Badgers have nothing left to lose as analysts believe the team may not win another game this season and neither does the senior quarterback.

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