The 2009 Wisconsin football season officially kicks off this Saturday and I can barely contain my excitement. The team that takes the field this Saturday will look much different due to the departure of a number of seniors, and a bunch of new faces are going to get a chance to show what they can do. But the question is: can these new faces play at the high level we Badger fans have come to expect? I don’t know the answer to that question just yet, but we will find out over the course of the 2009 campaign exactly where this program is going. I will say that I am cautiously optimistic about this year’s team despite all that went wrong last year.

Here are some reasons why I’m so excited for the season that lies ahead:

1. Offense loaded with talent

There are playmakers all over the field for Wisconsin on the offensive side of the ball and it starts with the running backs. Zach Brown has had an incredible off-season and looks ready to return the form he showed as a freshman. John Clay is an All-American type talent with a bruising style, but he will benefit from sharing the heavy workload with Brown. At tight end, UW has one of the best in country in Garrett Graham, and Lance Kendricks combines the size and speed to create match up problems. Lastly, it’s the wide receivers that finally look to be turning the corner. Nick Toon looks primed for a breakout year with his ability to stretch the field, and both Isaac Anderson and the ever-dangerous David Gilreath have performed well throughout camp.

2. Impact freshmen

I didn’t take long for Kraig Appleton to become one of my favorite players. The 6-foot 3-inch wide receiver has great hands, great speed, and a quiet confidence about him that rubs off on his teammates. When I observed practice last week I could tell that Appleton was just a different kind of athlete, and he is going push the older wide outs for playing time. On the other side of the ball, linebacker Chris Borland has shown the staff that he too is ready to play. Borland already has the size to play for UW and he will add some much needed depth at the linebacker position.

3. Henry is back

Aaron Henry has returned to the field, and so has the swagger in the UW secondary. Henry missed last season with a knee injury but he is back and ready to lead a young group of cornerbacks. Although he has only played one full season for the Badgers, he is a proven playmaker that just might be the best player Wisconsin has on defense.

4. Soft schedule

No Penn State or Illinois on the schedule makes the 2009 season appear very manageable and the Badgers can win a bunch of games. UW’s first four games are at home and three of them are against much weaker opponents. If they can get on a roll early I see the Badgers winning eight or nine games.

Now this team is far from perfect and there are several aspects of the 2009 Badgers that worry me. Here is quick rundown of the reasons why I am a little nervous heading into the season:

1. QB play

I think we can all agree on this one. All the weapons on offense are meaningless if the quarterback can’t deliver the football. Tolzien and Phillips will both see action on Saturday but neither have looked stellar. A game manager who limits mistakes is what this team needs.

2. Inexperienced front seven

Schofield is the only returning starter on the defensive line, and Mcfadden is the only returning starter at the linebacker position. That is a lot of new faces up front for Dave Doeren’s defense. I’m excited to see what these new players are all about, but there are going to be mistakes made when a unit is that inexperienced.

3. The way last season ended

The 2008 Badgers needed two missed extra points and a missed field goal to beat Cal Poly in overtime. There really isn’t much more that needs to be said, but the Badgers then went on to get demolished by Florida Sate in the Champs Sports Bowl. Last season ended very, very badly and I’m sure the team has put that all behind them, but I can’t help but think about how close UW came to losing to a team from the football championship subdivision. Let’s just hope this season leads to a much happier ending.?