Oh, the life of a Badger fan.

The highs and lows, the strikes and gutters, the interceptions and touchdowns. On Saturday we saw all of these as the UW football team hung on to beat Northern Illinois 28-20, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s worried after such a weak win.

Will the outcome of next week’s game against the Fresno State Bulldogs be the same? I can’t really make an unbiased prediction, but I will say that after last year’s game in Fresno, this one shouldn’t disappoint.

Obviously, the makeups of each team has changed — Fresno State is no longer in the top 25 and neither is Wisconsin, which was No. 10 at the time. This year though, the Bulldogs aren’t really a threat to defeat the Badgers at home, and while Wisconsin isn’t as highly touted as it was last year, its offense should be strong enough to roll over Fresno State.

But then again, these are the Badgers we’re talking about.

Up 28-6 and rolling their way to a 1-0 start to the season, the Badgers just had to make things interesting, giving up 14 unanswered points, including an onside kick and committing a turnover — all in the fourth quarter.

You can’t really put the blame on anybody. Junior Scott Tolzien made his first start of his college career at quarterback and actually performed pretty well, although his numbers were inflated by his first throw, an 80-yard touchdown pass to Isaac Anderson.

The defense played very well for three quarters, allowing only two field goals and sacking Northern Illinois quarterback Chandler Harnish three times.

But putting all of that aside, should the Badgers have ever been in a position to lose that game? I know it was two years ago, but the Badgers beat the Huskies 44-3 back in 2007, when Tyler Donovan was behind center and when P.J. Hill could actually run.

Well, I guess we can say goodbye to those days of blowing out nonconference opponents. Even last year, in one of the biggest down years for UW football it recent memory, the Badgers beat their two unranked opponents at home — Akron and Marshall — by a combined 58 points. If Saturday’s win against the Huskies was any indication, the Badgers have even more question marks than previously thought.

One area most people thought the Badgers would have no problem with was running back, and rightfully so. A year ago, Hill and John Clay dominated most defenses, with both tailbacks combining for over 2000 yards on the ground. Now, with Hill out of the equation, most thought Clay would dominate again. But instead of impressing, Clay looked slow to the holes, gaining only 43 yards on 15 carries, a measly 2.9 yards per carry.

Tolzien looked, well, inexperienced. After completing that long pass to Anderson, he went 14-for-19 with two interceptions, one of which nearly led to a NIU touchdown and almost contributed to a Huskies comeback.

Kicker Philip Welch, who was so reliable last year, missed two field goals and nearly missed an extra point as it ricocheted off the goal post. Missing a 55-yard try is understandable, but the 41-yarder could have saved the game for UW if the Huskies scored another touchdown at the end of regulation.

Obviously, it’s early. Assessing a team after one game is a difficult task, and while the Badgers will hopefully improve, certain things stand out and can’t be ignored.

In my column last year, I wrote the Badgers would have a tough time facing a Fresno State team with the talented running back Ryan Mathews and senior quarterback Tom Brandstater, who is now in the NFL. The Badgers eked out the 13-10 win and at the time seemed to have quieted the critics.

But this year, anything short of a big win would simply be unacceptable. If the Badgers are serious about competing in the Big Ten, they need to prove they won’t only compete with talented teams, but they can beat them badly too. It might not be as fun to watch, and maybe the football just isn’t that good, but after the first week, at least one thing is evident: The Badgers like to make things interesting.

Oh, the life of a Badger fan.

Jonah is a junior majoring in journalism and Hebrew and Semitic studies. What do you think about the Badgers’ win over Northern Illinois? Will the Badgers struggle against Fresno State? Send him your thoughts at [email protected].