Let the formation of exceedingly high expectations begin.

Spring football is here.

Well, almost.

The Badgers, coming off an inspired 10-3 season that put UW back on the national scene, will open spring practice Saturday.

And Badger fans aren’t the only ones foreseeing a special season in 2010. Rivals.com lists UW at No. 9 in their preseason rankings, and ESPN.com’s Mark Schlabach has Wisconsin coming in at No. 10 along with SI.com’s Andy Staples.

The lingering question about this program has been whether the Badgers can live up to the high expectations placed on them. They relish the underdog role but continuously falter when a high preseason ranking is attached to their name — check the 2007 season for reference. But with a returning starter under center and a Heisman candidate in the backfield, this year appears to be as good a year as any to prove the media right.

And it all starts Saturday.

So what are the major storylines fans should be following this spring? What position battles are of greatest concern?

For Wisconsin, everything starts at the line of scrimmage, but entering spring ball the big boys up front on both sides of the ball appear to be polar opposites.

The offensive line returns a ton of experience with seniors John Moffit and Gabe Carimi returning with all-conference potential written all over them. Those two will not participate in spring practice due to injury, but UW developed great depth last year that will get a chance to impress the coaches with more reps in front of them.

Bielema and his staff have a wealth of options to choose from on the O-line, and that position group will undoubtedly be this team’s strength along with the rest of the offense, which returns every starter aside from Garrett Graham. Nothing to worry about there.

The defensive line, on the other hand, appears to be this team’s weakness. And the spotlight will be on that group throughout spring ball.

Five of the top six defensive tackles from last season have moved on, leaving a huge hole in the middle of the UW line. Among those holes is that of defensive end O’Brien Schofield, who was second in the nation in tackles for loss last season.

So Charlie Partridge has a lot of work to do with his defensive line, but he’s got one player coming back who will make his life a little easier.

That man is J.J Watt.

The future success of the D-line will depend largely on the play of the junior defensive end, and if last year was any indication, Badger fans have a lot to be excited about.

Watt and Schofield combined to form one of the nations’ top defensive end duos last year, and with OB gone, Watt will now be the focal point.

At 6-foot-6 and 285-pounds, Watt is the prototypical strong-side defensive end. His size and rare athleticism for a guy that big have made him a force in the backfield, breaking up stretch plays before they even start.

But with such little experience at the defensive tackle spot, Watt may be forced to move inside for the majority of snaps.

And that move will say a lot of about the potential of the D-line.

You see, if at the end of camp, Watt remains at defensive end, that tells us one very important thing — the coaching staff is comfortable with its stable of tackles.

If Patrick Butrym and someone from the Ethan Hemer-Jordan Kohout-Tyler Dippel group emerge, then Watt can stay at his end position and wreak havoc while the tackles man the middle.

David Gilbert showed flashes last season as a freshman and Louis Nzegwu has the tools to be a fantastic pass rusher off the weak side, so with Watt controlling the other end, a potent pass rush looks to be in order.

But if we see Watt listed at DT in an updated depth chart, there is reason to fear the line may be limited in 2010.

There is no doubt Watt would be a solid tackle, but the interior of the line is as much about clogging up space as anything else. Sure, every once in a while a defensive tackle will put up six or seven sacks, and the best can generate a pass rush up the middle, but there are more plays to be made on the edge.

UW was the top team in the Big Ten against the run last year, thanks to the linemen staying in their lanes, occupying blockers and freeing up space for the Badgers’ talented linebackers to make plays (all linebackers except Jaevery McFadden return).

The staff is committed to stopping the run, but it’s doubtful the pass rush will be as effective with Watt lined up inside. More blitzing linebackers would come into play, and that leaves the UW secondary in vulnerable situations. And that group is still trying to shed the inconsistent label (to put it lightly).

So let’s hope the young tackles in the program are ready to step in and handle the rigors of Big Ten play. If not, Watt will have to step in and give the staff some stability up front.

But while there are a lot of question marks surrounding the D-line this spring, I seem to remember similar questions about that group just a season ago. Instead of holding the team back, the UW line was the strength of the defense.

Will we see similar results in 2010?

Spring ball will give us our first hint, but you can be sure the special season Badger fans hope for hinges on Watt and the cast of lineman alongside him.

Max is a junior majoring in journalism. Pumped for spring football? Think the D-line will duplicate last season’s success? Let him know at [email protected].