The Most Important Wisconsin Badgers Players for the Rest of the Year

After five games, the Wisconsin Badgers looked to be in trouble.  Staring down a 3-2 record with an 0-1 record in Big Ten play, the Badgers were at a breaking point.  In the crowded Big Ten West, another loss or two would keep them out of the Big Ten title game, but win out and they would be in.

Five games later, the Badgers sit at 8-2 overall with a 5-1 record in Big Ten play, good for sole possession of first place in the Big Ten West, a game ahead of Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota.  With the tiebreaker over Nebraska and remaining games against Iowa and Minnesota, the ball is in the Badgers' court.

To get to this point, they couldn't have done it without the contributions from these five players, two on the offensive side of the ball and three on the defensive.  Special consideration also goes out to true freshman kicker Rafael Gaglianone, who has provided much-needed stability in the kicking game.

Instead of ranking these players in terms of importance, we'll just go straight down the depth chart as we look at the five most important players for the team.  To begin, let's start under center with the return of No. 2, Joel Stave.

Joel Stave, Quarterback

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If Joel Stave can remain composed and not turn the ball over, the Badgers will be in good shape.

2014 Statistics: 57-of-104 (54.8 percent) for 688 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions

When Joel Stave came in just before halftime against Northwestern, he looked incredibly rusty.  Despite 19 starts under his belt, Stave was coming back from a bout of the "yips," which came after losing the starting job to Tanner McEvoy in fall camp.

Stave was pretty awful in that game, going 8 of 19 for 114 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions.  In just a half, Stave reminded fans exactly why they were all clamoring for a change of quarterbacks after last season.

Fast forward to today and Stave looks like just the game manager the Badgers need.  With enough of an arm to extend the field on long play-action plays and a level of comfort running the offense no other players on the roster have, Stave is easily one of the most important players on the team.

In his five starts this season, Stave's numbers are perfectly adequate, with him going 49 of 85 (57.6 percent) for 574 yards, five touchdowns and one interception.  While one would hope he would be completing a higher percentage of his passes, the one interception is a great figure.

Against Purdue, Stave looked great in the first half, going 15 of 20 while throwing two touchdown passes against no interceptions and giving the Badgers a 24-6 lead heading into halftime.  If he can throw the ball like that, then the Badgers will push Ohio State for the Big Ten crown.

Melvin Gordon, Running Back

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Melvin Gordon is far and away the most important player to the Badgers' success.

2014 Statistics: 223 carries for 1,909 rushing yards and 23 rushing touchdowns; 11 receptions for 83 yards and two receiving touchdowns

Not much more can be said about Melvin Gordon than has already been written.  Gordon is far and away the best player on the team, and his numbers put him firmly in the Heisman conversation as either the leader or the runner-up, an amazing accomplishment for a running back in this quarterback-driven world.

If you just look at his statistics against FBS teams due to the anomaly that was the game against Western Illinois, Gordon has 1,871 yards and 23 rushing touchdowns.  On a per-game basis, that's 207.9 yards and 2.6 touchdowns per game.  If that doesn't scream Heisman to you, I don't know what does.

To go further into the numbers, if you just look at his numbers in Big Ten play, Gordon has 1,297 rushing yards in just those six games.  That figure alone would make him the 10th-best rusher in the country.

Against Nebraska, Gordon had his "Heisman moment," rushing for 408 yards on 25 carries with four rushing touchdowns.  The 408 rushing yards set a single-game FBS record.  To further drive home just how incredible a day Gordon had, he piled up that many yards in just three quarters.  To go even deeper, he had 359 in just the second and third quarters.

The Badgers can't win without Gordon and if he continues his torrid pace, the Badgers have a chance to knock off the Buckeyes in Indianapolis.  The last time Gordon was in Indianapolis, he ran for 216 yards on just nine carries, good for 24 yards per carry.

Warren Herring, Defensive End

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Warren Herring is the most underrated part of the Badgers defensive front.

2014 Statistics: 10 tackles, one tackle-for-loss, one forced fumble

When Warren Herring was injured on the final play of the third quarter against LSU, the wheels totally fell off for the Badgers defense.  When Herring left the game, it was 24-13.  Fifteen unanswered points later, the Badgers lost 28-24.  With him in the game, they allowed 34 rushing yards.  Without him in the game, they allowed 92.

In the four games since Herring's return, the Badgers run defense has been absolutely lights-out.  They have not allowed a 100-yard rusher. In fact, only one team has broken the 100-yard plateau in these four games (Nebraska, who got 118 yards, 146.4 short of their average).

This season, the Badgers are allowing 96.7 rushing yards per game on 2.9 yards per carry.  Without Herring in the lineup for the whole game, they are allowing 116.8 yards per game.  With Herring in the lineup for the entire game, they are allowing just 66.5 rushing yards per game and just 2.1 yards per carry.

Herring is the key cog that makes the Badgers defense so special, and while his statistics won't tell the whole story, his ability to clog up the middle and let the linebackers make plays is why the Badgers defense is tops when it comes to yards allowed per game.

Vince Biegel, Outside Linebacker

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Vince Biegel is one of the "Chevy Bad Boys" who have made the Badgers an elite defense.

2014 Statistics: 44 tackles, 14 tackles-for-loss, 6.5 sacks and two forced fumbles

Really any of the four starting linebackers could be picked for this spot, but Vince Biegel gets the nod for his uncanny ability to make plays behind the line of scrimmage.

Last season, Chris Borland led the team in both tackles for loss and sacks, with 8.5 tackles-for-loss and four sacks.  This season, Biegel leads the team in both categories as well.  In just 10 games, Biegel has 14 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.

Biegel and fellow outside linebacker Joe Schobert have given the Badgers a much-needed jolt of energy and quickness off the edge to make plays at or behind the line of scrimmage.  For as big as Herring's contributions have been, it's been the "Chevy Bad Boys" who have cleaned up and made sure the Badgers defense is elite.

If Biegel can continue making plays in the backfield at this incredible rate, then the Badgers will be in great shape to stay on their hot streak and make it back to the Big Ten championship.  If he can play the way he did against Purdue, where he had three sacks, then the Buckeyes best watch out.

Darius Hillary, Cornerback

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Even as Sojourn Shelton has struggled, Darius Hillary has been the lock-down corner the Badgers needed.

2014 Statistics: 23 tackles, two tackles-for-loss, five break-ups and five pass deflections

Coming into the season, Darius Hillary was seen as the solid second corner playing across from freshman standout Sojourn Shelton.  Last season, Shelton had 36 tackles and four interceptions while Hillary had 30 tackles and an interception.

This season, Hillary has shown himself to be the shutdown corner Shelton looked to be last season.  While his one interception is nothing to write home about, Hillary time and again has shut down opponents' No. 1 receiver.

In consecutive weeks, Hillary held Stefon Diggs of Maryland and Leonte Carroo in check.  Diggs ended with one reception for 21 yards and a touchdown (coming in the waning seconds with Hillary long since on the bench) while Carroo caught just two balls for 31 yards and no touchdowns.

With Shelton struggling as much as he has, Hillary has needed to step up to the plate.  Against Nebraska and another one of the toughest assignments Hillary will draw all season, Kenny Bell was held to just two catches for 14 yards and a touchdown.

If Hillary can continue to take Iowa and Minnesota's best receivers away from them, then they should continue their march to Indianapolis.  Once there, Ohio State will likely lose Devin Smith to "Hillary Island," a new term I am coining for receivers going against the Badgers' No. 5.