More Concerning Reports Emerge About Wisconsin's Performance In Practice

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More concerning reports about Wisconsin have emerged from camp.

The Badgers enter the season as the 18th-ranked team in America, and expectations out of Madison are very high.

Fans - myself included - have had enough of simply averaging ten wins a season under Paul Chryst. It's time to take that next step, and there's no better time than the present. However, there have been a string of concerning reports about quarterback Graham Mertz's performance in camp, and some more doozies are out.

Wisconsin's passing game continues to struggle in practice. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Sports Illustrated reported the first team offense, which is led by Mertz, was "outplayed" by the second string defense. Mertz and his backup Chase Wolf "were unable to string together long drives, and had moments of inaccuracy, and a couple of throws that were nearly intercepted."

Rivals backed up Sports Illustrated's report and claimed Mertz and his backup showed "the maddening inconsistency that has kept the offense from unlocking its full potential."

To put it as simply as possible, it sounds like Wisconsin fans had better prepare for some serious struggles from Graham Mertz, once again.

Is Wisconsin's offense struggling in practice? (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)

Now, nobody likes reporting this. Nobody wants to hear that Mertz is struggling, but at this point, we've heard it several times throughout camp.

Reports have surfaced indicating there's not been a huge jump in his improvement, Chryst has openly admitted the passing game isn't where it needs to be and we now have multiple reports the first team offense is struggling against backups.

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What will Wisconsin's record be in 2022? (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)

If Wisconsin's passing game can't light up guys who don't even start, how are we supposed to go into Columbus and beat Ohio State? The answer is it's not going to happen.

What are reasonable expectations for Graham Mertz in 2022? (Photo by Dan Sanger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Opening day is 12 days away. At this point, it might be time for fans to start dialing back expectations.

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David Hookstead is a reporter for OutKick covering a variety of topics with a focus on football and culture. He also hosts of the podcast American Joyride that is accessible on Outkick where he interviews American heroes and outlines their unique stories. Before joining OutKick, Hookstead worked for the Daily Caller for seven years covering similar topics. Hookstead is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin.