As a unit, the 2018 Badgers came into their season ranked No. 4 in the nation. A clear preseason playoff contender, their shortcomings became clear as soon as competitive play actually began.
Most notably, the Brigham Young University loss shook the Badgers to their core. As a team that was then ranked within No. 5 in the country, a loss to an unranked BYU crushed any hopes of a playoff run.
Prior to their first loss of the season against BYU, the Badgers defeated their opening two opponents handily. Despite this, it was the first two wins of the season in 2018 that shined a light on the faults of the Badgers that ultimately caused their season to hit a wall.