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The Wisconsin Badgers already faced an uphill battle on Saturday when they welcomed the fourth-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide to Camp Randall on Saturday afternoon. 

Wisconsin entered as more than two-touchdown underdogs, despite playing at home. 

Their task got quite a bit more difficult on the first drive of the contest. The Badgers’ offense looked fairly solid against the Crimson Tide defense, quickly moving the ball down the field. 

But starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke suffered an apparent knee injury on a scramble during a third-down play. 

The severity of the injury came into focus when Wisconsin trainers loaded Van Dyke onto a cart and drove him back to the team’s locker room for further evaluation. 

Van Dyke put his head down and didn’t look like a player who expected to see the field again on Saturday afternoon. 

Ultimately, the Badgers connected on a 53-yard field goal to end the drive after backup quarterback Braedyn Locke, a redshirt sophomore transfer from Mississippi State who made three starts last season, entered the game. 

And while Alabama moved the ball efficiently on its opening offensive possession, the Crimson Tide also had to settle for a field goal attempt. Unlike the Badgers, though, they couldn’t convert. 

So, Wisconsin kept the lead following one possession each, but they’re going to have to score more than three points to beat Alabama, who scored a touchdown on their next possession after stopping Wisconsin on fourth down.

Plus, the Badgers are going to have to come from behind with a backup quarterback who wasn’t able to win the starting job despite starting three games last season. 

Wisconsin QB Tyler Van Dyke was carted off the field against Alabama after suffering an apparent knee injury on the game's first drive.

Wisconsin QB Tyler Van Dyke was carted off the field against Alabama after suffering an apparent knee injury on the game’s first drive.

(Jeff Hanisch/Imagn Images)

That’s not an ideal situation, but you never know. Maybe Alabama is looking ahead to the next game on its schedule, a showdown in two weeks against #1 Georgia. 

The Badgers need to hope that’s the case, because otherwise things look pretty dark in Madison right about now.