The Don is here with a Best Case, Worst Case, and Most Likely Scenario for Saturday’s Big “Afternoon” Kickoff game against No. 4 Alabama, and I wanted to wait until Friday to finish it up to see if a few days of watching Wisconsin’s lackluster first two games, against Western Michigan and South Dakota, could shake the anxiety.

While that process hasn’t been smooth, I’m happy to report that I feel like I have a good understanding of the Bama game, what it means for the Wisconsin Badgers and what it might look like.

So take a few big gulps of Spotted Cow and let’s dive in. Because if you think the Badgers (+16.5) are going to pull off the surprise (or keep things exciting, really), you’re definitely in the minority.

Best case: While it seems less likely now than it did a few weeks ago, there is a scenario where Luke Fickell and his guys are all pumped up and ready to party and take on Alabama.

The “how” part might look something like this: (1) Bama comes in overconfident, believing the experts who all tell them this will be a piece of cake; (2) Wisconsin takes a leap from Week 1/2 and plays mostly mistake-free football, even with a few big plays; (3) The Camp Randall crowd carries a depleted Wisconsin over the finish line late in a historic 24-23 victory on a late Nate Vakos FG that finally heralds the arrival of Fickellball and sends Madison into a joyous frenzy. Is this likely? Uh, no. Is it possible? Yes.

Worst case: Any hype that might be generated by an 11:00 a.m. game at Camp Randall is quickly dashed when Bama jumps to an early two-score lead. The Badgers simply have no answer on defense, and the Tide rolls through them like a flaming axe through quivering flesh.

It’s a long, discouraging day at the office for Wisconsin, as they’re simply outmatched in all phases of the game en route to a 41-13 drubbing. They’ll have to forget that soon, as a daunting 2015 Holiday Bowl revenge game against a resurgent USC looms. There’s a lot of angry drinking going on in Madison on Saturday night, and it’s not fun at all.

Most likely: Wisconsin comes prepared and in the right mindset to face this elite opponent, and still looks as good as it has all season (low bar, I know). But the Crimson Tide’s relentless talent, elite athletes, and relentless physicality prove too much for the Badgers, who ultimately find themselves on the wrong end of a “closer than it looks on the scoreboard” 33-17 loss (and no, I don’t give a damn if Bama gets stopped).

It won’t be easy to take a moral victory from this game, but many said it would get worse, and there were some tangible signs from the Badgers that better days lie ahead. A rare loss that leaves the team in a better (if still disappointed) frame of mind.