Here are the takeaways from Northwestern's 35-7 loss at Wisconsin:

With their seventh loss, Northwestern is all but eliminated from going bowling this season. It is a frustrating result for the fans and the team after so many preseason guarantees that the rough 2019 campaign would not be repeated.

I will try to avoid being punitive, but the numbers from this game and season are grisly and far below even most conservative predictions of the squad. Wisconsin outgained Northwestern 497-239. The final score, 35-7, was Northwestern's 5th Big Ten loss by 10 or more points, and it was their fourth straight game failing to score more than 14.

Under head coach Pat Fitzgerald, offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian is leading an offense that is once again ranked in the 100s for points per game. In three of their last four games, the offense has gained less than 250 yards. In his first season at Northwestern, defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil has struggled as roster turnover and a system change have the Wildcats ranked as their worst scoring defense since 2013. In three of their last four games, the defense has allowed more than 30 points.

The 'Cats have an opportunity for a salvage back above the 2019 low water mark against Purdue at Wrigley Field, and playing Illinois for the Hat in Champaign. With the 'Cats losing four of their last five, it is hard to see them righting the ship but records and momentum go out the window when the Hat is in play.

The first drives of the game, Wisconsin punted after four plays and Northwestern reeled off a 19-play, 82-yard drive in response but cornerback Caesar Williams snuffed out the Wildcat momentum when he intercepted Andrew Marty in the end zone. The Badgers rattled off touchdown drives on their next three possessions, while the Wildcat offense never had a drive that cracked five plays the rest of the first half.

This offense needs to capitalize on its opportunities, because they are increasingly rare late in the season. Each game it seems starts with a Northwestern drive that gets tantalizingly close to pay dirt, and to keeping the Wildcats alive, before getting derailed by unforced errors. Marty's interception in the end zone marked the last time the Wildcats reached the red zone.

In the second quarter, the Badgers outgained Northwestern 185-10, outscored them 21-0 and dominated time of possession 9:10-5:50. The game effectively ended right there because the Wildcats failed to punch it in. With a team that is now 3-7, potential wins are balanced on a knife's edge, and a failure to execute early leads this team to spiral as pressure increases on the defense to back up the offense's mistakes.

The penalties stacked up for the Wildcats, with several false starts and other mistakes that are normally the antithesis of a Pat Fitzgerald coached team. A false start trying to get Evan Hull a look out of the Wildcat stifled Northwestern's second red zone trip, where a bizarre fumble from Andrew Clair fell to Stephon Robinson Jr. who picked it up and ran it all the way to the Wisconsin 6.

The flag pushed 1st and Goal from the six back to the 11, where Northwestern proceeded to run Hull for -2 yards, complete a check down to Thomas Gordon for -1, throw an incompletion aimed at Stephon Robinson Jr. and cap it off with a missed 32-yard field goal from Charlie Kuhbander.

The only way that Northwestern got on the scoreboard was a 49-yard scoop-and-score by AJ Hampton.

Northwestern has struggled at quarterback all season, and a rough performance from Andrew Marty forced the coaching staff's hand and reopened the quarterback battle. Marty finished 10-18 for 100 yards to go with the three picks, he got pulled late in the third quarter after his third interception. After showing flashes against Minnesota, Marty had a tough stretch. From Minnesota to Wisconsin, Marty threw three touchdowns and five interceptions.

Fitzgerald explained his reasoning for the substitution after the game.

"The turnovers were costly," Fitzgerald said. "I felt like getting [Ryan] some reps would be great, getting Andrew out and settling him down a bit."

The senior quarterback was brought in to provide a spark on the ground and with his playmaking, but struggled. Through his last three games, he only had 58 yards rushing and never broke into the end zone.

At the start of the season, head coach Pat Fitzgerald said that people say when you have two quarterbacks, you have none, in 2019 we had three, so what did that make us? Northwestern continues to endeavor to answer that question this season. The coaching staff put Hilinski back in as Marty's replacement for the fourth quarter. He finished 3-8 for 25 yards and an interception.

"We have to take care of the football at the quarterback position," Fitzgerald said. "That’s part of the expectation for that position."

The position battle is as murky as ever headed into Purdue next week.

Northwestern fans strap in, because Braelon Allen is here to stay. Wisconsin lost starting running back Chez Mellusi to a season ending knee injury this week, and Allen stepped up in a big way. He rattled off his sixth straight 100-yard rushing game, finishing with 173 yards and three touchdowns. (The Badgers are 6-0 when Allen cracks triple digits)

The scariest part? The 6'2" 238-pound running back from Fond-du-Lac, Wisconsin will be rumbling through the Big Ten West for at least two more years. He is a freshman, and only 17 years old! It might be premature to coronate Allen as the next in line in the Madison running back factory, but he sure is starting to build his resume and you might see him play on Sundays.