Alabama fans who weren't pleased with the officiating in the Tide's 42-16 win over South Florida ought to brace for Alabama's trip to Wisconsin on Saturday (11 a.m. CT, Fox). Coming off a 13-flag penalty disaster against the Bulls, much of which fell on the offensive line, coach Kalen DeBoer said his team should've adjusted to how the game was being called.

That advice might come in handy again Saturday, as the ire of Alabama fans might be directed toward officials' too few flags, rather than too many. There's no other way to interpret Crimson Tide co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard, who spent five years in the Big Ten as an assistant coach at Purdue. Based on that experience, he's expecting whistles to be swallowed when it comes to his receivers being held downfield.

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"Having coached in (the Big Ten) for awhile, I know this conference can be a little bit handsy," Shephard said. "Guys are going to try to get their hands on you from time to time, so we've been emphasizing that through all these practices, letting our scout team be a little more handsy — pull, jerk, grab and all that good stuff. It's allowed. They're going to allow it a little bit more than many some of the other leagues."

That'll mean a day of physical play for an Alabama receiving corps. In particular, perhaps, for wide receiver Ryan Williams, who is emerging as a deep threat but, as a 175-pound freshman, could be a target of Wisconsin's physicality.

Matchup to watch

Wisconsin CB Ricardo Hallman vs. Alabama's receivers − When things aren't right with a Jalen Milroe-led offense, look out for the deep passing game. He can dial long distance at anytime, and Hallman led the Badgers as an All Big-Ten cover man with seven interceptions in 2023. Hallman will draw duty against multiple receivers, but the aforementioned Williams is the one to watch on the deep ball.

Quotable

"Do not get tackled for free. Make them have to pay the piper to tackle you. Going out of bounds, that's going to hell (with me). I want them to run through somebody's face. Now, timing of the game, if we're in two-minute, you've got to be cognizant of (situations) in the game, but I'm no advocate for guys running out of bounds. That's for somebody else." — Alabama co-OC/receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard on the mindset he wants receivers to have after the catch.

Etc.

It's looking good for Alabama left tackle Kadyn Proctor to make his season debut against Wisconsin, given that he's practiced well this week following a shoulder injury that sidelined him for two games. And after the offensive line struggled using a makeshift lineup against USF, the timing for the Crimson Tide couldn't be better. What Alabama needs, however, is the Proctor from last year's LSU game — his best regular-season performance — or the Proctor who played exceptionally well in an SEC title win over Georgia. In a roller-coaster ride of a freshman season that began with much struggle, those were Proctor's 2023 high points. … Alabama assistant coach Colin Hitschler surely had a strong hand in UA's scouting efforts for Wisconsin, as he was the Badgers' safeties coach last year. Personnel familiarity is overrated as an advantage when it comes to coaches knowing what's on the other sideline. But what might offer more value is Hitschler's understanding of Wisconsin defensive coordinator Mike Tressel's game-day tendencies. As for players, there's not a soul on the Alabama roster from Wisconsin, but there's one Badger from Bama: freshman CB Jay Harper (Valley High).

Around the SEC

Following a home loss to Cal in which he threw four interceptions, Auburn QB Payton Thorne told The Next Round that gamblers reached out to him on Venmo wanting him to refund their gambling losses. Non-gambling AU fans are naturally left to ask: "Does Hugh Freeze have Venmo?" … Florida coach Billy Napier, for now, is going with a two-QB platoon of Graham Mertz and exciting freshman DJ Lagway. And if Lagway looks anywhere near as good against Texas A&M as he did against Samford, Mertz's days are numbered. … Lane Kiffin is bugged that Ole Miss fans are leaving Vaught-Hemingway Stadium early during blowout wins, and asked, "If a concert is going really well … do you leave?" They don't keep score at concerts, coach, and if you want them to stay, give them competitive opponents. Not punching bags. … The SEC Spread Pick of the Week will ride with Vanderbilt and thrill-a-minute transfer QB Diego Pavia. Take the Commodores -10.5 at Georgia State. Season ATS: 1-1 (.500). All-time ATS: 22-5-1 (.786).

Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread is also the weekly co-host of Crimson Cover TV on WVUA-23. Reach him at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on X.com @chasegoodbread.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama football gets ready for 'handsy Wisconsin secondary