Wisconsin's rushing attack will have a new look in 2000, with the speedy Michael Bennett replacing Ron Dayne. (Allsport)

And win it.

Wisconsin is SportsLine.com's pick to be national champions for the 2000 season.

"I feel better about our team this year than I did last year because we didn't have an answer at quarterback," Alvarez said. "I have more answers now than I did a year ago."

The thing he doesn't have is Heisman Trophy winner and NCAA career rushing leader Ron Dayne, who spearheaded Alvarez's punishing run-first philosophy the past four years. Can Wisconsin actually be better without him?

With 18 starters back, including SportsLine.com's preseason defensive player of the year (cornerback Jamar Fletcher), our top-rated defensive tackle (Wendell Bryant), the fastest player in the Big Ten (running back Michael Bennett), a starting sophomore quarterback who went 8-0 as a freshman (Brooks Bollinger) and arguably the best special teams in the nation -- whew -- the Badgers should be better without Dayne.

They even have history on their side.

Twice in recent history has a team lost a Heisman Trophy winner, and then gone on to win the national title a year later -- 1987 Miami, which made do without Vinny Testaverde, and 1988 Notre Dame, which went 12-0 after the loss of Tim Brown.

"I've heard that 50 times -- we might be better without Ron," Alvarez said. "Believe me, I want the guy another four years."

Might be nice, but Wisconsin can do it without him.

Bennett is part of the re-shaping of the perception of Wisconsin as old-school Big Ten -- big, slow, plodding. Bennett made the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 100 meters, but wouldn't finish a race too far ahead of some of his teammates, such as backup tailback Broderick Williams, receiver Nick Davis and cornerbacks Fletcher and Mike Echols.

The Badgers will also rely more on the all-around skills of Bollinger, who was a revelation when inserted into the starting lineup last season. He's athletic, intelligent, a winner -- kind of like a poor man's Michael Vick.

Like Virginia Tech's Vick (who led his team to the national championship game last year), Bollinger was even picked in this summer's Major League Baseball draft despite not playing since high school. Bollinger was taken in the 50th round by Los Angeles, 20 rounds after Vick was selected by Colorado.

Bollinger will need to make more big passes this season, and Wisconsin will have to protect him with two new starting tackles, including one who steps in for first-round pick Chris McIntosh. But center Casey Rabach and guards Bill Ferrario and Dave Costa are starting their fourth year together. That experience will make up for any deficiencies at the ends of the line.

Besides, the new tackles have Wisconsin-like size -- sophomore left tackle Ben Johnson is 6-feet-7, 319 pounds and junior Brian Lamont is 6-8, 333.

"It's not like we're throwing two guys to the wolves," Alvarez said. "We don't expect a big dropoff, to be honest."

But the beauty of this team is defense. Bryant and Fletcher dominate from their positions, allowing the other talented defenders to roam, to help and make huge plays. The veteran defense -- all junior and senior starters -- didn't allow more than 21 points in any game last season and held teams to 10 or fewer six times.

The leap of faith in picking Wisconsin is thinking that they can get through the rugged Big Ten schedule unscathed. A monstrous battle is shaping up for Sept. 30 -- Wisconsin vs. Michigan in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines have delivered two of the Badgers' three losses in the past two years.

But nobody said this national title thing would be easy.

Nebraska and Florida State are favored to play for the national championship in most preseason previews, while Wisconsin has been selected to finish second in the conference behind Michigan in voting by Big Ten media.

That's a minor victory for a member of the Holy Trinity, and a testament to how perceptions are slow to change.

"It's all about how your kids feel about themselves," Alvarez said. "We don't spend a whole lot of time worrying about our perception outside of our own program."