We’re in the middle of the holiday season and the Wisconsin Badgers are six days away from playing their Bowl Game and finishing the 2020 season.

It’s been a challenging season for everybody involved, and it hasn’t necessarily become one to remember for fans of the program.

Related: Wisconsin football seniors 2021 roster decision tracker

But back in August and early September, the Badgers weren’t even set to play a season, and as I’ve said numerous times finishing the year at all should be seen as a success.

The biggest thing to take away from the 2020 campaign should be the development of key young offensive players and the valuable experience that the schedule provided.

Related: Way-too-early power rankings for the 2021 Big Ten football season

The most significant of those guys is obviously redshirt freshman quarterback Graham Mertz, who started the season with two tremendous performances but has really struggled since.

Nobody will remember the 3-3 regular season and the team’s three-game losing streak many years from now, as this period will be looked back upon as a valuable dress rehearsal of what Mertz, freshman RB Jalen Berger, freshman WR Chimere Dike and the youth on the team will bring to the field in future years.

Related: Wisconsin’s bowl history over the past 20 years

With today being Christmas Eve and the Badgers still six days away from taking the field again, here is a complete Christmas list for the Wisconsin football program:

Health

Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

No. 1 on this list was an easy one and applies to the team for several reasons.

First, one of the biggest reasons for their struggles this season was the team experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak after their season-opening win against Illinois.

Even after the outbreak, the problem still has arisen with Berger testing positive before the Iowa game.

Second, some of their on-field struggles can be attributed to wide receivers Kendric Pryor and Danny Davis getting injured.

If the season had continued without COVID-19 within the program and with Davis and Pryor on the field every game, the results may have looked a little different.

But we’re looking forward now, so one thing the Badgers need for Christmas in order to play and win the Bowl Game: Health.

Glue

Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

This gift is more metaphorical as you obviously can’t bring glue onto a football field.

But what I mean here is ball security.

In only six games this year the Badgers fumbled the ball nine times–five of which were lost.

And I’m not even on the part about interceptions yet, but turnovers decided the team’s fate during their three-game losing streak.

They’ll need strong arms and sticky hands moving into next year if they want to put a 3-3 campaign in the past.

A snowplow

Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

No, I do not mean a literal snowplow (though they could probably use it given the weather in Wisconsin).

This gift is also metaphorical–and points towards the team’s lack of ability to finish in the red zone for a four-week stretch of the season.

This is on the offensive line, it’s on Mertz at quarterback and it’s on the pass-catchers, as they need to come together and find ways to finish drives in the red zone and plow the ball into the end zone.

Through three games the team scored on all 12 of their red-zone trips–11 of which were touchdowns. They also, during that time, allowed their opponent to only one touchdown in their four trips to the red area.

Since that point, the offense has scored on just six of their nine red area trips with three touchdowns.

To win against Wake Forest and to win next season, some sort of heavy machinery will be needed in the red area.

A time machine

Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

This can be taken in two different ways.

No. 1: The program needs to travel forward in time to when the entire class of 2021 is in Madison and making an impact on the field, because that will be when the program is able to take steps forward.

No. 2: The program badly needs to travel backward in time to when Jonathan Taylor and Quintez Cephus (and Jack Coan) were leading the offense.

The 2019 offensive unit didn’t get enough respect for how good they were, and it’s been clear in recent weeks how badly needed Taylor and Cephus truly are at this point.

Reading glasses

Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

The title sounds a lot harsher than what this is meant to be.

In simple terms: moving forward (and with more experience) Mertz will need to improve his field-reading abilities and ability to run through his progressions.

I’ve written about it in film reviews, but one of the reasons the Badger offense has struggled this year is due to Mertz being a freshman and needing time to develop into a top-level starting quarterback.

He’ll get there, don’t get me wrong. And when they do they’ll have an offense to be reckoned with, but this would be a valuable Christmas gift as Mertz comes along as a passer.

A chalk board

Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Same story as above, but this one relating to reading defenses and throwing guys open.

For more on what the film has shown in Mertz’s first year, see the pieces below.

Film room: Graham Mertz has a lot of room to grow after yesterday’s loss to Indiana

Film room: The good, the bad and the questionable from Graham Mertz’s performance against Iowa

Film room: Five things that stood out from the Badgers’ victory over Minnesota

None of this was unexpected, as Mertz is only a freshman and in his first collegiate season.

But the biggest thing the team needs to do heading into next year is to help him grow as a quarterback and reach his full potential. Once he does, this will be a very successful football team.

Walkie-talkies

Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Starting with their game against Indiana, Mertz was tasked with running to the sideline on every play to get the play call.

Maybe it’s just me, but having him do all of that extra running isn’t great for his rhythm as a passer and for the offense.

Walkie-talkies obviously aren’t the solution because they have speakers, but you get what I’m saying.

More scotch tape

Mandatory Credit: Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports

After the COVID-19 outbreak struck the team, head coach Paul Chryst began taping his mask to his face.

First, it is a very practical move and seemed to be effective.

Second, it was awesome aesthetically and should not go away.

Axe cleaner

(AP Photo/Andy Manis)

I don’t know if axe cleaner is really a thing, or if axes are cleaned at all.

But the Badgers retained possession of Paul Bunyan’s Axe with their victory over Minnesota and will now need to take care of it for another year.

I don’t know the financials of maintaining a trophy like that one, but Wisconsin has been tasked with it a lot having only lost once to the Gophers since 2004.

A Paul Chryst crewneck

Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

You want to hear some analytics: the Badgers were 2-0 this season when HC Paul Chryst wore a crewneck sweater and 1-3 when he did not.

In October I put together a gallery of his best gameday outfits throughout the years, and I’m interested to see if the crewneck trend has been a long-term thing.

Danny Davis and Kendric Pryor deciding to stay another year

Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

This is a significant one to the offense’s success next season.

We saw glimpses of what Pryor and Davis bring to team back in October when the unit put up 45 points against Illinois.

Since then, injuries have defined the two receivers’ seasons as they haven’t taken the field together since that point.

Having the two players back would be massive for the offense and for Mertz’s development, and it will also give incoming receivers Markus Allen and Skyler Bell time to adjust to the college game.

Many seniors have announced their decision to enter the NFL Draft, move on from football or return to the program next season.

The decisions of these two will be something to watch in the coming weeks and months.

Jack Sanborn and Jake Ferguson electing to not enter the NFL Draft

Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

In my opinion, Jack Sanborn and Jake Ferguson are the two best and two of the most important players on this team.

Both will be playing football on Sundays in the near future, but if they choose to go to the NFL after this season it will leave the team with huge holes at ILB and TE.

TheDraftNetwork currently has Sanborn as the No. 114 overall prospect and Ferguson at No. 140–so hopefully both players see next season as a chance to improve their draft stock and maybe sneak into the second round.

Jim Leonhard staying a Badger for life

Wisconsin Badgers defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard during training camp at Camp Randall Stadium. Credit: Mark Hoffman-USA TODAY NETWORK

This time of year marks the annual “will Jim Leonhard leave Wisconsin for a head coaching job” discussion.

If the Badger football program needs anything this Christmas, it’s Leonhard staying next season and staying for years after that.

He, in my opinion, is the most important member of the program right now. Losing him to a head coaching job would not bode well for the future of the defense.

No Ohio State on the 2021 schedule

Credit: Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch-Imagn Content Services, LLC

Nothing needs to be said about this one.

The Badgers will have a great shot to reach the Big Ten Championship next season after failing to do so this year.

Avoiding Ohio State on their 2021 schedule will give them the best path to do so.

Mayo, I guess?

Mandatory Credit: Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports

The Badgers are playing Wake Forest in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on December 30.

I don’t know how one prepares for a mayo bowl or what is necessary to watch it, but mayo I guess?

The storyline to watch here is what the Gatorade container is filled with when the winning team pours it on their coach. (Yes, there is an outside chance it’s filled with mayonnaise as an act of product placement).