1
Come on down
After two hard fought contests on the road, the Badgers are certainly glad to be coming home, celebrating Homecoming this Saturday against an unbeaten Iowa. Absent from Camp Randall for the past two weeks, Badger fans will be pumped up to see their team again, and Wisconsin will need all the energy they can pull from the crowd. After taking home the Axe against Minnesota, Wisconsin will be playing for the fairly new ""Heartland Trophy."" Only established in 2004, Iowa leads the trophy series 3-2. All time, the Badgers and Hawkeyes have played 84 times, splitting the series, 42-42. Wisconsin has taken four of the last six matchups against Iowa in Madison, the last four being decided by an average of just 6.5 points. Look for both teams to give everything they have this week, as both squads' seasons could potentially rest upon this game.
2
Daily Double
The dynamic duo of John Clay and
Zach Brown has been an extremely effective attack this year for Wisconsin. Clay leads the Big Ten Conference with 106.8 yards per game, and the rushing attack as a whole ranks first in the conference with 200.7. However, after Zach Brown suffered a concussion in last week's game against Ohio State, Bret Bielema seems doubtful that Brown will play against Iowa. This places the responsibility solely on the shoulders of sophomore John Clay. Clay's growth as a rusher has progressed significantly this season though, and he appears ready to take on the challenge. Additionally, freshman Montee Ball continues to impress Bielema as he gains playing time each week. Against Ohio State, Ball rushed for 19 yards and collected 22 through the air.
3
The weakest link
Last week, Ohio State touted the Wisconsin offensive line as tougher than even that of USC's. However, at times it appeared that the line forgot to show up at all against the Buckeyes. After surrendering just two sacks in the first five games, senior quarterback Scot Tolzien was taken down behind the line of scrimmage six times against the Buckeyes. Additionally, the line failed to establish an effective protection for the run game. John Clay managed just 59 yards in the game. This forced the offense to rely on a passing attack, which Ohio State defended well throughout the contest. After such a successful season through the first five games, one can only hope that last week's offensive line lapse was only a fluke. However, they will be tested aggressively this week against one of the nation's toughest offensive lines in the Hawkeyes.
4
Gladiators
The Iowa defense is unlike any other defense Wisconsin has seen so far this season. As a team, the Hawkeyes have collected 12 interceptions, and recovered seven fumbles. Additionally, prior to their victory over Michigan last week, Iowa had not allowed a rushing touchdown in 33 consecutive quarters. That same defensive line puts an incredible amount of pressure on the passing game as well, often chasing the opposing quarterback out of the pocket and forcing poor throws. Twice so far this season a Hawkeye defenseman has been named Big Ten Player of the Week. Countering this attack will be the explosive Wisconsin offense, which ranks second in the Big Ten in points per game (31.3), third in total offense (442.3 yards per game), and first in rushing yards per game (200.7). Look for a showdown of epic proportions.
5
Double jeopardy
Last season, the Badgers welcomed the Ohio State Buckeyes into Camp Randall Stadium following a tough loss to Michigan the week before. Wisconsin suffered an agonizing 20-17 defeat, which was capped by a last-second touchdown run by Terrell Pryor. The Badgers then went on to suffer a crushing loss at the hands of Penn State the next week (48-7), and were beat the following week in Iowa City, 38-16. This season, Wisconsin faces a similar situation. After a loss to Ohio State in which the Badgers statically dominated, they now much face an undefeated Iowa team. If the Badgers aren't able to regain their composure, a meltdown similar to last season could ensue. The buck stops here. Wisconsin must show what kind of team it really is and play its toughest and smartest football of the year this week against Iowa.
