Wisconsin football (1-1 Big Ten, 3-2 overall) is back this weekend. After taking last week off with a bye, the Badgers welcome No. 19 Northwestern (0-1, 4-1) this Saturday for Wisconsin’s homecoming game.
With both teams coming off close losses to Ohio State (2-0, 6-0), each team is looking up in their respective division standings. The winner of this game will remain in contention for a Big Ten crown, while the loser will be put in a huge hole.
While no team enjoys losing, both Wisconsin and Northwestern can find a lot of positives from their losses to the tough Buckeyes.
The Badgers are known for their rushing attack, but against Ohio State, a lot of the offensive damage came through the air. Besides one interception, sophomore quarterback Joel Stave threw for 295 yards and two touchdowns. 207 of those yards went to senior Jared Abbrederis, who repeatedly burned OSU All-American cornerback Bradley Robey.
The passing game also gets an additional boost this weekend with the return of senior tight end Jacob Pedersen, who had to sit out of the OSU game with a knee injury. If the passing game stays consistent, Northwestern will have its hands full on defense.
Even though the box score indicates that Northwestern gave up 40 points to OSU, that number is very deceiving. Northwestern’s defense did not allow OSU to score an offensive touchdown until late in the third quarter, and held the dynamic quarterback Braxton Miller in check for most of the contest. Northwestern also forced three more turnovers to add to their conference leading total of 14.
However, if Northwestern showed one glaring weakness on defense, it was their inability to stop the run. Bad news for Northwestern, Wisconsin has the best running attack in the Big Ten and sixth best mark in the nation, averaging just over 300 yards per game. Even worse news for the Wildcats, sophomore back Melvin Gordon, second in the nation with a 10.3 yards per carry average, is over the knee injury he sustained against OSU and will be on the field Saturday afternoon.
The Badgers defense will also have their fair share of problems dealing with the Wildcats’ potent attack. Northwestern runs a legitimate two quarterback system, and unlike most two quarterback systems, this one is effective. Junior Trevor Siemian is more of a typical pocket passer while senior Kain Colter comes in and runs more of a read-option style offense, but he proved that he can throw the ball as well going 12-12 against Ohio State. Colter also often lines up in the slot as a wide receiver.
Northwestern controls its destiny for a Big Ten championship and winning Saturday keeps that scenario alive. Even if the Badgers emerge victorious, they will still need Ohio State to lose two more times.
The loser of this game can essentially kiss their Big Ten title hopes goodbye. Both teams came into this season with high aspirations, and the fulfillment of those goals hinges on the final result of Saturday’s battle.
