It’s been a while since the Badgers have faced off against their old Michigan rivals. One week after playing Michigan State for the first time since the thrilling 2012 Big Ten Championship game, Wisconsin will battle the Michigan Wolverines for the first time since 2010.
The Badgers are an astoundingly poor 14-49-1 all-time against the Wolverines, but they won the last clash between the two schools by a score of 48-28. At the time, Wisconsin was the No. 7 team in the country, sitting at 10-1, while Michigan was unranked at 7-3. The Badgers leapt ahead to a 24-0 lead at halftime and never looked back. UW was propelled to victory behind stellar performances by running backs James White and Montee Ball.
Six years and two coaches later, there is certainly a more positive aura surrounding the Michigan Football program. After a summer in which Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh found himself in the media spotlight again, the Wolverines have become a hot pick to make the College Football Playoff. Michigan started out at No. 7 in the preseason AP poll and have moved up after dismantling lowly Hawaii 63-3 in Week One and struggling UCF 51-14 in Week Two.
The Wolverines got their first scare in Week Three when they played Colorado at the Big House. While the Buffaloes aren't exactly a College Football powerhouse—they haven't made a bowl appearance since 2007—they still hung around and gave the Maize and Blue all it could handle. Colorado led Michigan 21-7 after the first quarter, but the Wolverines fought back and regained the lead at halftime, 24-21. The Wolverines separated themselves in the second half, winning 45-28. One important development from Michigan’s win over Colorado were the struggles of the Michigan secondary, as Colorado quarterback Sefo Liufau threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns. He also completed 64% of his passes before leaving the game due to injury.
Michigan played their first Big Ten game of the season in Week Four against downtrodden Penn State, who already had one loss. One week after looking shaky, the Michigan defense showed up with a huge performance, stifling PSU’s running attack, winning 49-10. They held Penn State to 127 passing yards and 191 total yards of offense. UM’s offense continued to produce big numbers, as the Wolverines rushed for 326 yards and six touchdowns. It was exactly the type of dominating performance that Harbaugh was looking for after a mediocre showing the week before.
This could be an all-time Michigan-Wisconsin classic. So much is on the line for Michigan, including the chance to make it to “The Game” against Ohio State on Thanksgiving without having a blemish on their schedule. Two old-time Big Ten foes will meet in Ann Arbor in a top-ten battle this weekend, but only one will leave undefeated.
Michigan Players to Watch:
Running back Chris Evans: Although he may only be a true freshman, the speedy and elusive back has already shown big play potential.
Tight end Jake Butt: Butt was once a highly touted high school prospect. After struggling in his first two seasons at Michigan, he put the pieces together in his junior year, earning first team Big Ten Honors and second team All-American honors. Butt’s success has carried over into his senior year, leading the team with 15 receptions.
Safety/Linebacker/Punt Returner/Wildcat Quarterback/Sous Chef Jabrill Peppers: An obvious pick for anyone who has followed college football recently. Peppers has been compared to fellow Wolverine great Charles Woodson in his swiss-army-knife-like versatility. Peppers differs from Woodson though. He is more physical in the run game and is more of a tackler than a coverage corner. Peppers is second on the team in tackles with 33 and in sacks with 2.5.
