After back-to-back road wins, Bucky is coming home. Is this team ready to compete with the number 3 Nittany Lions? Or will it be another splattering like the Bama game?
Looking Back
Northwestern – 3
Wisconsin – 23
Three in a row. Wisconsin has stacked 3 dominant wins in 3 consecutive weeks. Albeit the competition was rather poor. But blowing out bad teams is a hallmark of the Wisconsin we’re used to from the last 30 years.
The offense wasn’t as good as the couple of weeks prior, but the defense was elite, and special teams made some massive plays. Tawee Walker’s dominance continues with 23 carries for 126 yards (5.5 ypc). Overall the run game has grown exponentially since week 1 due to the development of the offense line.
It’s not a stretch to say all 5 starters on the OL will be playing on Sundays in a couple of years.
Another week, another vintage Wisconsin defense. In the last 3 games, they’ve given up 1 touchdown. The run D could be better (the D-line is still the biggest weakness on the team), but the secondary is so good they more than make up for it.
Wisconsin is becoming a no-fly zone, holding opposing QBs to an average of 100.6 yards per game over the last 3 weeks. NW’s Jake Lausch was a paltry 9/24 for 82 yards. Bucky is rolling.
Looking forward
Game Preview: Penn State
#3 Penn State at Wisconsin
Where: Camp Randall Stadium
When: Saturday, 10/26 – 6:30 PM (CST)
How to Watch: NBC
Spread: Penn State -6.5
O/U: 47.5
Penn State Nittany Lions’ Record: 6-0
Best Wins: 21-7 over #20 Illinois and 33-30 in OT at USC
Penn State is #3, and yet, Vegas has the spread as just under a touchdown. So you’re telling me there’s a chance.
Penn State Observations:
Drew Allar is a top 3 QB in the Big Ten and a genuine future NFL draft prospect. I don’t think he’s seen a secondary as good as Wisconsin’s yet though. Penn State supposedly has a pair of NFL RBs too, but they haven’t been able to break 4.0 ypc in the last few weeks. Hopefully Wisconsin’s Linebackers are able to limit the PSU’s ground game. I think Penn State’s ability to run the ball likely decides this game.
On defense, they are somewhere between good and great. They held UCLA and Illinois to 11 and 7 respectively. But USC managed to get 30, and Bowling Green scored 27 somehow. I expect the Dairy Raid (with a large helping of Walker up the middle) can break 20. Getting to 30 seems very unlikely though.
Camp Randall Will Be Jumping:
This is setting up to be an all-time incredible environment in Madison. Let me lay out all the factors contributing to the storm of red and white descending on Camp Randall this weekend.
It’s the Halloween game. Yes, Halloween is on Thursday after the game, but there isn’t a home game that weekend. That makes this one the de facto spooky game. I don’t know what you know about Mad Town, but they party hard for Halloween (or any other excuse to drink).
It’s Homecoming week. This is the game the alumni are coming back for to act like (and drink like) they’re 20 again. Hopefully the students can remind them how to act during big games: “Stand Up Old People”
Penn State is undefeated and ranked #3. If Wisco pulls this off, the field is getting stormed—all the more reason for the crowd to do everything in their power to affect this game.
Wisconsin is rolling. There is actually some real optimism about how Fickell is running this team. They have outscored opponents by 101 points over the last 3 games.
IT’S A NIGHT GAME. Wisconsin has been severely lacking in the big games at night category over the years. Since 2012 there have only been 3 ranked opponent, home, night games. Fans, and specifically students, will have all day to party before kickoff. Just try not to be 4th quarter drunk by the end of the 1st.
Okay, take all of that laid out above, and consider this – it’s the first season Camp Randall can sell beer since 1993. This isn’t just a football game, it’s a 75,000 person party. The city might burn down.
Prediction:
Am I really going to pick Wisconsin to win another big game after the Alabama debacle? You’re damn right I am. This has trap game written all over it for PSU. They very well could be looking ahead to their game next week against Ohio State, or just underestimating how much better Wisco has gotten over the last few weeks.
Elite special teams and defense will bail out a handful of expected mistakes by Locke on offense.
#BuckyByAMillion
Wisconsin 23
Penn State 17
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This article was written by Cole Tollison and edited by Hayden Breene