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Wisconsin vs. Minnesota
ILLUSTRATION BY CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER/THE DAILY CARDINAL PHOTO BY BRANDON MOE/THE DAILY CARDINAL
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”
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Wisconsin vs. Minnesota
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Matchup to Watch
Coan and UW’s wide receivers will look for big day against Gophers’ secondary
CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Jack Coan has struggled in his four appearances this season, but looked good in the closing moments against Purdue, helped by a dominant performance by wide receiver Danny Davis. Nathan Denzin STAFF WRITER
Last week, sophomore running back Jonathan Taylor ran all over the Purdue Boilermakers to the tune of 321 yards and three touchdowns. It was a performance for the ages by Taylor and likely earned him a trip to New York for the Heisman Trophy Ceremony, but performances like that only come once in a while. Though Taylor may be the best running back in the country, Wisconsin can’t expect 300 yards every week from the sophomore. With the Gophers coming this week, the Badgers are looking to keep Paul Bunyan’s Axe in Madison for a 15th straight year. And with starting quarterback
Alex Hornibrook still questionable with a concussion, it’s likely sophomore Jack Coan will again lead the team under center. While Coan has looked serviceable this year, UW fans have mostly seen him hand the ball off since he took over against Northwestern. Minnesota’s defense will probably key in on the run because of Taylor’s ability, which means Wisconsin may be forced to unleash Coan’s arm in order to win. So far, he’s thrown an average of 20 passes a game since taking over, but most have been simple crosses or dump offs that haven’t really shown off his arm. Minnesota’s passing defense has not exactly been elite this year either; their cornerbacks have only come
up with six interceptions over the team’s 11 games, and are giving up about 230 yards through the air. Senior cornerback Antonio Shenault is questionable for Saturday’s game as well, and Minnesota looks to be ready to play without him for the fifth week in a row, taking Minnesota’s top corner out of the picture for Coan’s passing game. Coan’s favorite target so far has proved to be junior wide receiver A.J. Taylor, but against the Boilermakers, sophomore Danny Davis III played a huge part in the offense. Davis caught two
442
Total passing yards for Jack Coan this season
75
Percent of Coan’s touchdowns that went to Davis
4
Receiving touchdowns for Davis, the most on the team
touchdown passes on the afternoon, the first of which was an unbelievable one handed catch in the back of the end zone. Going forward, his performance against Purdue probably earned him more targets in the passing game. With Shenault out for Minnesota, their next top corner Jacob Huff will most likely follow Taylor around all night, which means Davis could again run wild, and break out as Coan’s top target in the receiving corps. Freshman tight end Jake Ferguson will also benefit from the Gophers
thin secondary. Ferguson has seen his targets and receptions drop drastically since Coan became the starter, going without a touchdown in his last four games with only eight catches over that stretch. But Wisconsin is hoping his dominance in the red zone returns against the Gophers, and a lack of big bodies in the way to stop him could lead to a big day. Of course, all of this will hinge on Coan’s ability to throw the ball well, which is something we haven’t necessarily seen for a full four quarters yet this year. However, with a defense keying in on the run game, and a thin secondary, Coan will look to break out in his fourth game as the starting quarterback.
X’s and O’s
How shift to spread powered Badger offense against Purdue By Sam Shiffman STAFF WRITER
With just under 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Wisconsin found themselves in an eerily similar situation: down two scores on the road, having their secondary torn apart and struggling on offense. But this time, instead of going under-center and using man-blocking schemes, the Badgers incorporated more spread formations including some with one or no down tight ends. Unlike earlier in the game when the Badgers ran their traditional under-center packages, Purdue couldn’t stack the box with seven or eight defenders and force sophomore quarterback Jack Coan to sit in the pocket and throw. In addition to more spread formations, the Badgers also ran zone blocking schemes and inside zone concepts. This allowed sophomore Jonathan Taylor, a running back whose biggest strength is his vision, to read the blocks in front of him, pick a hole and burst through. Also, Wisconsin’s offensive line did an outstanding job getting to the second level and gave Taylor holes throughout the game.
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Spread formations and zone blocking schemes opened up holes for Jonathan Taylor late in the game against Purdue. Sophomore center Tyler Biadasz and senior guard Beau Benzschawel had an extremely effective combo block that occupied a Purdue defensive tackle and linebacker on Taylor’s 12-yard touchdown in the first overtime. Both Biadasz and Benzschawel’s initial punch was on the defensive tackle but Biadasz saw a Purdue linebacker
about to fill and make a tackle. Instead of staying on the double-team, Biadasz left the tackle to his teammate and got to the linebacker in time. While not a devastating block, Biadasz occupied the middle linebacker just long enough to give Taylor an open lane. Biadasz also let go of the linebacker when he knew he was going to be beaten later-
ally once Taylor ran past him, avoiding what would have been a devastating holding call. On Taylor’s game-winning run, almost the exact same blocking set up another touchdown. But this time, Benzschawel and freshman tackle Logan Bruss secured the block on the defensive tackle and Bruss got to the second level, walling off two Purdue
players. Benzschawel also did a great job of finishing his block with a pancake. The Badgers scored all three of their overtime touchdowns on inside zone plays — mainly due to Wisconsin’s interior line getting to the second level and walling off defenders. For first time this season, Wisconsin didn’t simply rely on lining up in single-back or an I-formation and running the ball down their opponents throats. Instead, they played to Coan’s strengths and background in a spread system with simple handoffs and quick passes. Head coach Paul Chryst should have a similar strategy, with runheavy play-calling out of spread formations in the future. This approach still plays to Wisconsin’s strengths of dominant offensive line and running back play, but prevents opposing defenses from stacking the box with the eight or even nine defenders. The Badgers have struggled to move the ball consistently this year, especially out of undercenter formations. A switch to a more modern spread-style attack — while still being a run-first team — could help the Badgers salvage their season.
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Wisconsin vs. Minnesota
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Heisman Watch
WSU’s Minshew continues climb with seven touchdown game, but Tua still on top By Simon Farber STAFF WRITER
1. Tua Tagovailoa (Sophomore QB, Alabama) This week: 18/22 340 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs (The Citadel) Season Stats: 2,865 yards (69.2 percent completion), 31 TDs, 2 INTs As good a season Alabama fans have enjoyed thus far, Oregon Duck football fans are likely watching Tua Tagovailoa’s nearperfect sophomore campaign with resentment for their former coach, Mark Helfrich. Looking to follow his fellow Hawaiian-born quarterback, Marcus Mariota’s, footsteps in playing for Oregon, Tagovailoa’s dreams were dashed by then-coach, Helfrich, who failed to offer him a scholarship. Tua Tagovailoa’s Crimson Tide is thankful, as they woke up from a stupor in the second half where they scored 40 second half points after finding themselves tied 10-10 at half to The Citadel. With a win next week at home in the Iron Bowl against Auburn, the Tide will likely wrap up their fourthstraight playoff appearance and a shot at defending the National Championship (even if it loses to Georgia in the SEC Championship Game). Trending: Neutral Next: Auburn
2. Kyler Murray (Junior QB, Oklahoma) This week: 21/32 272 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT (Kansas) Season Stats: 3,310 yards (70.3 percent completion), 34 TDs, 6 INTs While Tua Tagovailoa has proven himself the most NFLready quarterback in this year’s class, Murray is proving that the Heisman winner isn’t only a good arm. Coming off of a stretch of 100 and 66-yard rushing games, Murray ran for 99 yards against Kansas, including a 75-yard scamper for his third rushing touchdown of the day. While Sooner fans will be ecstatic to hear that Murray is considering forgoing an immediate MLB career with the Oakland A’s to play his senior year at Oklahoma, the Sooner defense has continued to be the achilles heel so far, allowing over 40 points in their last three games, including 40 in a 55-40 win against the Jayhawks. To stay alive in the playoff race, the Oklahoma defense will have to show up differently when they travel to Morgantown to take on the No. 12 West Virginia Mountaineers. Either that, or Murray will have to have another huge game for the Sooners’ College Football Playoff chances. Trending: Up Next: @ No 12 West Virginia
3. Gardner Minshew (Senior QB, Washington State) This week: 43/55 473 yards, 7 TDs, 0 INTs (Arizona) Season Stats: 4,325 yards (70.4 percent completion), 36 TDs, 7 INTs Gardner Minshew continues to shock and amaze with his fellow Washington St. Cougars, as he threw for 473 yards and broke the school record with 7 touchdowns in a 69-28 victory against Arizona. In just the first half, the Cougars put up 55 points before settling in for their seventh consecutive win. Originally committing to Alabama as a graduate transfer for his final college season after playing for Northwest Mississippi Community College and East Carolina, Minshew took head coach Mike Leach’s offer to start for the Cougars instead taking the backup quarterback role for the Crimson Tide. He and his now famous mustache have rolled, and with at least three more games left this season, Minshew needs 1,508 yards to break the NCAA singleseason passing record. While that may be out of reach, new heights — like the College Football Playoff — very much remain for this Washington State team. Minshew will have more chances to show
his stuff against Wazzu’s hated rival Washington in the Apple Cup next week. Trending: Up Next: No. 16 Washington 4. Dwayne Haskins (Sophomore QB, Ohio State) This week: 28/38 405 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT (@ Maryland) Season Stats: 3,685 yards (69.3 percent completion), 36 TDs, 7 INTs Dwayne Haskins was overwhelmed with relief as his team escaped victorious in a 52-51 overtime thriller against the Terrapins. Opening the second half with an untimely pick-six, Haskins recovered big time, finishing with three touchdowns through the air and three on the ground. Down 45-38 with 1:41 left and zero timeouts, the Maryland native led the Buckeyes to the endzone to send the game into overtime and set up de facto a Big Ten East championship game next week in what will be one of the biggest games of the season in Columbus against No. 4 Michigan. Deliver a huge win for the Buckeyes over the Wolverines and Haskins might find himself climbing higher in the rankings. Trending: Neutral Next: No. 4 Michigan
5. Will Grier (Senior QB, West Virginia) This week: 27/48 364 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs (@ Oklahoma State) Season Stats: 3,325 yards (67.2 percent completion), 33 TDs, 8 INTs Losing in a heartbreaking 45-41 loss at Oklahoma State put the nail in the coffin of West Virginia’s playoff hopes, but senior Will Grier still has an opportunity to close his college career with a Big 12 Championship as Mountaineers take on No. 6 Oklahoma at home for a chance to play in the championship game. Down four points with 42 seconds, Grier marched the Mountaineer offense down to Oklahoma State’s 14-yardline for one last shot, which was broken up in the endzone by the Cowboy’s A.J. Green as Oklahoma State sealed the upset of the weekend. Though his college career is coming to a close, Grier is listed as one of the top quarterbacks for this year’s NFL draft, and he could have a trip to New York in his future if he continues to star for West Virginia. Trending: NEUTRAL Next: No. 6 Oklahoma Honorable mentions: Jonathan Taylor (RB, Wisconsin), D’Eriq King (QB, Houston), Travis Etienne (RB, Clemson)
Player to Watch
CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Junior wide receiver A.J. Taylor was Jack Coan’s main downfield threat against Purdue with 89 receiving yards.
A.J. Taylor key for UW’s passing game By Jacob Lebowitz STAFF WRITER
The Badgers still have one last game in this disappointing season, but it isn’t just any old game. For the 128th time Wisconsin will take on their rival Minnesota for Paul Bunyan’s Axe. In a rivalry that began in 1890, Wisconsin holds a slim one game lead: 60 to 59 and 8 ties. But recently, the rivalry has been very one-sided. Wisconsin hasn’t lost to Minnesota since 2003 and currently have the longest winning streak in the history of the series at 14 games. Over the past few games, the Badgers have struggled offensively and lost two of their last four games. Junior quarterback Alex Hornibrook has been dealing with
a head injury, missing three of the last four games. This injury resulted in sophomore Jack Coan assuming the starting role. Coan’s play has been good at times and lackluster other times, managing to keep UW in close games despite starting in tough road games. One of the bright spots in the Badger’s shaky offense has been junior wide receiver A.J. Taylor. Taylor started the season off hot as he caught 10 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown in his first two games. However, since then, Taylor hadn’t had a game with over 60 receiving yards. This past Saturday against Purdue, Taylor got back on track as he caught five passes for 89 yards. He is emerging as one of Coan’s most reliable targets and
one of head coach Paul Chryst’s favorite weapons. Chryst sent Taylor down the middle of the field multiple times throughout the Purdue game and was rewarded for doing so. In Saturday’s matchup against Minnesota, Taylor must continue to be a dominant force. If Coan and Taylor can open up the passing game, that’ll allow star sophomore running back Jonathan Taylor to run the ball effectively, just as he did against Purdue. The Golden Gophers’ weak secondary is an invitation for Taylor and Coan to gain significant yards through the air, allowing them to continue their recent dominance over Minnesota and most importantly keep Paul Bunyan’s Axe in Madison.
Associated Press Top 25 1. Alabama (61) 1,525 2. Clemson 1,455 3. Notre Dame 1,412 4. Michigan 1,327 5. Georgia 1,288 6. Oklahoma 1,182 7. Washington State 1,149 8. UCF 1,064 8. LSU 1,064 10. Ohio State 1,019 11. Texas 856 12. West Virginia 822 13. Florida 707 14. Utah State 667 15. Penn State 659 16. Washington 631 17. Kentucky 508 18. Utah 491 19. Syracuse 427 20. Northwestern 307 21. Boise State 287 22. Mississippi State 260 23. Army 176 24. Pittsburgh 129 25. Iowa State 123
USA Today Coaches Poll 1. Alabama (63) 1,599 2. Clemson (1) 1,535 3. Notre Dame 1,470 4. Michigan 1,387 5. Georgia 1,347 6. Oklahoma 1,252 7. Washington State 1,195 8. LSU 1,115 9. UCF 1,108 10. Ohio State 1,091 11. Texas 816 12. West Virginia 766 13. Florida 748 14. Penn State 742 15. Utah State 704 16. Washington 687 17. Utah 551 18. Kentucky 502 19. Syracuse 432 20. Mississippi State 397 21. Northwestern 302 22. Boise State 297 23. Fresno State 119 24. Army 97 25. Pittsburgh 90
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Wisconsin vs. Minnesota
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MVP vs. Purdue
Finally healthy, Andrew Van Ginkel dominated on defense against Purdue By Kalli Anderson STAFF WRITER
The Wisconsin Badgers (5-3 Big Ten, 7-4 overall) put up a fight against a tricky Purdue Boilermakers team as they won 47-44 in Triple overtime. While running back Jonathan Taylor carried the Badgers on offense, senior linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, finally back at 100 percent, had a huge impact on defense. The Rock Valley, Iowa native started at South Dakota where he played linebacker for two years until he transferred to Iowa Western Community College. From there, he arrived at Madison in 2017, where he picked up 39 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks last season. Van Ginkel played in all 14 games, and was apart of the defensive unit ranked second in the country in total defense, allowing only 262.1 yards per game on average.
The game against the Boilermakers on November 17 was Van Ginkel’s first game totally healthy since he injured his right ankle earlier in the season. After being on the injury report after BYU game, Van Ginkel was injured but still played for five games, including games against Michigan and Penn State which resulted in losses. During his five weeks of recovery between the Michigan and BYU games, the Iowan native had only one tackle and no sacks. In the triple-overtime thriller last Saturday, Van Ginkel walked away with 10 total tackles, all of them solo. Van Ginkel was also key for the Badgers’ pass rush — something Wisconsin generally has struggled with this season — as he sacked Purdue quarterback David Blough twice on the night. He also came up with a huge strip just as it looked like Purdue was about to score. Instead, the ball went out of
CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Senior linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel had 10 tackles and two sacks in Wisconsin’s 47-44 win against Purdue. the end zone for a Badger touchback, a play that become important considering the close game. Van Ginkel was named to the
Butkus Award watch list, which is the award given to the best linebacker. His performance against Purdue proved why as the finally
healthy linebacker dominated the game from sideline-to-sideline, making him the MVP, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
Daily Cardinal Roundtable
Roundtable: Makings sense of UW’s disappointing season What went wrong for the Badgers in 2018?
What was the worst moment for Wisconsin this season?
What positives will UW take away going into next season?
Jared Schwartz
Two things went wrong for the Badgers: injuries on defense and inconsistency on offense. Coming into the season, everyone knew UW’s defense would be young and inexperienced after losing seven starters. However, injuries across the defensive line and secondary severely hampered any chance of cohesion and stability. On offense, UW never found a rhythm and was plagued by penalties and inconsistency.
The loss to Northwestern. While losing to BYU in non-conference play was embarrassing, the Badgers still had a shot at winning the Big Ten West as they travelled to Evanston. In Jack Coan’s first career start, UW’s offense sputtered, and Jonathan Taylor failed to reach 100 yards for the only time this season. Northwestern won comfortably, helping it cruise to the Big Ten Championship game.
Although Jack Coan struggled in his first two starts against Northwestern and Penn State, he showed tremendous growth in Wisconsin’s thrilling 47-44 3 OT comeback against Purdue. Trailing by 14 with under seven minutes to play, Coan finished the game by going 7-for-7 for 70 yards and two touchdowns. It’s almost as if quarterbacks improve with experience.
Morgan Spohn
Injuries in the offseason led to lack of depth along the defense line for the Wisconsin Badgers. This was apparent early on in the season when the Badgers were forced to play three freshmen on the front. Against BYU, the defensive line had little effect, revealing the lack of experience. That was a bad omen, and poor play on the D-Line reared its ugly head the rest of the season.
The low point that summarized the Wisconsin Badgers 2018-19 season was the BYU loss. Early on in the season, there was doubt among the fans this team might live up to the lofty playoff expectations. It also proved that injuries were going to hurt them when young inexperienced players were tasked with making plays.
Wisconsin can be happy that young, inexperienced players were thrust into starting roles throughout the course of the season. Although that caused issues in the now, the experience they gained will be invaluable going forward in the offseason as they look to improve next season.
Cameron Lane-Flehinger
Injuries have obviously been an issue, but I think what that really underscores is how challenging it was always going to be to replace last year’s defense. The-preseason analysis pretty much assumed the Badgers would have a strong defense — and while Jim Leonhard has done an impressive job — we’ve seen that players like Nick Nelson, Natrell Jamerson and Leon Jacobs don’t grow on trees.
I’ll call it a tie between the Northwestern game and the BYU game, but I think when Badger fans look back on this season there won’t be a moment that stands out as truly embarassing or memorable. Three of the four losses have come to ranked teams, all have come to teams with winning records. The season as a whole has been a disappointment, but there’s no embarassment here.
More than you’d think. The young defensive players have developed extremely quickly in front of our eyes and look like they could become real difference-makers in the next couple years. Even more than last year’s dominance, the job Leonhard has done coaching this defense through all its ups and downs makes me think he is the real deal as defensive coordinator.
Injuries. An already inexperienced secondary and defensive line was decimated by injuries during the season, and Hornibrook was sorely missed in road tests against Northwestern and Penn State. Missing the starting QB tightened the playbook as well, making an already predictable offense more predictable.
The 31-17 loss to Northwestern was the most crushing. In Coan’s first start, Jonathan Taylor’s fumbling issues came back and he rushed for a season low 46 yards. The three tunrovers were crucial as they gave the Wildcats incredible field position that they turned into 17 points.
With all the injuries, many young defensive players saw lots of playing time. True freshman like Rachad Wildgoose, Donte Burton and Bryson Williams got plenty of game reps. That experience will bode well for the Badgers going forward as they’ll have players who saw signifigant action as underclassmen.
Bremen Keasey
gameday Wisconsin vs. Minnesota
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3 Keys to the Game
Wisconsin will look to pressure Minnesota’s freshman quarterback By Raul Vazquez
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Stop Jonathan Taylor
Starting Slinging the Ball
It’s well-established that Wisconsin has been a onedimensional offense which relies on the production of Jonathan Taylor. No matter who starts at QB for the Badgers — Alex Hornibrook or Jack Coan — there hasn’t been a consistent passing attack to speak of Bottling up Wisconsin’s top-five rushing attack would be huge towards shutting down their offense, which would force it to rely on likely starter Jack Coan who is still very inexperienced going into his fifth career start. With the exception of Penn State, whenever a team has been able to keep Taylor in check, they have been able to easily handle Wisconsin and their offense. Further evidence of a onedimensional offense is Coan has yet to throw for over 160 yards, leaving the offensive unit to solely rely on the output of the backs.
2 Win the Turnover Battle In most football games, the turnover battle is vastly important in determining the outcome of the game. Holding onto the ball has a ripple effect, as it often leads to positive field position for the other offense, fatigues your defense, and gives the opposing offense an extra possession. This past week was no different for Minnesota as they badly lost the turnover battle against Northwestern. The Gophers turned the ball over three times while they couldn’t force a single one against the Wildcats. All season long, the Golden Gophers have won games when they’ve won the turnover battle. Holding onto the ball will also be crucial as it will be essential to keep the ball away from the hands of playmaker Jonathan Taylor, as he is bound to go off for a big play.
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Get Coan Comfortable It is no secret that Wisconsin is a run first, pass as little times as possible team. With their stable of running backs and offensive linemen who perform best at run blocking, running has been the program’s identity for years. In order to stick with that constant ground game and take the load off of an inexperienced signal caller in Jack Coan, the offense will need to be able to get off a good start to keep the Minnesota defense from stacking the box and only focus on stopping the running game. Wisconsin will want to rely on its playmakers like wide receivers Danny Davis and A.J. Taylor and the reliable tight end Jake Ferguson. If they incorporate those three weapons into the offense early, the Badgers can force the Gophers’ front seven to back off on Taylor and the rest of Wisconsin’s run game. Then, they can incorporate play action to take the top off the defense.
Wisconsin has been plagued by the injury bug on both sides of the ball this season, but the injuries have been the worst for the defense. Those injury concerns have made an already inexperienced secondary even younger,and it’s been a weak spot for UW all season. Both Trace McSorley and David Blough found success slinging it against the Wisconsin secondary, and the Minnesota offense should try to follow such a precedent and do the same to find success against the Wisconsin defense. Doing so should also open gaps in the running game which has been key for Minnesota whenever it’s been successful. In each of their wins, their backs have gone off for a great game. As is the case for most college football squads, it usually leads to good results if the run game is clicking. It’s cliche, but an effective passing attack can open up the run game.
Run, Run, Run
2 Pressure the Quarterback This past week, Northwestern had a ton of success stopping the Minnesota offense by constantly making Gophers quarterback Tanner Morgan, uncomfortable, picking him off twice, coming away with four sacks and deflecting five passes. Wisconsin should learn from that and look to send different packages of pressure to keep Morgan guessing. The pressure would serve the purpose of discomforting the Minnesota quarterback as well as give support to the Wisconsin secondary, which was once again exposed against Purdue as David Blough had his way against the Badger secondary. Blough had 386 yards through the air and found the endzone four times, all without a turnover. Sending pressure and keeping Morgan guessing will be massive to give the back end support.
This past Saturday at Purdue, with usual starting quarterback Alex Hornibrook out once again in concussion protocol, the offense was forced to rely much more on the output of sophomore running back Jonathan Taylor. Not that that’s anything new for the tailback, as he’s always been the focus for Wisconsin’s offense even with Hornibrook starting. Once again the back was easily the best player on the field. The Walker award finalist for best running back had yet another dazzling performance, rattling off 321 rushing yards to go along with three scores. Two of his touchdowns came in overtime including the game-winner as Wisconsin pulled off the 47-44 triple-overtime victory. The Wisconsin offense and its momentum seems to be based on the performance of the star sophomore back and this week should be no different going up against a middle of the road run defense in Minnesota.
BRANDON MOE/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Senior linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel is one of UW’s best threats on defense to rush the passer. The Badgers will hope Van Ginkel can get after UM quarterback Tanner Morgan and rattle him early.
Minnesota Outlook
Gophers looking to finally beat Badgers, become bowl eligible By Peyton Kadeleck THE DAILY CARDINAL
The Wisconsin Badgers (5-3 Big Ten, 7-4 overall) look to secure Paul Bunyan’s Axe for another year as it rallies at home one last time this season when it hosts the Minnesota Golden Gophers (2-6, 5-6) on Saturday. The Badgers and Gophers have annually competed for this rivalry trophy since 1948, and Wisconsin currently holds the record with 14 consecutive wins, the longest win streak by either team. The Badgers will enter this matchup coming off a thrilling 47-44 triple-overtime victory against Purdue. Sophomore running back Jonathan Taylor led the team to a win with a 17-yard touchdown to end the game. Taylor also recorded a careerhigh of 321 yards with three touchdowns, two of which occurred during overtime play. Sophomore quarterback Jack Coan threw for 2 touchdowns as junior starting quarterback Alex Hornibrook was still out due to a head injury. Minnesota on the other hand will be coming off a significant 24-14 loss to Northwestern. Freshman running back Mohamed Ibrahim recorded 98 yards with one touchdown on 20 carries. The Gophers’ other touchdown came from junior wide receiver Tyler Johnson, who recorded 88 yards. Looking at this rivalry matchup, more is on the line than just bragging rights and a year with the axe. Minnesota for one, needs
to win this game if it hopes to ensure a .500 record and a chance at bowl eligibility. However, despite the need for another win, the Gophers have struggled as of late. During Senior Day at its final home against Northwestern, Minnesota failed to perform well as a team, with the only stars of the game being Johnson and senior linebacker Black Cashman, who had a sack and a career high 20 tackles. When evaluating Minnesota’s performance thus far, particularly in its latest defeat, there are areas that the Badgers will be able to capitalize on. First is the Gophers’ redshirt freshman quarterback Tanner Morgan. Morgan threw two interceptions during the Northwestern game, which is be expected to an extent with a young quarterback. Additionally, Minnesota has proven to be most effective when Moran has a good game, such as the case in the Purdue matchup when the Gophers defeated the Boilermakers 41-10. However, it seems that when Morgan is not having a good throwing game, the rest of Minnesota’s offense simply shuts down. Come Saturday, Wisconsin will need to apply heavy pressure on Morgan early to throw him off his game. Though Minnesota has fallen on the road to Wisconsin during the past 11 visits, there are some Gopher seniors, like Cashman, who are looking to go out strong. Minnesota has not been to a bowl game since the 2016 Holiday Bowl, so in preparation, Wisconsin must expect a hard fight from the Gophers on Saturday.
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Wisconsin vs. Minnesota
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Column
Overreactability: Citadel exposes Bama, Urban Meyer sweats his way through a close call and ‘The Hat’ is in at Kansas By Bremen Keasey SPORTS EDITOR
Editor’s note: College football is nothing without its fans, and its fans are nothing without their passion. In an attempt to capture that unique intensity and overreactability, we’ve asked sports editor and The South enthusiast Bremen Keasey to give us a weekly breakdown of college football happenings around the country like only a true fan could. With Thanksgiving just around the corner and the college football playoff seemingly a moot point at this point, it’s time to be thankful that although the season is almost over, we’re in the most petty weekend in college football: rivalry week. It’s the most wonderful time of year, when some programs and fans just want to ruin their rival’s seasons by beating them. Bama in trouble? If we know anything about Nick Saban, we know he is grouchy. There is no such thing as perfection in his mind. Even though Bama has been eviscerating opponents in the vaunted Southeastern Conference™, Saban is never totally happy with his team. Saban’s press conferences are always filled with spite, but it’s never more evident than before the Tide’s usual FCS-tune up ahead of their rivalry game against Auburn. Saban has made a habit of using the media to make sure his team doesn’t look past whichever poor team Bama paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to get pantsed on national television. This year’s victim was The Citadel Bulldogs, a military college down in Charleston, South Carolina that had gone 4-5 in the FCS —the division below
FBS — up to this point. The spread for just the first half of the game was 42 points. I don’t totally understand what that means, but rest assured that no one expected this to be close at any point. And yet, The Citadel was tied with No. 1 Alabama 10-10 at halftime. It was a glorious 30 minutes for The Citadel, whose official team Twitter at’d LSU and Mississippi State — two SEC teams that failed to score a point against the Tide — that it’s not that hard. Believe it or not, it got even dicier for the Tide after halftime, after they fumbled the kickoff and gave the Bulldogs good field position for their first drive. But after a missed field goal and probably 15 minutes of Saban screaming incredibly Southern obscenities at his players, the Tide looked like the Tide as they won 50-17. Honestly, this worked out wonderfully for all involved. People who hate ‘Bama had brief glimmers of hope that something hilariously bad would happen, while Nick Saban’s team finally faced a bit of adversity. Before this week’s tied score, the closest halftime margin for the Tide was a 16-point lead over LSU. As much as Saban had to act like he hated this, he was probably thrilled that his team struggled, and now they’ll be laser-focused and ready to whip Auburn off the face of the universe. Ohio State Football: Bad for your health No. 10 Ohio State was tested against the Maryland Terrapins in a Big Ten battle that was more like a Big 12 shootout, with very little in the way of defense and big plays all across the map. While we know by now that
the Buckeyes aren’t great at defending — especially against big plays — after Purdue ran them off the field 49-20 earlier this season, I’m not sure if most people would’ve expected them to struggle against a Maryland team that just lost their starting quarterback to an ACL injury. Yet that’s exactly what happened as Maryland running back Anthony McFarland had two long rushing touchdowns early in the game en route to 298 yards on the day. Eventually, Ohio State was able to score enough points to force the game into overtime, but they still couldn’t really stop the Terps. Maryland had just scored a touchdown in overtime to make the score 52-51 when interim head coach Matt Canada decided to go for two and for the win. Backup quarterback Tyrrell Pigrome had a player open in the end zone, but his pass was off the mark and the Buckeyes escaped from College Park with the win. What was most jarring was the pictures of OSU head coach Urban Meyer. College sports are supposed to be fun, but Meyer looked on the verge of death. This is a man who has had a history of health problems and actually had to leave coaching for a little bit because of serious health problems. While I’m not a huge fan of Meyer to say the least, it honestly was frightening to see him like that. He literally looked like he was on the verge of collapsing most of the game. Oh well, it’s not like Ohio State has a very stressful game against a hated rival next week, right? Just kidding. They have Michigan in a game that might potentially decide who will reach the College Football Playoff.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS/ILLUSTRATION BY CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER
The Kansas Jayhawks last went to a bowl game in 2008 and have been a punchline in college football. KU fans will be hoping hiring the loveable Les Miles will make their football team on par with their basketball team.
SCREENSHOT VIA TWITTER.COM
Citadel football’s Twitter account took full advantage of the team’s strong first-half performance by mocking a pair of SEC teams that failed to score. OSU might want to think about putting a heart monitor on its eight-million dollar a year coach. The Hat is back! The No. 6 Oklahoma Sooners struggled with the Kansas Jayhawks, but won 55-40 because this isn’t basketball — even if the conference’s scores sometimes look like they belong on the hardwood. This was really a rough week for the most part if you were rooting for upsets or shakeups to the College Football Playoff race. The only upset of note was a 45-41 win by the Oklahoma State Cowboys over the No. 9 West Virginia Mountaineers, which is too bad because West Virginia is a fun team that could’ve shook up the Playoffs. So now it’s top six filled with bluebloods like Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame, Michigan, Georgia and Oklahoma. Four out of six of those teams have reached the playoff before while the other two are ranked first and fifth in total wins in FBS history. This CFP race likely won’t see any changes unless there are some monumental upsets in the next two weeks. Sure, there could be some thrills and spills considering it’s rivalry week and anything can happen, but the more exciting stuff is happening down the ballot, so to speak. And one of those exciting bits of news involves the Kansas Jayhawks football team. That’s right, Les Miles is back baby! Former Oklahoma State and LSU head coach Les Miles, also known as “The Mad Hatter,” better known as my hero and
idol, will be patrolling the sidelines once again. Miles’ time at LSU was one of the program’s most successful in history. He won the national championship in 2007 and had exciting teams and was known for his colorful press conferences and interesting choices with clock management. I’m honestly shocked that he came back to coaching, especially to a program like Kansas, known as the laughing stock of the Big 12. (Sidenote, if you’re a true college football maniac, you gotta read up on the 2007 season because it was bonkers. Kansas got as high as No. 2 in the polls.) But Les Miles has turned around programs before. Oklahoma State wasn’t a world beater when he took over and he managed to go 28-21 in Stillwater, including two wins over arch-rival Oklahoma. Plus, you know Les Miles got that fat check from Kansas, and maybe he honestly missed coaching kids up. Sure, the NCAA and college football is a huge scam that doesn’t give any money to the players and makes millionaires out of grown men named Dabo and Jimbo, but to me at least, Miles always seemed to actually care about the players who played for him. And maybe this is me projecting, but there could’ve been a part of him that, when he wasn’t out trying to be a movie star, really missed being that mentor of young men. So I’m happy to announce that I’m now a Kansas football fan (notice not Kansas basketball. Bill Self hasn’t dropped the bag yet for me). Rock chalk Jayhawk, y’all.
Wisconsin vs. Minnesota
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Wisconsin Badgers 1 2 2 3 4 4 5 5 6 7 7 8 9 10 10 11 12 13 14 15 15 16 17 17 18 18 19 19 20 21 21 22 22 23 23 24 25 25 26 27 27 28 28 30 30 31 32 32 34 36 36 37 37 38 38 39 41 41 42
Cruickshank, Aron Johnson, Patrick Wolf, Chase Pryor, Kendric Burton, Donte Taylor, A.J. Wildgoose, Rachad James, Chris Davis III, Danny Pearson, Reggie Shaw, Bradrick Harrell, Deron Nelson, Scott Guerendo, Isaac Currens, Seth Smith, Alexander Hornibrook, Alex Bondoc, Evan Dixon, D’Cota Lotti, Anthony Vanden Boom, Danny Dunn, Jack Coan, Jack Van Ginkel, Andrew Farrar, Arrington Wilder, Collin Carter, Nate Torchio, John Hicks, Faion Saari, Mark Williams, Caesar Green, Cade Heyroth, Jacob Stokke, Mason Taylor, Jonathan Krumholz, Adam Burrell, Eric Watson, Nakia Blaylock, Travian Gaglianone, Rafael Volpentesta, Cristian Deal, Taiwan Schipper, Brady Mais, Tyler Wanner, Cory Cone, Madison Collinsworth, Jake Strey, Marty Goetz, C.J. Knaak, Kobe Johnson, Hunter Cesarz, Ethan Groshek, Garrett Jackson, Paul Rosowski, P.J. Hintze, Zach Burks, Noah Eschenbach, Jake Franklin, Jaylan
WR S QB WR CB WR CB RB WR S RB CB S WR S CB QB S S P QB WR QB OLB ILB S QB S CB RB CB WR ILB ILB RB WR S RB CB K CB RB WR S FB CB FB OLB DE CB RB ILB RB OLB P K OLB TE OLB
5-9 5-11 6-1 5-11 5-10 5-11 5-11 5-10 6-0 5-10 6-1 6-2 6-2 6-0 6-3 5-11 6-4 6-1 5-10 6-0 6-5 5-7 6-3 6-4 6-2 5-10 6-5 6-1 5-10 6-0 6-0 5-11 6-0 6-2 5-11 6-1 6-0 5-11 5-11 5-11 5-9 6-1 5-11 6-0 6-3 5-9 6-1 6-2 6-3 5-9 6-3 6-0 5-11 6-3 6-3 6-0 6-2 6-6 6-4
154 193 189 185 181 203 193 222 196 190 216 182 202 194 213 181 215 199 198 191 212 172 211 236 249 195 200 197 184 207 185 186 204 225 221 194 187 231 183 238 184 221 195 188 248 176 240 214 238 186 216 231 218 234 224 186 241 213 214
FR SO FR SO FR JR FR SR SO FR JR FR FR FR SO FR SO SR SR SO FR SO SO SR SR JR FR FR FR SR SO FR FR SO SO SO SO FR FR SR SO SR FR FR FR SO FR FR FR SO FR FR SO JR SR JR SO FR FR
43 44 45 46 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 52 53 54 55 56 57 57 58 59 59 60 61 63 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 81 82 84 85 86 87 89 90 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 96 97 98 98 99
Connelly, Ryan Chenal, John Ingold, Alec Tiedt, Hegeman Lloyd, Gabe Grady, Griffin Platter, Mason Penniston, Kyle Green-May, Izayah Bay, Adam Bernhagen, Josh Pfaff, David Edwards, T.J. Orr, Chris Bell, Christian Baun, Zach Balistreri, Michael Sanborn, Jack Maskalunas, Mike Johnson. Tyler Lyons, Andrew Bruss, Logan Biadasz, Tyler Deiter, Michael Beach, Tyler Benzschawel. Beau Dietzen, Jon Moorman, David Vopal, Aaron Seitzner, Josh Van Lanen, Cole Fenton, Alex Roberg, Gunnar Kapoi, Micah Lyler, Kayden Smithback, Blake Erdmann, Jason Edwards, David Mustapha, Taj Perry, Emmet Ferguson, Jake Neuvile, Zander Benzschawel, Luke Cephus, Quintez Abbot, A.J. Allen, Connor Mullens. Isaiah Williams, Bryson Henninsen, Matt Rand, Garrett Dietzen, Boyd Preston, Keldric Sampson, Cormac Schlichting, Conor Loudermilk, Isaiahh Howe, Kraig Larsh, Collin Sagapolu, Olive
ILB FB FB OLB TE ILB OLB TE OLB LS LS DE ILB ILB OLB OLB DE ILB ILB OLB OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL DE OL OL OL NT OL NT OL OL OL TE WR TE TE TE WR WR P DE NT DE DE DE DE TE P DE DE K NT
Minnesota Golden Gophers 6-3 6-2 6-2 6-4 6-4 6-3 6-4 6-4 6-6 6-0 6-2 6-2 6-1 6-0 6-4 6-3 6-4 6-2 6-3 6-3 6-5 6-5 6-3 6-6 6-6 6-6 6-6 6-5 6-6 6-4 6-5 6-4 6-4 6-3 6-3 6-2 6-6 6-7 6-0 6-2 6-5 6-5 6-6 6-1 6-2 6-0 6-4 6-3 6-3 6-2 6-3 6-4 6-4 6-2 6-7 6-3 5-10 6-2
228 235 242 235 231 214 222 243 223 217 229 284 242 232 247 230 294 228 229 240 289 303 319 328 290 315 323 306 300 333 311 313 300 308 323 301 325 315 192 182 239 252 247 207 179 172 283 277 277 278 252 250 255 218 300 278 182 346
JR FR SR SO SO SO FR SR FR SO SO JR SR JR SO JR FR FR SO JR FR FR SO SR FR SR JR JR FR FR SO FR JR SR FR FR JR JR FR FR FR SR SO JR FR JR FR FR FR JR FR SO FR FR SO SO FR JR
1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 8 8 9 11 11 12 13 14 14 15 16 16 17 18 19 19 20 21 21 22 23 24 24 25 25 26 26 27 27 28 29 30 31 31 32 33 34 34 35 36 37 38 38 39
Smith, Rodney Huff, Jacob Morgan, Tanner Autman-Bell, Chris Gibson, Jerry Brooks, Shannon Smith, Terell Annexstad, Zack Guthrie, Trenton Johnson, Tyler Williamson, Chris Estes, Rey Edmonds, Nolan Rush, Thomas Otomewo, Esezi Manns, Jornell Winfield Jr., Antoine Devers, Tai’yon Bateman, Rashod O’Brien, Casey Oliver, Braelen Smith, CJ Durr, Coney Santaga, Jon Green, Seth Geary, Clay Moore, Gary Pickerign, Samuel Huff, Julian Martin, Kamal Williams, Bryce Sapp III, Benny Howden, Jordan Ibrahim, Mohamed McDonald, Bishop Howard, Phillip Jordahl, Payton Harris, Justus Thompson, True Gossage, Paul Swenson, Calvin Femi-Cole, Jonathan Leius, Jack Reigelsperger, Alex London, Dominik Thomas, Kiondre Russell, Joe Ryerse, Grant Shenault. Antonio Walker, Brock Anderson, Danny Cashman, Blake Mack, John Carpenter, Emmit Jelen, Preston Vojvodich, Michael
RB DB QB WR DL RB DB QB LB WR DB DB RB LB DL WR DB DL WR H LB DB DB QB WR WR DL QB LB LB RB DB DB RB DB WR LS DB WR WR DB RB DB DL RB DB LB K/P DB K LB LB K K RB LS
5-11 5-11 6-2 6-1 6-3 6-0 6-1 6-3 6-3 6-2 6-0 6-0 5-11 5-10 6-3 6-6 5-11 5-10 6-4 6-1 6-0 6-1 5-10 6-1 6-4 5-10 6-4 6-4 6-0 6-3 6-0 6-1 5-11 5-10 6-0 5-11 6-2 5-10 6-4 6-3 6-1 6-0 6-0 6-4 5-9 6-0 6-2 6-2 5-11 5-10 6-0 6-2 6-0 6-0 5-10 6-3
210 210 210 200 260 215 195 215 220 200 200 175 200 230 260 190 205 240 200 175 225 185 190 205 240 190 300 225 225 235 200 195 185 205 205 190 195 230 200 185 210 225 200 255 205 190 210 210 190 190 220 235 195 200 200 210
R SR SR R FR R FR R SR SR FR FR R FR JR R JR R FR FR FR R FR FR R SO JR FR R FR FR FR R SO R FR R SO R SO R SR R FR SR JR FR FR FR R FR JR R SO R SR SO R SO R JR R SO R JR R SO FR R FR R SO R FR R FR SR FR R FR SR R SO R SR FR FR
40 41 42 43 44 45 46 46 47 48 49 51 52 55 56 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 69 70 71 73 75 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99
Strazzanti, Alex Barber, Thomas Kieft, Ko Schoenfelder, Bailey Beebe, Colton Coughlin, Carter DeLattiboudere, Winston Melvin, Alex Herbers, Jacob Gelecinskyj, Anders Aune, Josh Dunlap Jr., Curtis Teague, Jamaal Sori-Marin, Mariano Barron, Ty Oseland, Quinn Roane, Micah Michael Schmitz, John Dovich, Bronson Weyler, Jared Beier, Austin Olson, Conner Ruschmyer, Axel Boe, Nathan Kern, Jack Mafe, Boye Schlueter, Sam Davis, Ben Greene, Donnell Robinson, Malcolm Sassack, Kyle York, Jack Andries, Blaise Faalele, Daniel Dickson, Jason Paulson, Jake Annexstad, Brock Douglas, Demetrius Van Dyne, Harry Gibson, Erik Witham, Bryce Witherspoon, Clayton Umlor, Nate VanDyne, Yale Spann-Ford, Brevyn Morse, Matt Renner, Sam Hickcox, Noah Ahanotu, Mayan Novak-Goar, Connor N-Okonji, Abi White, Victor Bursch, Nathan Silver, Royal Janes, Max Smith, O.J.
DB LB TE LB TE LB DL P P K DB OL DL LB LB OL DL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL DL DL OL OL OL DL OL OL OL OL OL TE WR WR WR WR TE TE DL WR TE WR DL DL DL DL DL DL TE DL TE DL
6-2 6-1 6-4 6-3 6-3 6-4 6-3 6-4 6-2 6-2 6-2 6-5 6-3 6-3 6-0 6-6 6-4 6-4 6-5 6-4 6-4 6-5 6-4 6-4 6-2 6-4 6-6 6-4 6-7 6-3 6-6 6-5 6-6 6-9 6-6 6-4 6-2 6-0 6-5 6-3 6-4 6-4 6-5 6-3 6-7 6-1 6-4 6-4 6-4 6-2 6-3 6-4 6-5 6-3 6-3 6-2
205 235 250 235 265 245 250 205 215 200 205 370 305 240 220 305 235 300 300 300 285 300 285 285 300 250 305 280 320 300 290 300 315 400 315 260 200 190 200 195 255 250 285 205 260 195 270 285 255 285 250 290 255 300 230 320
R FR JR R SO R SO R JR JR R JR R JR R JR SO FR FR FR FR FR R JR FR R FR R JR R SR FR R SO R FR FR FR R FR R SO R SO R SR R FR R FR FR R FR FR JR R FR R FR R FR R FR FR R JR R FR SO R SO FR R JR R JR R FR FR R SO FR R SO R FR R JR FR R SR
Game Information Kickoff: 2:30 p.m. Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI TV: ESPN/ESPN2 Radio: Badger Sports Network
CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Wisconsin will hope to end the season on a high note with a 15th straight win over Minnesota.
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Big Ten Championship Race
Michigan-Ohio State set to decide Big Ten East champion, Northwestern already in title game By Simon Fischer STAFF WRITER
Holding the last glimmer of hope for a Big Ten appearance in the 2019 College Football Playoff, both No. 4 Michigan and No. 10 Ohio State trailed early but escaped to set up a colossal showdown Saturday. Nothing went right for Ohio State in the first half. After just two drives, Maryland running back Anthony McFarland torched OSU for two 75-yard touchdown runs. Head coach Urban Meyer spent most of the morning bent over his knees, head down, looking sick. The sky was falling; Ohio State trailed by seven at half. The second half was a blur of turnovers, flags, and touchdowns that became tied at 38 with two minutes left. With Maryland on Ohio State’s oneyard line, McFarland stretched for the goal line when the ball was knocked free. Terrapin wide receiver Chigoziem Okonkwo managed to recover the ball to save the touchdown and give the Terps a 45-38 lead. But Maryland could not stop Buckeye quarterback Dwayne Haskins. Ohio State’s final four
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Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh is looking for his first win over Ohio State since taking over in 2015. offensive drives of the game all resulted in touchdowns, including a one-yard sneak from Haskins that tied the game at 45-45 with less than a minute to go. After trading touchdowns in overtime, Ohio State led 52-51 after a touchdown. Instead of tying it with an extra point, Maryland interim head coach Matt Canada rolled the dice and elected to go for two and the win. Quarterback Tyrrell Pigrome had a man open, but missed the receiver as the game ended.
The Buckeyes managed to leave College Park still holding just one loss as they prepare to take on the Michigan Wolverines. The Wolverines had their own first half struggles Saturday afternoon at The Big House. Shea Patterson manufactured three scoring drives but couldn’t get the Wolverines’ offense into the endzone, resulting in an early 10-9 lead for the Indiana Hoosiers. With 4:46 left in the second quarter, Patterson finally broke through, hitting tight end
Nick Eubanks for 41 yards and a touchdown to put the Wolverines back on top. Indiana immediately responded with a 75-yard touchdown drive against the nation’s best defense to put them back ahead 17-15. Indiana stopped Michigan at the one-yard line as time expired in the first half, sending Indiana players and coaches into euphoria on the sidelines as they went to halftime with the shocking lead. Then the second half got under way, and the Michigan
defense found their groove. Indiana was held to just three points on their final six drives, and Michigan figured it out offensively, winning 31-20. Michigan and Ohio State renew their heated rivalry this week in Columbus. While the Buckeyes have won the last six matchups between the teams, Michigan has opened as a slight road favorite due to the Buckeyes’ recent struggles. The winner earns a trip to the Big Ten Championship game along with bragging rights in this historic rivalry. For the winner, only the No. 20 Northwestern Wildcats would stand in the way from a Big Ten Championship and potential playoff berth. Northwestern is coming off a win against Minnesota and has done very well in the Big Ten this season with their only conference loss coming after a late collapse against Michigan early in week four gave the Wolverines a 20-17 win. While most everyone believes that the eventual Big Ten champion will come from the winner of “The Game,” Northwestern will surely want to try and clinch their first Big Ten title since 2000.
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