Wisconsin’s trip to Penn State gave the Badgers a jolt they badly needed, but it also created a new kind of test.
Now comes the follow-up.
The Badgers return home Saturday for homecoming against Michigan State, and the setup is straightforward: Wisconsin is favored, and a win would push it to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in conference play. A loss, though, would wipe away plenty of the momentum from the victory in Happy Valley.
That’s what makes this game so revealing. Under Luke Fickell, Wisconsin has spent most of its time dealing with adversity.
It has had to absorb losses, reset and keep moving. What hasn’t been clear is how this team handles the other side of the equation - the pressure that comes with finally having something to feel good about.
Saturday night at No. 13 Penn State, the Badgers looked the part.
Their defense was the engine, and it showed from the start. The final score and even the box score did not fully capture how thoroughly Wisconsin controlled that side of the ball.
Penn State had a hard time moving it at all.
“Coach (Mike) Tress talked to us as a defense, he said ‘stay humble or be humbled.’ We’re still learning and growing from this last game," linebacker Cooper Catalano said this week.
Michigan State’s offense does not present a terrifying challenge on paper, and the Spartans are even thinner now with tailback Cam Edwards out for the rest of the season. That should give Wisconsin another chance to dictate terms defensively.
The Spartans’ defense has had its own problems. It held Notre Dame to 27 points, which stands out a bit more given the firepower on that offense, but it also gave up 20 to Toledo and 31 to Nebraska. Statistically, Michigan State ranks 63rd against the run at 124 rushing yards allowed per game and 48th against the pass at 190 yards allowed per game.
There is also a chance the Spartans are missing another key piece in linebacker Jordan Hall.
Even so, Wisconsin wideout Eugene Hilton Jr. said the Badgers are not treating this like a walkover.
“They’re obviously a great defense, Big Ten team. You’re never gonna just have freebies," he said.
That sounds like a team that knows what’s expected of it - and knows how easy it would be to lose focus after a breakthrough win. Saturday will say plenty about whether Wisconsin can handle success as well as it has handled struggle.
In Other News...
Wisconsin Escaped Penn State But One Problem Could Burn Them Next Week
Wisconsin left Happy Valley with a win, but it hardly left with a clean performance. The Badgers were sloppy in the kinds of areas that usually decide close Big Ten games, piling up penalties, losing the non-quarterback rushing battle and putting too much on their quarterback in a game where the offense never really settled in. Even so, they found enough answers to survive Penn State and keep moving forward.
The problem is that the same issues can be harder to overcome next week. Wisconsins three interceptions, including a pick-six, were the kind of self-inflicted mistakes that can erase good work in a hurry, and the penalty count was a reminder of how thin the margin can be when execution slips. The Badgers escaped this one, but if they do not tighten up the discipline and clean up the run game, the next opponent may not be nearly as forgiving. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Faces A Bigger Test Than Fans May Expect Saturday
Wisconsin heads into Saturday with some momentum after a significant comeback win and a 3-1 start that includes a conference victory. On paper, the matchup with Michigan State looks favorable for the Badgers, too, with advanced models and betting markets both leaning Wisconsin by a margin close to the 9.5-point spread.
Still, the Badgers are getting a tougher test than the records might suggest. Wisconsins defense has been far sturdier than Michigan States, especially against the run, but the Spartans bring a slightly more efficient offense into the game even after losing a key running back for the season. For Wisconsin, the challenge is less about whether it should win and more about whether it can keep control against a team that has enough on offense to make things uncomfortable. [Read more 🡒]
Camp Randall Has A Chance To Feel Different For Wisconsin Again
Camp Randall has spent much of the Luke Fickell era trying to recapture the old energy that once made it one of the toughest places to play in the Big Ten. Wisconsins struggles on the field have shown up in the stands, too, with attendance and atmosphere sagging as the program searched for traction. But a recent win over Penn State gave the stadium a jolt, and it has already started to show up in the form of renewed interest around the next home date.
Michigan State comes to Madison on a weekend that already has plenty built around it, with Homecoming and the start of Wisconsins mens hockey season adding to the buzz. The bigger test is whether the Badgers can keep the momentum going in conference play and give the fan base a reason to keep turning out in force. If they do, Camp Randall could start to feel different again. [Read more 🡒]