Wisconsin looks to strengthen their bid for a BCS bowl berth as they host the Penn State Nittany Lions Saturday afternoon. Television coverage begins at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
How to watch Penn State vs. Wisconsin: Preview, TV schedule, odds and more
Can the Nittany Lions end the Badgers’ BCS hopes?
Jonathan Daniel
The Badgers lost two heartbreakers early in the season to two teams now firmly in the BCS picture -- Ohio State and Arizona State. In their other nine games, they’re a perfect 9-0, with wins over BYU and Minnesota as likely their most impressive victories.
Penn State has had an up-and-down season -- after back-to-back wins over Syracuse and Eastern Michigan started the year out, they have alternately won and lost every game since. Their last time out, they lost to Nebraska, so if patterns hold, they’ll emerge victorious in this one, although the stats don’t favor it.
The numbers
Rankings and records: Wisconsin is ranked No. 15 in the newest BCS standings. Penn State is unranked. The Badgers are 9-2, with a 6-1 record in conference play, while the Nittany Lions are 6-5 with a 3-4 Big Ten record. Wisconsin is in second place in the Leaders Division, while Penn State is in third. The Badgers hold a 9-3 lead in the all-time series.
Vegas: Wisconsin is a 24-point favorite.
Weather: Very, very, very cold.
Three names to know
Melvin Gordon. Wisconsin has two excellent running backs, and while James White gets most of the carries, the speedster Gordon has been more efficient.
Jared Abbrederis. Abbrederis adds an extra dimension to Wisconsin's offense as a legitimate threat at wide receiver, and has scored nine total touchdowns this year. He and the other seniors would view this game as a special victory for the class.
Zach Zwinak. A power-runner for the Nittany Lions, Zwinak was a fullback coming out of high school but has done well this year as a feature back, scoring 12 touchdowns.
Two things at stake
A win for Penn State would bring their Big Ten record back up to .500.
Wisconsin is hoping for a BCS bowl bid, but a loss would dash those hopes.
How to witness
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Online streaming: WatchESPN.
Further reading
Black Shoe Diaries has all your Penn State coverage, while Bucky’s 5th Quarter is the place to be for everything Wisconsin. For general Big Ten coverage, head to Off Tackle Empire.
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