Saturday’s game between Wisconsin and Nebraska at Camp Randall Stadium is big for many reasons. It’s Nebraska’s first conference game as a member of the Big Ten. It could have large ramifications in the races in both the Legends and Leaders divisions. It’s a game between the #7 and #8 ranked teams. The stakes are high. The game was truly elevated to Big Game™ status earlier this week once it was revealed that ESPN’s College GameDay would be making the trip to Madison, filming from the iconic Bascom Hill on Saturday morning.
This is Wisconsin’s eigth appearance as the featured game on College GameDay and the fifth time the show has come to Madison. Here’s how the Badgers have fared in the previous eight tilts:
"1999: #4 Michigan 21, #17 Wisconsin 16 at Camp Randall Stadium2000: #9 Michigan 13, #14 Wisconsin 10 at Michigan Stadium2003: #13 Purdue 26, #14 Wisconsin 23 at Camp Randall Stadium2004: #20 Wisconsin 16, Penn State 3 at Camp Randall Stadium2004: #12 Wisconsin 20, #5 Purdue 17 at Ross-Ade Stadium2010: #18 Wisconsin 31, #1 Ohio State 18 at Camp Randall Stadium2011: #3 Texas Christian 21, #5 Wisconsin 19 at The Rose Bowl"
The Badgers will carry a 3-4 record in GameDay-featured games into Saturday’s game against Nebraska as well as a 2-2 record at Camp Randall Stadium in such games. Remarkably, this is the first time the Badgers have ever been the higher-ranked team in any of these contests. The Badgers have always been a good football program but never a great, on the historical level of a Michigan, Ohio State, Alabama, or the like. This is probably the best chance the Badgers have ever had to join that group, with the Russell Wilson era serving as the springboard. And that all starts with a victory over Nebraska Saturday night at Camp Randall Stadium.