Badger of Honor
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Games to watch for Wisconsin football fans during the bye week

By Tanner Nestle

MADISON, WI - AUGUST 31: Garrett Groshek #37, Alex Hornibrook #12, and A.J. Taylor #4 of the Wisconsin Badgers celebrate after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at Camp Randall Stadium on August 31, 2018 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
MADISON, WI - AUGUST 31: Garrett Groshek #37, Alex Hornibrook #12, and A.J. Taylor #4 of the Wisconsin Badgers celebrate after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at Camp Randall Stadium on August 31, 2018 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
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CHAMPAIGN, IL – SEPTEMBER 21: Juwan Johnson #84 of the Penn State Nittany Lions runs the ball after a catch as Cameron Watkins #31 of the Illinois Fighting Illini reaches for the tackle at Memorial Stadium on September 21, 2018 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

No. 4 Ohio State at No. 9 Penn State

7:30p ET

ABC

This is the big one. This is the game every college football fan should watch. This is, by far, the best game of this young college football season and has major implications on the national championship picture for multiple teams.

The winner of this game has the inside track on the Big Ten East, much like Wisconsin does over Iowa in the West. The winner will also catapult itself into the top four of the AP Poll with a chance to be even higher than that. The winner of the Big Ten is likely a College Football Playoff contender but only one of these teams can make that game in Indianapolis. Both teams need this win.

Outside of the implications on just the two participants, this game will impact Wisconsin too. Wisconsin’s loss to BYU will hurt its Playoff resume significantly. BYU is currently ranked and has a great chance to move up even higher this weekend but Wisconsin will need a signature win to convince the committee its worthy of a spot if it comes to that.

The Badgers are in a spot where they must win out to keep a hope of making the Playoff alive. That will include a win at Michigan and a win at Penn State. We aren’t sure what Michigan is yet but we do know Penn State is legit. Especially if it wins this weekend.

If Penn State comes away with a win over the Buckeyes that win later in the season would be massive for the Badgers. They’d instantly be the best team in the Big Ten and it would only be up to the committee to screw the Badgers out of a Playoff spot if they eventually won the Big Ten.

This game is going to be a heavyweight fight for the ages. I’m going to enjoy it first before I worry too much about the fallout afterward. But just know this game will impact the Badgers in a significant way.