Wisconsin comes into this matchup at Iowa at 5-3 with a lot on the line. One more win makes them bowl eligible -- something they haven't missed in over 20 years -- and it also give them a quality win against a good opponent -- something they don't have yet. The Badgers' three conference wins are against the 15th, 16th and 18th ranked teams in the current standings. One could argue this game is a must-win for Bucky, so how do we see this one playing out?
Cameron (7-1) | Andrew (7-1) | Ericka (7-1) | Trevor (8-0) | Braulio (0-0) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
21-13 Iowa | 21-17 Wisconsin | 24-17 Iowa | 20-13 Iowa | 24-17 Wisconsin |
Three writers are on the Iowa and two have the Badgers in one of the first games that feels like a true coin toss. Both teams are 5-3 overall and 3-2 in conference play, so this is shaping up to be one of the more competitive games of the season for Wisconsin. Iowa will be rolling with a new starting quarterback this week in Brenden Sullivan, who is coming off a strong performance filling in last week against Northwestern. Wisconsin will also have to slow down running back Kaleb Johnson, who averages 7.8 yards per carry, if they want to win the Heartland Trophy.
With a win, the Badgers could catapult into the top five of the conference standings. With a loss, though, and the season could be all but over considering they would be 5-4 with the next matchup coming against No.1 Oregon. Wisconsin will look to win the turnover battle, play strong defense and avoid another fourth quarter collapse, something that doomed both the USC and Penn State games.