By the time kickoff rolls around at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Northwestern, the Wisconsin football team will know whether they are playing for their sixth Big Ten win and a better bowl berth — or for a part of the Big Ten Championship.
With the Michigan-Ohio State game starting at 11 a.m., the No. 17 Badgers’ potential fate will loom over them all game if Michigan manages to knock off Ohio State for the first time in six years.
Coming off a 7-6 season just last year, the potential for a Big Ten Title was something junior quarterback Scott Tolzien hardly thought about.
“I hope they win obviously,” Tolzien said of Michigan. “But we’ve got to take care of our business, and it will make it sweeter if we win this weekend and hope for the best that Michigan will win as well.”
Regardless of whether the Wolverines or the Buckeyes are victorious, the Badgers will face a host of obstacles just trying to overcome Northwestern at Ryan Field.
UW hasn’t won in Evanston since 1999 — also the last time they held the Big Ten crown.
Counterintuitively, NU often enjoys a home field advantage from a smaller, and sometimes quiet, home crowd.
“But in the last 10 years, we’ve only played down there twice — lost in ’03, before I was here, and then obviously in ’05 when I was the defensive coordinator in a shoot ’em out game,” Bielema said. “It’s a difficult environment, but give credit where credit is due: Northwestern plays very well down there, and it’s sometimes a different environment for our guys to walk into.”
Posing another off the field issue, the Wildcats defense is run by coordinator Mike Hankwitz — someone UW head coach Bret Bielema fired after the 2007 season.
Players and coaches on both sides are sticking to the clich? line saying it won’t be a problem, but the added element of revenge could be present with each blitz Northwestern dials up.
Statistically, the Wildcats rank fifth in scoring defense at 22.6 points per game, fifth in total defense with 345.2 yards per game and they have forced 24 turnovers.
“They are another good defense,” Tolzien said. “The one thing that sticks out is they really have multiple coverages. Stuff like that, they are kind of complex and sound with it.”
Once again, the Badgers will rely on their Big Ten-leading rushing game to carry the brunt of the offense.
Going up against an average run defense (No. 5 in the Big Ten), UW will hope to build on the already superb 208 yards per game average.
Stopping workhorse running back John Clay will be the No. 1 goal for Northwestern if they have any hope of upsetting the Badgers.
“This week, we are going to need [the running game],” UW offensive coordinator Paul Chyrst said simply.
At Wisconsin, we really believe that we should be able to run the football,” Bielema added. “It’s one of the keys to our success. I think what I’ve always tried to point out to our guys is when we win a football game, I try to point out the ingredients that made that success happen. Just because you have those ingredients doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to work, but when they all work together, that’s what you hopefully get is a W.”
If Clay is the best option for Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, Northwestern quarterback Mike Kafka is trailing closely behind.
Ranked second in the conference in total offense, Kafka brings a threat in both the running game and passing attack.
“Well, I think first off with Kafka, when you don’t play a team for two years, you kind of just get bit and pieces,” Bielema said. “I’ve been very impressed with what I’ve watched this year in some crossover games, but more importantly in the last 24 hours of watching what Northwestern does. He obviously missed a game with the injury, but he’s being very productive.”
