There once was a time during the nonconference season when the very idea of the Wisconsin football team playing its Big Ten slate was enough to make one recoil in fear.

After letting one too many wheel routes get past them against Northern Iowa, taking more than 58 minutes to score any points against Oregon State, winning off a missed field goal against Utah State and waiting until mid-fourth quarter to pull away from UTEP, not many people wanted to picture how the Badgers would fare in conference play.

But somehow, the conference season has been much more sweet than sour.

Three consecutive games with more than 30 points scored. Three consecutive games with no more than 14 points allowed. The only loss to speak of came in one of college football’s most hellish environments – Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium.

Back in September, nobody expected October to go so well.

So after the Badgers forced everyone who pays attention to college football to forget what they thought they knew about them, they have since reassured onlookers they remember how to win games decisively.

And while it’s good Wisconsin demonstrated a distance between itself and the likes of Illinois, Purdue and Minnesota, none of those teams has even won a conference game yet. Considering that, those wins look less impressive.

Now, with Michigan State (4-4, 1-3) stopping by for some fun, Wisconsin (6-2, 3-1) has the chance to prove it can overpower a team with plenty of talent and motivation.

With a clear path to Indianapolis already paved, a win or loss versus Michigan State will tell us whether Wisconsin is, as has been said for the majority of the season, a team that will need to get lucky in the Big Ten Championship Game, or a team that has a legitimate chance at beating whoever the Legends Division throws at it.

Another way to say it: The Badgers can win back a chunk of street cred Saturday.

(And for the record, the USA Today Coaches Poll, which now ranks UW at No. 25, isn’t the best source of street cred. This is the same poll that waited six games for it to drop UW from the rankings in the first place, which was absurd. Meanwhile, the Associated Press Poll appropriately needed three weeks and still hasn’t let the Badgers back in.)

Sure, MSU has been down in the dumps lately, losing four of its last six games. But two of those games came against ranked schools, and the other two were decided by a combined score of five points and two overtime periods. You might even argue MSU’s just gotten unlucky a few more times than UW has so far this year.

Unlike the conference bottom-dwellers Wisconsin tossed aside, Michigan State has wins against a conference opponent (Indiana) and a top-25-ranked team (Boise State) to its name.

The Spartans flaunt a thoroughbred running back (Le’Veon Bell) and the Big Ten’s best defense. It’s the toughest test the Badgers’ newly up-and-running offense will experience this season.

The Spartans are tops in the league in scoring defense (15.2), total defense (277.1), rushing defense (100.2), passing defense (142.3) and first downs allowed per game (15).

Sitting at 4-4, they’ll also walk into Camp Randall Stadium believing what’s coming is a do-or-die moment.

And you know damn well what else they’ll be thinking about.

In 2010, MSU beat UW in the regular season, got caught up in a three-way tie for first-place and watched the Badgers head to Pasadena. Then, in 2011, Brad Nortman’s Razzie Award-worthy acting performance that scored the pivotal roughing the punter call in the closing minutes of the conference title game victimized the Spartans.

“Michigan State isn’t technically a rivalry for us, but the way it’s been the last couple years, really feels, certainly, is like a rivalry,” UW center Travis Frederick said, about an hour after walloping UW’s technical rival, Minnesota, for the 16th time in the last 18 years. “There’s going to be a lot of emotion out there and a [big] sense of urgency.”

Neither of these two teams has won in the other’s stadium since 2002, with the home squad going 7-0 over that time. Wisconsin has won 21 consecutive home games, with 12 straight against Big Ten teams.

Those Spartans will be as bright as jack-o-lanterns if they win at Camp Randall.

Should they do so, it will be back to the talk of “Well, the Badgers will still get to Indianapolis. And all they have to do then is just win one game. They could get lucky.”

Or, the Badgers win and the college football world starts treating them like contenders again.

Elliot is a senior majoring in journalism and philosophy. What do you think a win against Michigan State would mean? Voice your opinions by tweeting @elliothughes12 or emailing [email protected].