1. Big time Big Ten matchup

For the first time since 2011, the Wisconsin football team hosts Nebraska, and again the contest comes with huge implications for the race to the Big Ten Championship game. Saturday marks the first time since November 26, 2011 that both teams will be ranked in the top 25 in a Camp Randall matchup. The last time Wisconsin and Nebraska met at Camp Randall, which also happened to be the Huskers first Big Ten game, the No. 7 Badgers trampled the No. 8-ranked Huskers 48-17. 

2. Freedom Trophy on the line

Not only is first place in the Big Ten on the line this time around, but so too is the newly minted Freedom Trophy. The hardware commemorates the sacrifices of the nation’s soldiers and features part of both Camp Randall Stadium and Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium as the main aesthetic features of the trophy. Coming into Saturday, the teams have met a total of eight times with four wins apiece, but they will now play annually as members of the Big Ten’s West Division.

3. Has the Wisconsin volleyball team lost yet?

Like last week, the answer still remains no. Unfortunately, the Badgers’ 26 set-winning streak came to an end Friday night at Michigan when UW lost the second set to the Wolverines. Wisconsin was just one set win away from matching its record of 27 straight set wins from the 2001 season. However, Wisconsin’s more important current streak of 13 straight match wins remained intact with victories at Michigan and Michigan State this weekend. The Badgers will seek to continue that string when they take on Michigan Wednesday night at the Field House.

4. Big Ten Champs

#Badgers #SCTop10 RT @BigTenNetwork: This play should be on every highlight show tonight. In a word: Amazing! http://t.co/GHOxbGhj8H

— Wisconsin Badgers (@UWBadgers) November 9, 2014

With a golden goal from Kinley McNicoll in the 103rd minute Sunday afternoon, the Wisconsin women’s soccer team topped Iowa 1-0 in double overtime to secure the program’s third Big Ten Tournament championship. With the goal of a Big Ten title accomplished, the Badgers will now chase an NCAA championship to go along with it. The tournament run begins Friday night when the Badgers take on DePaul in the first round of the NCAA tournament at the McClimon Soccer Complex.

5. The Run to the NCAA Title

Both the Wisconsin men’s and women’s cross-country teams begin their pursuit of an NCAA team championship when the Badgers host the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Friday at the aptly named Zimmer Championship Course in Madison. Although the men’s team’s streak of 11-straight Great Lakes Regional titles came to an end last year, the Badgers’ have still qualified for a record 42-straight NCAA Championships, a streak they will look to continue this year. On the women’s side, UW hopes to build off a second-place finish from two weekends ago at the Big Ten Championships.