BadgerExtra reporters Colten Bartholomew and Jake Kocorowski look ahead to Wisconsin's primetime clash against No. 3 Penn State on Saturday.
The University of Wisconsin football team has played a tough schedule to start the season, but the real gauntlet has arrived.
It's funny to think that the softer part of the schedule included hosting Alabama, which was ranked No. 4 but has since dropped to 15th, and visiting Southern Cal, which was ranked 13th but has since fallen out. But the Badgers (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) had an expectedly slow start and, perhaps, arrived at a record many predicted when the schedule was released.
How to watch Wisconsin football vs. No. 3 Penn State: Storylines, prediction, more
So, a 6:30 p.m. game Saturday against No. 3 Penn State is the latest test for Luke Fickell's team in his second season as Wisconsin's coach. A win over the Nittany Lions could change the narrative and prove that the three-game winning streak against teams at the bottom of the Big Ten's larger barrel was a turning point.
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ESPN's "College GameDay" has road-tripped to new locations this season and visited Bloomington, Indiana for the first time Saturday. The undefeated Hoosiers are ranked 13th and it was a nostalgic trip for former IU coach Lee Corso, who led the Hoosiers to a win in the 1979 Holiday Bowl. Former Colts punter Pat McAfee has rejuvenated the show and getting crowds fired up, and he's no stranger to Hoosiers. And, though he isn't a part of the World Series, former Indiana baseball star and Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber was the guest picker.
Here's how ESPN "College GameDay" picked the Badgers' primetime game against Penn State.
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Desmond Howard: I was really struggling with this one, because Wisconsin's defense has been really great the last three games, only giving up one touchdown, but I don't know if I can trust their offense. So I'm going Penn State.
Nick Saban: I think Penn State has been one of the most complete teams so far this season. So I'm going to stick with Penn State.
Pat McAfee: Massive 'GameDay' implications on the line here in the bounce house, and if Penn State can just remind themselves to pound the rock, not what they did in the first half against USC, I think they win easily here.
Kyle Schwarber: Yeah, I think Penn State has this pretty easy right now. So I'm going Penn State.
Lee Corso: Penn State's looking ahead to the buckeyes, makes it a close game, really.
Kirk Herbstreit: Drew Allar (and) Tyler Warren, coming off a bye week, I think Penn State is able to travel into that hostile environment and win.
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