Wisconsin Badgers-Michigan Wolverines: A Badger's Take

Michigan Wolverines football. The very thought causes several different reactions among Big Ten fans.

"I would rather kick myself in the face than see the Wolverines win a game." -Josh, L.A. Ohio State fan.

"...they are without a doubt the most arrogant fans in the college football universe." -Antwon, L.A. Michigan State fan.

"Just thinking about last year's game against Michigan gives me a migraine." -David, Pittsburgh. Wisconsin fan.

The Badgers had a 19-point lead going into halftime of last season's game against the Wolverines and are still smarting from the memory of the 27-25 loss that sent the Badgers spiraling into a-five game losing streak.

The Badgers were ranked ninth in the nation before that loss and hoping for a strong start to the Big Ten season.

That loss is just the latest in a series that Michigan has dominated, 49-12-1. The Wolverines have posted a 19-5-1 record at Camp Randall.

However, the Badgers have won their last two home meetings against Michigan. In both, the Wolverines were ranked and upset by the Badgers.

Wisconsin will win if...

-John Clay rushes for over 100 yards. The Badgers have always been a run-oriented offense. That has held true this season. John Clay leads the conference in rushing yards this season. He is backed up by freshman Montee Ball, who is coming off of a 115-yard, two-touchdown performance against Indiana last week.

The Badgers are 5-0 when Clay reaches the century mark and 2-2 when he does not.

-The defense limits big plays. The Badgers allowed Tandon Doss and Ben Chappell to make things look easy on some huge plays last week.

Allowing big plays, particularly through the air, has been the Achilles heel for this defense. Should they let Michigan quarterback Tate Forcier tear apart the secondary, the Wolverines will walk away with a big win.

-They contain Michigan's run game . Michigan leads the conference in rushing yards per game and has arguably the best running back duo in the conference. Carlos Brown and Brandon Minor have noses for the end zone and Michigan finds ways to get them the ball, whether on screens or hand-offs up the middle.

Wisconsin is coming off of it's second straight game of holding an opponent below 70 yards rushing. The Badgers have allowed the fewest yards rushing per game during conference play. Something's gotta give this Saturday.

-Scott Tolzien is efficient. Wisconsin quarterback Scott Tolzien started off the season on a tear. In his first five games, Tolzien threw for nine touchdowns and only three interceptions while completing 82 of 125 attempts for 1,043 yards.

The last four games have been a marked contrast. Tolzien was 59-of-103 with only one touchdown and five interceptions.

If Tolzien can complete about 60 percent of his passes without throwing any interceptions, the Badgers will win the game.

Michigan will win if...

-Tate Forcier makes some big plays. Wisconsin has proved to be susceptible in the defensive secondary, most recently against Indiana. The Badgers allowed 323 yards through the air to the Hoosiers last week and almost 13 yards per throw.

Michigan will need to get Forcier involved early to loosen up the game for his running backs.

-The defense contains Clay and Ball. As previously stated, the Badgers excel when Clay has a big day. He will be coming off of a concussion suffered against Indiana, but freshman Montee Ball proved to be an able substitute. The key to Michigan's success in this game will be their ability to stop the run.

-They force mistakes. Wisconsin averages over 45 penalty yards per game and has given away 17 turnovers this season. If the Badgers are allowed to play their game of ball control and pounding the rock, Michigan will have a hard time even getting the ball to score points. They must find a way to take it away.

-They contain O'Brien Schofield . Defensive end O'Brien Schofield has been a monster for Wisconsin this season, totaling 18.5 tackles for loss this season, tied for second-best in the nation. He had a sack and a tackle for loss last week against Indiana despite being double-teamed on the line for much of the game.

Final Prediction - Rich Rod and his boys will leave Mad-Town searching for more answers, as an opportunistic Badger defense forces four turnovers and rushes for over 300 yards against a struggling Michigan team.

Michigan 14, Wisconsin 34