BCS Rankings Week 8: Russell Wilson, Wisconsin Will Be Tested at Michigan State

No. 4 Wisconsin need only look at what happened to No. 11 Michigan against No. 23 Michigan State to know that next weekend's trip to East Lansing will not be an easy one.

Granted, the Badgers have looked far better than the Wolverines thus far. Bret Bielema's team has steamrolled its opponents this season by an average margin of 40.5 points, thanks in large part to the stellar play of senior transfer and Heisman Trophy favorite Russell Wilson.

And, unlike the Maize and Blue, 'Sconsin has a win over a quality opponent on its resume—a 48-17 thrashing of No. 14 Nebraska in Madison.

However, that doesn't change the fact that winning at Spartan Stadium will be no simple task for the Badgers. Wisconsin played at Michigan State last season and emerged on the wrong end of a 34-24 decision. Sparty held 'Sconsin to just 292 total yards of offense, while Kirk Cousins and company racked up 444 yards in what proved to be the Badgers' worst defensive performance of the season.

As such, the Badgers won't take Mark Dantonio's team lightly this time around, not when a different result in last season's edition might well have landed them in the BCS National Championship Game.

Ironically enough, Wisconsin finds itself in much the same position now as it was in prior to October of 2010—undefeated, with a powerful offense and an eye fixed firmly on the coveted crystal football. This year's MSU team isn't quite as good as the 2010 edition, which shared the Big Ten title with Ohio State and Wisconsin, but still sports Cousins, now a senior, under center and running back Edwin Baker carrying the load behind him.

The Badgers won't be able to intimidate an experienced Spartans squad quite like they have done with the Cornhuskers and the crop of cupcakes on their schedule up to this point. Wisconsin will have to step up its game defensively and get another strong game out of Russell Wilson to assure victory in the Great Lakes State.

A feasible proposition, to be sure, but that cannot and should not be take for granted after last year's result and this week's loss by Michigan.