Wisconsin vs. Michigan State: Game of the Week Breakdown

The Wisconsin Badgers and the Michigan State Spartans will face off in Week 8 in a potential preview of the Big Ten championship game.

Wisconsin stands at 6-0 with all of their victories coming by 30 points or more. The Badgers dominance has earned them a No. 6 ranking in the first edition of the BCS standings.

Michigan State enters the game at 5-1. Their one loss came at the hands of Notre Dame. The Spartans currently sit atop the Legends division in the Big Ten.

The crowd in East Lansing will have the Spartans excited with a chance to knock off a national powerhouse in front of the home crowd. However, Wisconsin has played head-and-shoulders above every opponent this season.

Here is a breakdown of Week 8's anticipated Big Ten matchup:

The Quarterbacks

Russell Wilson gives the Wisconsin Badgers offense a dynamic it has never seen before—a dual-threat quarterback with the ability to make plays on his own.

Wilson has 1,557 yards, 14 touchdowns and only one interception through the air this season. He also has 182 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

He became a leader in Madison from day one. Wilson runs the Badgers offense with machine-like efficiency. He is a veteran, and he makes everyone around him better.

Kirk Cousins is not the dual-threat Wilson is, but he is very consistent in his own right.

Cousins has 1,317 yards, eight touchdowns, and four interceptions on the season.

The Spartans signal-caller is an adept decision maker, and he understands the nuances of the Spartans offense.

Cousins and Wilson are the two best quarterbacks in the Big Ten. Wilson holds the edge by a slight margin because of his playmaking ability.

The Running Backs

Montee Ball and James White form one of the best, if not the best, running back duos in the nation.

Ball is the steamroller. He runs north and south with incredible consistency. He has over 600 yards and 16 touchdowns on the season.

Yes, that really says 16.

White does not have the same production, but his six yards per carry and four touchdowns are solid contributions to Ball's unbridled success. White is a shifty runner who excels in the open field.

The Spartans have two quality backs as well, though not of the same quality as White and Ball.

Edwin Baker is their leader in rushing yards. He has 419 yards to go with two touchdowns.

Le'Veon Bell is the Spartans' bruiser. He has 287 yards and six touchdowns. His 237-pound frame makes him very difficult to bring down.

Bell and Baker are solid, but White and Ball are dynamic.

Allowing their electricity to run behind the enormous Badgers offensive line gives the Badgers' ground attack the advantage in Week 8.

The Wide Receivers and Tight Ends

The Spartans and the Badgers each run balanced attacks. Neither team has a superstar wide receiver, but their is talent at receiver for both sides.

The Badgers are led by Nick Toon and Jared Abbrederis. The duo has combined for 49 catches, 838 yards and eight touchdowns. Toon is the playmaker, averaging over 17 yards per catch and hauling in six touchdowns.

Wisconsin tight end Jacob Pedersen has 17 catches for over 200 yards and five scores. The Badgers' willingness to use Pedersen creates difficult matchups for opposing defenses.

The Spartans rely on B.J. Cunningham for the bulk of their receptions. Cunningham has 42 catches for 621 yards and two touchdowns.

Keshawn Martin and Keith Nichols support Cunningham's production. They have combined for 33 catches and two touchdowns.

Brian Linthicum lines up at tight end for Mark D'Antonio. He is not used much but he does have six catches.

Cunningham is the Spartans' star but beyond that he doesn't have much support. Toon, Abbrederis and Pedersen form a solid trio, and a more consistent stable of targets for the Badgers.

The Offensive Lines

Wisconsin's offensive line is huge, experienced and talented. The Spartans unit has talent, but lacks the necessary experience.

Peter Konz leads the Badgers interior line. He is an experienced center. Ricky Wagner and Josh Oglesby are the Badgers' bookends at tackle. Both are very talented and play a major role in the Badgers' rushing offense.

The Spartans offensive line is very inexperienced but talented. As each week passes, the Spartans offensive line improves.

Both of these teams rely on their offensive line. Michigan State's pro-style offense relies heavily on the protection given to Kirk Cousins and the Spartans' backfield.

The Badgers' experience and exceptional size up front has the advantage in this matchup.

The Defensive Lines

The Badgers defensive line lacks a star presence.

David Gilbert has been lost for an extended period of time, leaving Louis Nzegwu to lead the front four. Both are blue-collar players with a high motor. Nzegwu's ability to penetrate the Spartans' offensive line will be imperative to the Badgers' success on Saturday.

The Spartans boast two very talented players up front.

Jerel Worthy starts on the interior for Michigan State. He is a quality run-stopper. However, he also has the athleticism to get to the quarterback. Worthy is a NFL talent.

William Gholston may be the Spartans' most talented player up front. He has not reached his full potential at defensive end, but he has the measurables and talent needed to be successful.

The Badgers have depth up front, but Worthy and Gholston are the two most talented defensive lineman on the field.

Michigan State will need their presence to penetrate the stout Wisconsin offensive line.

The Linebackers

The Badgers linebacking trio consists of Chris Borland, Mike Taylor and Ethan Armstrong.

Borland is the leader in the middle. He is an excellent tackler and has speed from sideline to sideline. Taylor and Armstrong are both speedy playmakers.

The Badgers trio works very well together because of their experience and the ability for each player to fill their necessary role.

Chris Norman, Max Bullough and Denicos Allen are the Spartans linebackers. Norman and Bulllough are both experienced. Replacing Greg Jones from last season is not an easy task but these two make it just a bit easier.

The Badgers linebackers are very solid and experienced. The Spartans are as well, but Borland and Taylor are this game's two best linebackers.

The edge goes to the Badgers.

The Secondaries

Both secondaries will play a major role in Saturday's matchup. Each team has the privilege of having two great players roaming their secondary.

The Badgers use Antonio Fenelus to shut down one side of the field. Fenelus has great ball skills and is very physical against bigger receivers. Kirk Cousins will need to be very careful when looking his way.

Aaron Henry offers support to Fenelus from his safety position. Henry is a ball-hawk with great instincts. He plays well in run support, or he can drop back into coverage and get the job done.

The Spartans are lucky to have Johnny Adams. He is the most NFL-ready cornerback in this game. Adams is physical, and has great playmaking ability from his position.

The leader of the Spartans secondary is safety Trenton Robinson. He quarterbacks the defense from his free safety position. His leadership will be very important if the Spartans want to slow down Russell Wilson.

Both teams have talent on the back end of their defense.

The slightest edge goes to the Spartans because of Adams' ability to lock down receivers.

The Kickers

The Spartans placekicking duties fall on the leg of Dan Conroy.

Conroy is 6-of-9 on field goal attempts with a long of 50 yards. He is perfect on extra point opportunities.

A strong leg could play a major role in a potentially-tight game. Conroy has already shown his strong leg this season for the Spartans.

The Badgers will turn to Kyle French or Philip Welch. Neither has much kicking experience this season with French's four attempts being the most.

Michigan State may need Conroy's big leg if they hope to grab a victory in front of a hectic East Lansing crowd.

Conclusion and Prediction

Wisconsin has not had a test this season outside of the Nebraska Cornhuskers. And even that turned out to be no competition for the undefeated Badgers.

The Badgers' balance on offense will be too much for the Spartans as this games goes on.

Russell Wilson's versatility and sound decision making are a tough combination. The Badgers don't beat themselves.

The Badgers' two-headed rushing attack forces opposing defenses to stay on the field and eventually wear down. Being able to stretch the field vertically makes the rushing attack even harder to stop.

Michigan State will keep this game close for awhile. Kirk Cousins is an underrated quarterback, and he has weapons around him. B.J. Cunningham is a legitimate number one option. The Spartans must pass the ball to keep the Badgers defense honest.

Defensively, neither team is elite. However, both units are solid from top to bottom. Expect both offenses to control this game for their respective squads.

In the end, the Badgers attack will be a little too much for the Spartans to handle.

Final Score: Wisconsin 31 Michigan State 14