Wisconsin Football: X-Factors To Watch against Penn State

It all comes down to the last Saturday on the schedule.

Wisconsin's season, which once looked like nothing more than a heartbreaking story line, can take the next step toward legend with a matchup against the Penn State Nittany Lions. 

Last week, the Badgers dug deep and showed it has grit to go along with girth. Penn State made a statement on the road against a quality opponent. Both teams unveiled an extra gear and an extra effort to set up the upcoming showdown in Madison. The winner moves on to the championship game while the loser will most likely lick its wounds in a Florida or Texas bowl game. 

The last regular-season game also means there are more variables to consider than just the game plan. 

Emotions

Since the last weeks of October, you cannot talk about Penn State without talking about emotion.

No one has to revisit the hellish weeks that preceded this game for Penn State. Just walking into the State College facilities takes some guts. The team has had to face adversity every single moment in a scandal that seemingly has no bounds.

The players will be using their angst and frustration as fuel. Their focus on football alone. But will that be enough?

Likely not.

The game represents senior day for the Wisconsin Badgers, and the last home game ever for the team's latest hero Russell Wilson. The need to prove themselves to their home crowd after two games on the road will be a powerful catalyst. Expect Wisconsin to match Penn State's intensity and focus on every down.  

Coaching

Last week's Ohio State  vs. Penn State game featured two hastily promoted assistants. This Saturday will witness a firmly entrenched head coach and a man trying to keep his team together. 

No one envies Tom Bradley's position. He may have dreamed of becoming the head coach of the Nittany Lions, it is certain that this was not the path he envisioned to get there. But here he is, and he is doing an admirable job. 

In fact, this is not the first time Bradley stalked the Camp Randall sidelines. When Joe Paterno broke his leg in 2006 against the Badgers, it was then defensive coordinator Bradley who took over the duties on the field. (Penn State lost that game 13-3. That  Nittany Lions team looked remarkable similar to the 2011 version boasting a smothering defense.)

On the other sideline, Bret Bielema is more at home on that field than in his own living room. His record reflects that. 

Offense vs. Defense

It's now an obligatory comment to say Penn State has never seen an offense like this. And it's true. Nobody on their schedule represents even a whiff of the dominance the Badgers can bring to bear. 

Rehashing that argument would be beating a dead horse with a dead horse. The more interesting debate is the Penn State offense versus the Wisconsin defense.

For the Badgers, the first half of last week's Illinois game was a clinic in missed assignments, poor tackling and general incompetence. The second half was a defensive coordinator's paradise complete with INTs and TFLs.

Similarly, Penn State surprised everyone, most importantly Ohio State, with a wildcat-powered offensive scheme. It was effective because mostly it was completely unexpected and the Nittany Lions amassed 327 yards of total offense. 

Wisconsin's D has had issues and injuries, but it does have agile linemen in spades. More to the Badgers' favor, the wildcat is no longer an ambush. Penn State does have play makers, but can their offense work against a waiting, ready opponent?