Penn State vs. Wisconsin: 5 Things We Learned about the Lions and Badgers

The 9-3 (6-2 Big Ten) No. 19 Penn State Nittany Lions faced off against the 10-2 (6-2 Big Ten) No. 16 Wisconsin Badgers to determine who would represent the Big Ten Leaders Division in the first annual Big Ten championship game against the 10-2 (7-1 Big Ten) No. 14 Michigan State Spartans.

Not only did the Badgers decide who would play in the Big Ten title game, they also made a case for some Heisman conversation in Madison.

Penn State opened the game with a seven-point lead, but soon after, it was all Badgers until the final whistle blew. Wisconsin was able to own the clock in the game, and it made a huge difference in the Badgers win. Both teams concluded good seasons, but Wisconsin finishes the division champion.

Taking a look back at today’s game, here are five things that we learned about the Nittany Lions and Wisconsin Badgers.

Wisconsin Has Two Heisman-Worthy Players

Not much Heisman talk has been whispered in Wisconsin’s direction this season despite two very elite players being found in Madison. Russell Wilson is having one of the best seasons ever in college football for a quarterback with a passer rating of 199.3 on the season. Wilson has tossed 26 touchdowns and only three interceptions.

Wilson’s athletic ability and elusiveness in the pocket were big factors in today’s win. Wilson has shown that he has the ability to win games for his team.

Another player for the Badgers that's overlooked but had another huge game is Montee Ball. Ball has 25 rushing touchdowns on the season and has rushed for 1,466 yards. He has also added 233 yards through the air and caught another five touchdowns.

Ball has eight games over 100 yards with two being over 200. Against the Nittany Lions, he had 156 yards and four touchdowns. Surely, that can earn Ball some of the Heisman talk. 

The Lions Looked Stale Offensively

The Nittany Lions have relied on their defense to win them ballgames this season. When they faced a very talented and efficient offense, they needed their offense to produce some points. The Nittany Lions laid an egg offensively and looked stale the majority of the game.

Penn State’s only points came in the first quarter, and they were only able to gain 233 yards of total offense. Losing four turnovers also stunted the Nittany Lions ability to sustain drives and keep the Badgers at bay.

The Nittany Lions were only able to hold onto the ball for 21:43 while the Badgers had 38:17 of ball possession. Penn State looked bad all around on offense, and the lack of ball control led to a worn down defense. 

Wisconsin May Be the Best in the Big Ten

Wisconsin played a very good football game today proving that they belonged in the BCS bowl picture. With only two losses on the season, they will be a formidable opponent in the BCS if they can beat Michigan State in the Big Ten title game.

Michigan State defeated Wisconsin earlier in the season with a Hail Mary pass that began a two week losing streak for the Badgers. Wisconsin lost two games this season in the final seconds knocking themselves out of a possible national title contention.

Wisconsin proved in their routing of Penn State that they are not only the best team in the Big Ten, but they may be one of the best two loss teams in the country. The Badgers are playing some of their best football of the season currently; they need to ride this wave to a championship. 

The Lions Failed To Maintain Ball Control

The Nittany Lions lost this game for a number of reasons, but ball control is the most important piece of the puzzle for the Penn State offense. Four turnovers and 17 minutes less in ball possession and the Nittany Lions put themselves in the position to lose.

The Nittany Lions must find offensive consistency if they plan on building a future around the offensive talent on the field. 

Penn State Needs To Find Consistency at Quarterback

The Nittany Lions have not been able to settle on a quarterback all season, and the offense has consistently suffered because of it. Today, Matt McGloin and Robert Bolden combined for only 11 completions and 119 yards.

The Nittany Lions have rotated the quarterbacks throughout the season trying to use both players to utilize their different skill sets, but they have not been the picture of consistency.

The Nittany Lions have a choice to make in the next off season as they must settle on a starting quarterback to avoid the offensive meltdown that occurred this season.