UW v. Northwestern Game Thread

[humanrefutation]

Wisconsin Badgers (10-1, 6-1 Big Ten) v. Northwestern Wildcats (7-4, 3-4)



v.



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When: 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
TV: ABC with Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Bob Griese (analysis), Chris Spielman (analysis) and Jeannine Edwards (sidelines).
Radio: AM-620 and a state network with Matt Lepay (play-by-play) and Mike Lucas (analysis).
Line: Wisconsin by 23½.
Weather: Sunny, high 35.
Series: UW leads, 55-33-5 (24-12-2 in Madison).
Coaches: UW's Bret Bielema (48-15) and Northwestern's Pat Fitzgerald (34-27).

[LUKE23]

I feel bad for Northwestern's defense in this game. We are going to ram it down their throat.

[humanrefutation]

They always seem to give us trouble. I'm sorta, kinda worried about this one.

[LUKE23]

They always seem to give us trouble. I'm sorta, kinda worried about this one.

They generally have given us trouble in Evanston. I think this UW team is as focused as it gets. I expect a dominating win.

[Turk Nowitzki]

They always seem to give us trouble. I'm sorta, kinda worried about this one.

If Persa was playing I'd we worried but we should be able to handle their backup QB.

[chuckleslove]

Northwestern doesn't worry me, the game is at home and this team has been very well disciplined and only gotten better as the year went on. We need to win with style and win over some more human votes.

[trwi7]

Last 10 games against Northwestern

October 19th, 1996, 34-30 loss at Camp Randall Stadium
October 4th, 1997, 26-25 win at Ryan Field
September 26th, 1998, 38-7 win at Camp Randall Stadium
October 30th, 1999, 35-19 win at Ryan Field
September 23rd, 2000, 47-44 2OT loss at Camp Randall Stadium
October 25th, 2003, 16-7 loss at Ryan Field
October 23rd, 2004, 24-12 win at Camp Randall Stadium
October 5th, 2005, 51-48 loss at Ryan Field
October 7th, 2006, 41-9 win at Camp Randall Stadium
November 21st, 2009, 33-31 loss at Ryan Field

So 2-3 at Ryan Field, 3-2 at Camp Randall Stadium, alternated wins and losses the last five meetings.

[MickeyDavis]

I think I'm going to go, tix are very very cheap. GOOD tix. And I love 2:30 games.

[humanrefutation]

I think I'm going to go, tix are very very cheap. GOOD tix. And I love 2:30 games.

Indeed, the 2:30 start is lovely, especially for those of us who are traveling for the game.

I will say that it's probably best to buy them sooner rather than later, because I can already see that my friends who were selling are either not selling now or are raising the price considerably.

[chuckleslove]

I wanted go to but the 2:30 start time is actually bad for me since I have a Bucks game that night, if the game was at 11am I would have been buying tickets and going.

[Flames24Rulz]

If Illinois could run the ball all over them, I can only imagine what you guys will do to them. This one won't be close.

[chuckleslove]

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/i ... in-msu-osu

I didn't realize that MSU hasn't won at Penn St. since 1965, the year before Joe Paterno took over as head coach.

Let's go Penn state!

[LUKE23]

So if for some reason we either lose or don't get the Rose Bowl, is the most likely scenario at large BCS or Capital One?

[chuckleslove]

So if for some reason we either lose or don't get the Rose Bowl, is the most likely scenario at large BCS or Capital One?

If we lose then Capital One bowl, I think if we win and OSU loses while MSU wins(then MSU gets the Rose Bowl) then we end up in an at large BCS.

I guess if we lose and OSU and MSU both win there is a scenario where OSU gets the Rose Bowl, MSU gets snubbed by the BCS and ends up in the Capital One bowl and then we end up in the Outback but I think its most likely that even with a loss we end up in the Capital One bowl and at worst with a win an at-large BCS bowl.

[LUKE23]

Personally, I thought I really wanted the Rose, but the at large BCS matchups intrigue me more than Stanford. Either way, I just don't want the Capital One again.

[chuckleslove]

Personally, I thought I really wanted the Rose, but the at large BCS matchups intrigue me more than Stanford. Either way, I just don't want the Capital One again.

We won't get Stanford in the Rose Bowl.

The Rose Bowl is obligated to take the highest non AQ school if either the Pac 10 or Big 10 is selected to the national championship game the first time it happens during this bowl cycle(2010-2013). So if Oregon makes it to the championship game(almost a sure thing) then the Rose Bowl is left with Big 10 champion(likely us) vs highest non AQ(either Boise St or TCU).

Right now my gut feeling says that Oregon wins out, Auburn stumbles down the road and Boise St. ends up in the national championship against Oregon and we end up in the Rose Bowl against TCU.

Boise St. should gain enough ranking this weekend to pass TCU, they are very close in the rankings right now and Boise St. goes on the road to play at #19 Nevada this weekend so that should help them surpass TCU.

Now all bets are off if Boise St. loses and if Auburn wins out then they go to the championship game and Boise St. will be left in the Rose Bowl. I just don't see Auburn getting past Alabama and South Carolina without a loss.

[chuckleslove]

My personal current projections, of course this will probably change a lot after this weekend's games there are some big ones:

National Championship
Oregon vs Boise St.

Rose Bowl
Wisconsin vs Stanford(I take back what I said about not getting Stanford, if Boise St. goes to the national championship then the Rose Bowl doesn't have to take a non AQ school and they will stick with chalk of Pac 10 vs Big 10)

Orange Bowl
Virginia Tech vs TCU

Fiesta Bowl
Nebraska vs **** Big East school

Sugar Bowl
Auburn vs Ohio St


I guess if we want the Boise St matchup in the Rose Bowl(I personally do) then we want Auburn to win out and go to the national championship.

If we get an at large then we would probably end up in the Sugar Bowl since they get first pick of an at large team to matchup against the SEC winner so I would guess they go for a Big 10 school over say TCU.

[El Duderino]

I have no concern about losing this game.The Badgers will win and win in a convincing manner.

[Ayt]

Flawless victory.

[MickeyDavis]

USA Today projected us in the Rose against Boise State. I'd love that.