Nebraska-Wisconsin game could decide Big Ten West
Nebraska heads to Wisconsin this weekend for a game that could ultimately decide who represents the Big Ten West in the Big Ten Championship Game.
At 8-1 and 4-1 in conference play, the Huskers are currently in the driver’s seat due to overall record, but the Badgers (7-2, 4-1) should pose a tough challenge for the Huskers, who fell to three spots to No. 16 in the College Football Playoff rankings despite having a bye last week.
As coaches often do, Nebraska's Bo Pelini or Wisconsin's Gary Andersen said they won't change a thing about how they prepare for this big game.
“Every game is the same magnitude as far as I’m concerned," Pelini said. "I don’t buy into the ‘this is a big game, this isn’t a big game’ thing. You better be ready week in and week out. There are no games that are bigger than the next. This just happens to be the next one against a tough opponent in their stadium. But our approach won’t be any different.”
Added Andersen: "Everybody wants to talk about big games, and it's this and it's that. We're going to approach it exactly the same. As a coach, I think it's important to allow the kids to prepare exactly the same; you put them in a position if it gets built up too much, it's not good. I don't think it's good for the kids. And quite frankly, I don't think it's good for the coaches, so we're just going to prepare how we always prepare."
Pelini knows stopping the Badgers’ vaunted rushing attack – led by Melvin Gordon, the nation’s leading rusher with 1,501 yards – will be a major key to success.
“We need to execute our game plan. We have to tackle well,” Pelini said. “It’s going to come down to being physical up front, guys being disciplined and playing their gaps. It comes down to execution. The team that executes the best will win the football game. No question about it.”
Wisconsin, up to No. 20 in the latest rankings, has seen its offense steadily improve in recent weeks, averaging 40 points per game in the last four games – all double-digit wins. Badgers head coach Gary Andersen has utilized a two-quarterback system with Joel Stave and Tanner McEvoy. McEvoy has been mainly used as a runner in recent weeks, but Pelini knows being cognizant of both quarterback’s skill sets is a unique test for his defense.
“If they were exactly the same, then you don’t worry about it much. But they are a little bit different,” Pelini said of Stave and McEvoy. “The players have to be aware of who is in the game. Everything could change. They won’t change their whole offense, but they could change some things here and there.”
On the other side of the ball, Pelini expects standout running back Ameer Abdullah to return from a knee sprain. Abdullah did not practice last week, but has been sporting a brace on his left knee so far this week.
“He looked good today,” offensive coordinator Tim Beck said Wednesday per the Lincoln Journal Star. “He’s moving around, going through with all of our stuff. We didn’t limit him in any way.”
Wisconsin head coach Gary Andersen is certainly aware of the unique skill set of Abdullah.
“Abdullah is fantastic,” Andersen said. “He cuts on a dime. He's fast, he's quick, he's physical, catches the ball well, all that stuff. He’s a talented, talented young man, and all the accolades that is talked about him having and that he's received in the past are definitely warranted.”
The Badgers are coming off a 34-16 road win over Purdue. Andersen admitted that Nebraska, coming off a bye, has a bit of an advantage in preparation for the game, but that doesn’t mean the Badgers can’t close the gap.
“You always feel like you're a little bit behind, especially early in the week, when a team has had a bye,” Andersen said. “It’s our job as coaches to eat that up and, as we practice, the players’ responsibility to eat up the prep time that they've had so when we take the field, we're where we need to be to be ready to play. Byes are never an excuse for playing well or playing poorly.”
Not only is first place in the division on the line, the teams will play for a trophy for the first time. The Freedom Trophy depicts a football stadium with an American flag emerging from the center to honor veterans. One side features Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium and the other side features Wisconsin’s Camp Randall Stadium. The two teams will now play each other annually as members of the Big Ten West.
“I think what it stands for is awesome,” Andersen said. “It's great to have a trophy that stands for something that special, especially with the traditions of both the stadiums and all the stuff that comes with it. Kids have an opportunity to compete for something that they can trade back and forth as one of them is victorious throughout the years. Always gives it a little bit of a special edge for the game.”
Saturday’s game will kickoff at 3:30 p.m. ET at Camp Randall.
For more Nebraska news, visit HuskerOnline.com.
For more Wisconsin news, visit BadgerBlitz.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
