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The Predictions
Phil Mitten (11-0, +174): Wisconsin 38, Penn State 14
Jake Harris (11-0, +183): Wisconsin 38, Penn State 3
Mike Fiammetta (10-1, +191): Wisconsin 34, Penn State 17
Andrew Rosin (10-1, +192): Wisconsin 35, Penn State 7
Andy Johnson (10-1, +197): Wisconsin 35, Penn State 13
Jake Kocorowski (10-1, +211): Wisconsin 42, Penn State 17
Louis Bien (10-1, +232): Wisconsin 30, Penn State 10
The Reasoning
Remember when Penn State, led by then-new head coach Bill O'Brien, went 8-4 in 2012 and people said the scholarship reductions that resulted from the Jerry Sandusky scandal wouldn't affect the team? Turns out those predictions may have been premature.
The Nittany Lions are reeling, losers of three of their last five games. Their two-game win streak to start the season is their longest of the year. If they lose at Wisconsin, they will finish their Big Ten schedule with a 3-5 conference record.
Penn State is led by quarterback Christian Hackenberg, a highly-recruited freshman from Virginia with a strong arm. He has completed 58 percent of his passes for 2,616 yards with 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He has thrown just two picks in his last four games and is learning to make better decisions with the football.
His favorite target, by far, is junior wide receiver Allen Robinson, who has caught 89 balls for an absurd 1,310 yards with six touchdowns in 2013. Robinson has eclipsed the 100-yard receiving mark seven times this season. Expect true freshman cornerback Sojourn Shelton to cover Robinson for Wisconsin.
Penn State's defense ranks 44th in the country. More troubling, the Nittany Lions allow 146.2 yards per game on the ground, which does not bode well for them if they hope to contain James White and Melvin Gordon.
Saturday is Senior Day in Madison and an accomplished group of Badgers will be honored before the game. That, and the possibility of earning an at-large berth in a BCS bowl game, will be enough motivation for Wisconsin to put Penn State away decisively.
