The Big Ten schedule kicks off with a marquee match-up in East Lansing where the Wisconsin Badgers travel to face the Michigan State Spartans.
It’s hard to remember the last time a conference champion came into a season with such low expectations. After Michigan dominated the headlines in the offseason, and Ohio State reloaded after losing 16 starters, Michigan State was widely considered the third best team in the Big Ten East. ESPN also gave the Spartans the seventh best chance to win the Big Ten altogether.
Mark Dantonio always teaches us each year to never doubt his team, yet we keep doing it. But a win against Notre Dame on the road has everyone talking about them once again. Even though it was just their second game of the season, beating Notre Dame was important, since that was their toughest road test all year long.
Did that win make them better team than Michigan or Ohio State? Probably not, but they’re going to stay in the hunt all year long. And at least they will have home-field advantage against their closest conference rivals.
A lot of Michigan State’s big conference games this year will come at home, with Wisconsin being the first such game. Although the Badgers are a talented team, a lot of people discounted their chances simply due to their schedule. An opening week win against LSU was enough to turn heads, but with conference play starting, they could come crashing back down to Earth as soon as Week 4.
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Including Michigan State, four of Wisconsin’s next five games will come against ranked opponents. The fifth one, Iowa, lost its top 25 status by virtue of a loss to North Dakota State, but it’s hard to think they won’t get back there. But just like their win against LSU did, a win on the road against the defending Big Ten champions would put the rest of the conference on notice, and would be a huge momentum swing after they turned in a bad performance against Georgia State.
Next: All live stream info in one place
This game will be televised on the Big Ten Network. The best way to watch the game online is though the free streaming service BTN2Go, although that requires a subscription to the Big Ten Network. To access BTN2Go, simply log in with your television service provider.
Date: Saturday, September 24
Start Time: 12 PM ET
Location: East Lansing, Michigan
Venue: Spartan Stadium
TV Info: Big Ten Network
Live Stream: BTN2Go
Last week, the Big Ten made a case for being the best conference in the country. And a game like Michigan State vs. Wisconsin is the perfect way to start off the conference schedule.