The Michigan Wolverines are welcoming the Wisconsin Badgers and College Gameday to Ann Arbor as the Wolverines and Badgers are set to face off on a national stage.
The No. 12 Michigan Wolverines are getting set to host the No. 15 Wisconsin Badgers. After the Wolverines opened up the season with a disappointing loss to Notre Drame, Michigan has won five consecutive games to gain national attention once again. Not all of the Wolverines’ wins have been all that impressive though. It’s only been a couple of weeks since Michigan struggled against Northwestern and needed a miraculous comeback to win.
Wisconsin also knows what it’s like to struggle against inferior foes. During the third week of the season, the Badgers fell to the BYU Cougars in shocking fashion at home. BYU currently has a 3-3 record and doesn’t look all that impressive. Still, the Badgers fell short in the third week of the season and fell from their No. 6 ranking in the polls.
Wisconsin is fighting their way back from that loss and is looking to get some respect in the Big Ten. A win against Michigan would help with Wisconsin’s race to claim the Big Ten West. The Badgers have done a lot to start to lock up their division by having a win over Iowa earlier this year. At the moment, Northwestern is the closest to challenging the Badgers, and the Wildcats are far from being a consistent threat for the division.
Similarly, Michigan is trying to stay atop the Big Ten East. That’s a hard thing to do with Penn State and Ohio State being residents of the division right beside Michigan. It’s an even harder thing to do when Ohio State stands in your way of standing at the top by yourself. A win against Wisconsin would keep the Wolverines on pace to be right there with the Buckeyes at the top for at least another week.
TV Info and Betting Odds
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 13
- Start Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Stadium: Michigan Stadium
- TV Info: ABC
- Odds: Michigan -8.5
- Live Stream: WatchESPN
Prediction: This should be a physical test for both teams. Shea Patterson has been coming into his own as of late and seems to be slightly more comfortable running the Wolverines’ offense now than he was at the beginning of the season. Expect him to make a few more big plays than Wisconsin, giving the Wolverines the win, but they won’t cover the spread. The Badgers and the Wolverines are two great teams that are aiming to make it into the Big Ten Championship game with aspirations that extend beyond that. Although a loss in this game would be a setback for Wisconsin, it doesn’t mean its the end of the road for the Badgers.