Wisconsin takes Paul Bunyan’s Axe to Minnesota’s boat, wins Big Ten West

The Wisconsin Badgers sink the Minnesota Golden Gophers’ boat in Minneapolis by winning Paul Bunyan’s Axe and a trip to the Big Ten Championship.

Wisconsin took Paul Bunyan’s Axe to Minnesota’s boat to sink the Gophers hopes of a Big Ten title.

Playing for trips to the Big Ten Championship out of the Big Ten West is in the Wisconsin Badgers’ DNA. They’ve been the preeminent college football program since the Big Ten’s realignment a few years ago. Even though they had two losses on the year, nothing was stopping Paul Chryst‘s team from sinking P.J. Fleck and the Minnesota Golden Gophers’ boat. Wisconsin won 38-17 behind a 28-10 advantage in the second half after a tight first half.

Minnesota football had been a great story in the Big Ten West through early November. The Gophers were 9-0 and upset the Penn State Nittany Lions to set the college football world on fire. However, they lost on the road to the division rival Iowa Hawkeyes in Iowa City a few weeks ago and got blown out at home to rival Wisconsin to miss out on a trip to Indianapolis.

The Badgers have rebounded after back-to-back midseason losses to the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Ohio State Buckeyes to win the Big Ten West. Wisconsin will face Ohio State at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis next week for the Big Ten Championship. Regardless of what happens, Ohio State is sure to reach the College Football Playoff, but a Wisconsin win means the Rose Bowl.

Minnesota’s loss also knocks them out of the Rose Bowl conversation with the Penn State Nittany Lions likely to get that invitation if Wisconsin loses to Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game.

But we can’t overlook the Badgers ending what was once a dreamy season for the Gophers and turning it into a nightmare in their own building.

Wisconsin lost 38-7 at Ohio State five games ago so the chances of an upset in the rematch aren’t exactly in favor of the Badgers. But, if the Badgers were to knock off the Buckeyes in Indianapolis, it would certainly knock Ohio State down a peg or two in the final College Football Playoff Rankings. They’d be a No. 3 or No. 4 seed as a one-loss, non-champion with a neutral-site loss to a two-loss, Power 5 champion in Wisconsin. There is almost no chance Ohio State does not make the College Football Playoff at this point.

And even though Wisconsin has no shot, the Badgers should be commended for wiping the floor with their rival and reminding they run this rivalry. Good job by you, Wisconsin. Keep rowing the boat, Gophers. There’s work to be done for Fleck and Minnesota.

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