(Video of Indiana head coach Kevin Wilson courtesy of IU athletics)
Wisconsin (6-3, 3-2 Big Ten) at Indiana (4-5, 2-3)
Kickoff: Saturday, noon ET (ESPN2)
Spread: Wisconsin by 7
Watchability: If you watch one Hoosiers game all season let it be this one. Indiana has a chance to upset Wisconsin, which would give the Hoosiers the inside track to Indianapolis for the conference championship game. If they win, the Hoosiers would hold the head-to-head tie-breaker over the Badgers with games against Penn State and Purdue remaining. Wisconsin still has to face Ohio State and Penn State on senior night in Happy Valley. In other words, the Hoosiers have a legitimate chance.
Shining stars: Wisconsin -- Coach Bret Bielema hasn’t publicly named a starting quarterback yet between Danny O’Brien and Curt Phillips, but RB Montee Ball will undoubtedly ease the transition for whichever QB he chooses. Ball, who is tied for the league lead with 13 rushing scores, had his worst game of the season (2.1 ypc) two Saturday’s ago vs. Michigan State, but had the bye week to rest and evaluate the Hoosiers. Wisconsin is also expected to have its OL anchor Rick Wagner back from a knee injury that kept him out two weeks. Indiana -- Similar to Wisconsin, the Hoosiers haven’t been able to settle on a quarterback in recent weeks. Last weekend freshman Cameron Coffman threw for 315 yards and three touchdowns (all to Cody Latimer) in the comeback win over Iowa and two weeks ago, freshman Nate Sudfeld led the Hoosiers to a 31-17 victory over Illinois. Coffman has gotten significantly more time under center, but Sudfeld seems to have a better command of the offense and has thrown just one interception. Both have exceeded expectations and could give Indiana different offensive looks on Saturday.
Who could steal the show: Wisconsin -- On Tuesday's Big Ten coaches teleconference, Bielema credited linebackers Mike Taylor, Chris Borland and Ethan Armstrong as being the focal points of the Wisconsin defense. Taylor leads the team with 92 tackles while Borland has a team-high 4.5 sacks. Their task on Saturday will be to limit Hoosiers RB Stephen Houston, who is a receiving threat as well as an elite running back. Houston has 12 scores (nine rushing, three receiving). Indiana -- His stats likely won’t illuminate his impact on the game but DT Larry Black Jr. will be crucial in clogging Wisconsin’s ground attack. Regardless of who is at QB, the Badgers will inevitably rush the ball and Black (nine tackles for loss, four sacks) could absorb a lot of Wisconsin’s OL attention. “You put Black in one-on-one situations and he can make anyone look silly,” Bielema said on Monday. The Hoosiers' front seven will likely try to confuse the quarterback and if that happens to be Phillips, given his little game experience, that pressure could impact his performance.
You going? Ranking the road trip: Coach Kevin Wilson on Tuesday's teleconference lamented the fact that Indiana doesn’t merit the same attention as other Big Ten schools. “We always play in bad TV slots and don’t get much coverage,” he said. Saturday's game will be nationally televised and Wilson is hoping that Hoosier fans will turn out in droves for the team’s last home game this season. Of course, if the Hoosiers win, they set themselves up for the Big Ten championship game to be played in Indianapolis.
Magic number for Wisconsin: 34. Wisconsin’s average margin of victory in the last seven meetings (all wins) against the Hoosiers.
Magic number for Indiana: 1993. The Hoosiers haven’t won three consecutive Big Ten games since 1993. Indiana is coming off back-to-back Big Ten wins for the first time since 2007.
The game comes down to: Defense. Both teams have highly capable offensive units that have threats through the air and on the ground. Wisconsin has allowed an average of 17.6 ppg while the Hoosiers have allowed 28.9 ppg this season. Getting pressure in the pocket to force an untimely turnover could swing the momentum.
Prediction: Wisconsin 38, Indiana 31
For more Big Ten coverage, follow Mike Singer and Dave Carey @CBSSportsBigTen.