Blue White Illustrated

home, or parents will come visit. Whatever they choose, Anderson wants them to "eat lots and take care of business. " "The great thing [about Wisconsin] is that we have so many young men who can drive home because we give them that opportunity," he said. "Or you would be amazed at the number of families that are coming to Madison to cook. A lot of kids are having their parents, family, cousins come down to cook for them. So they're in good spots. "But if they're smart, they'll probably try to come to my house at about 1 and then push that other [dinner] off until a little bit later in the day so they can double dip. That's what I would do if I was a young kid. " Penn State will celebrate the holiday, too. With no classes this week, the Nittany Lions had a "team movie" on Monday night. They watched "Thor," or "something like that," said Bill O'Brien. "I don't know what that movie is, but it sounds like it was a good movie." On Thursday, O'Brien will take his players to a newly renovated dining hall on the southeast part of campus for a team gathering. "We'll celebrate Thanksgiving together over at Pollock [Dining Commons]," O'Brien said. "Jim Hopey and his crew do a great job of cooking us a fantastic meal over there. Then we'll head to Wisconsin on Friday for a big, obviously challenging football game for us. We're looking forward to it. " At 9-2, the Badgers are the 14th-ranked team in the country, and they're almost unbeatable at Camp Randall Stadium, the site of Saturday's game. The last time the Nittany Lions played there, they lost 45-7. They haven't won in Madison since 2008, and this season the oddsmakers have made Wisconsin a 24-point favorite. Against a fellow Big Ten opponent, Penn State has never been a bigger underdog. O'Brien looks for motivational tools from a variety of different sources – like when an opposing coach calls out his offensive line – but not when it comes from Las Vegas. "I'm aware that we're probably an underdog," O'Brien said. "We're 6‑5, and N O V E M B E R they're 9‑2, but I didn't know it was a 20‑point underdog. Now, if somebody from Wisconsin came out and said we're going to beat these guys by 24 points, then maybe we'd use that. But certainly not Vegas. " Despite being favored by more than three touchdowns, Andersen won't be taking O'Brien's squad lightly. He admires how his counterpart handled the coaching responsibilities in the aftermath of the Sandusky scandal – "There is no coaching handbook on how to handle a scenario like that," he said – and Anderson is also aware that despite Penn State's depth problems, there is still topend talent in its starting lineup. "From the film that I've evaluated, [I've seen] a very sound, well-coached football team," Andersen said. "They have some very, very talented pieces to the puzzle, which you would expect from a Penn State team. It will be a tremendous challenge. " He pointed toward Penn State's quickstrike firepower with Christian Hackenberg and Allen Robinson. Robinson has drawn comparisons to Wisconsin's No. 1 receiver Jared Abbrederis. Both are lanky receivers with a knack for the jump ball, and they are arguably the Big Ten's two best pass catchers over the past two seasons. Even Andersen sees similarities. He said Robinson "is very talented at what he does, and Jared has been very productive. They're both very, very good football players. [There are] a lot of similarities. Their contested balls that they catch, and they make big plays downfield for their football team. " He's hoping his guy makes a few more on Saturday. The Badgers need a 10th victory, and they need it emphatically. Just as Ohio State needs big wins for its NCAA championship aspirations, the Badgers need one, too. They're on the fringe of a Bowl Championship Series berth, and a decisive victory over the Nittany Lions would bolster their resume. "The best thing I can say about that is that if we can find a way to win this game against Penn State, do I think that we deserve that opportunity to play in a BCS bowl game?" asked Andersen. "Absolutely, yes. " 2 7 , 2 0 1 3 2 BWI'S FORECAST NATE BAUER 2013 RECORD 7-4 Too much about this game is reminiscent of the Nittany Lions' big-time beat-down two years ago in Madison. It's probably good for Penn State that the Badgers are without a passing game, but nothing else here looks good for the Nits. WISCONSIN 31, PENN STATE 10 PHIL GROSZ 2013 RECORD 6-5 To upset Wisconsin, Penn State has to play its best game of the season. It has to control the football on offense and find a away to contain one of the best rushing attacks in all of college football. I just don't see that happening. WISCONSIN 35, PENN STATE 24 MATT HERB 2013 RECORD 9-2 Run the ball. Stop the other guy from running it. It's a foolproof formula for success, and Wisconsin does both things as well as anybody in the Big Ten except for Ohio State. With its depth depleted, Penn State is going to have a hard time matching up physically with the Badgers. WISCONSIN 38, PENN STATE 17 TIM OWEN 2013 RECORD 7-4 Penn State will make this game closer than what Vegas predicts, but Wisconsin will still be too much to overcome. It'll wear down the Nittany Lions by the fourth quarter and cruise to another home victory. WISCONSIN 31, PENN STATE 24 RYAN SNYDER 2013 RECORD 9-2 After a hard-fought season, PSU puts in an excellent effort, but the Badgers are just too good and too strong. WISCONSIN 35, PENN STATE 21 B LUE WH I T E ON L I N E .COM

• Cover