Blue White Illustrated

NATE BAUER RECORD 11-1 Penn State has topped 30 points in nine games this season, while Wisconsin has allowed 30 points only once, and that was in an overtime loss to Ohio State. Clearly, something's got to give. In this era of col- lege football, I'm siding with the stronger offense having the advantage, leading to a narrow Penn State win. PENN STATE 26, WISCONSIN 23 PHIL GROSZ RECORD 10-2 Going into the Big Ten Championship Game, Penn State's offense is running red hot. During November, the Lions aver- aged 46.4 points and close to 490 yards per game. Wisconsin has the No. 1 run defense in the Big Ten and leads the country with 21 interceptions. It's strength against strength, and the team that wins this game will be the one that is able to impose its will. I believe that team will be Penn State. PENN STATE 28, WISCONSIN 17 MATT HERB RECORD 9-3 Even if Saquon Barkley is healthy, I think Penn State is going to struggle to run the ball on this defense. And Wisconsin looks to be better prepared to slow down the Lions' big-play passing offense than most of their previous opponents. WISCONSIN 27, PENN STATE 24 TIM OWEN RECORD 10-2 Even if Wisconsin can slow this big-play offense, I don't believe it can put enough points on the board against a Penn State defense that is peaking at the right time. PENN STATE 28, WISCONSIN 23 RYAN SNYDER RECORD 10-2 Penn State matchups up well against the Badgers, but it won't be easy for the Lions. This one could go either way. Barkley's health could prove crucial. PENN STATE 27, WISCONSIN 24 N O V E M B E R 3 0 , 2 0 1 6 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 3 BWI'S FORECAST rushing attack, as most opponents have done this year. If that's the case, they could have some success slowing down the Lions' big-play passing game, which has produced 26 plays of 40 or more yards, the fourth-highest total in the country. "They are talented in the secondary," said Franklin, who on Tuesday shared Big Ten Coach of the Year honors with Chryst. "They're experienced in the secondary, no doubt. I think we are talented at receiver and tight end. We are experienced at re- ceiver and tight end. That will be a really interesting matchup in this game." Both teams enter the game with outside hopes of reaching the College Football Playoff. The Badgers are sixth in this week's rankings, while the Nittany Lions are seventh. Those rankings would seemingly make Wisconsin a stronger candidate for the final four, but Penn State split its games against the league's highest-rated teams, falling to fiBh- ranked Michigan and edging second- ranked Ohio State, while Wisconsin lost to both. So while Penn State is probably a long shot, barring an upset or two in the Pac-12 and/or Atlantic Coast Conference championship games, Wisconsin seems to be an even less likely choice. Indeed, there's been speculation that the CFP se- lection committee might bypass the conference champ even if it takes two Big Ten teams, admitting Ohio State and Michigan and leaving the winner of the title game for the Rose Bowl. But neither the Lions nor the Badgers are worried about those scenarios right now. With standout Penn State running back Saquon Barkley saying he's expect- ing to play aBer leaving last weekend's game against Michigan State due to an apparent ankle injury, the Badgers are fo- cused on Penn State's offensive prowess. "They've won eight games in a row," Chryst said. "I think that's a team that's developing and growing. You see it. They're paying at a high level and are confident and in many ways present challenges. Offensively, they're explosive in the running game and the passing game. Defensively, they play a lot of guys and put pressure on a lot of offenses. On special teams, you see their athletic abil- ity. They're really good football players, they're obviously well-coached and they're playing with confidence." Franklin, meanwhile, is treating the matchup as a typical road game, even though the Nittany Lions are considered the home team. This will be their first appearance in the title game, so Wiscon- sin will have an edge in that regard, hav- ing made three previous appearances in the game since it was first played in 2011. But they've stayed focused throughout their eight-game winning streak, and Franklin doesn't see that changing. "We're not going to treat it as anything different," he said. "We're not going to change how we go through our weekly game plan. We'll probably cut back a lit- tle bit this week, but we've been doing that every week. We want to make sure our guys are fresh, prepared and ready to go on Saturday." Penn State running back Saquon Barkley said Monday that he intends to play in the Big Ten Championship Game. Barkley leB last weekend's game against Michigan State in the third quarter with an apparent right ankle injury and was later seen on the sideline with a towel draped over his head, receiving consola- tion from his teammates. But he said he expects to be ready to face Wisconsin on Saturday. "I'm feeling fine. I'm feeling really good," Barkley said. "I've been getting treatment, taking it day by day, and trying to get ready for the game this weekend." The sophomore running back has racked up 1,219 yards on 228 carries this season. At his Tuesday news conference, coach James Franklin echoed Barkley's assess- ment of his readiness. "He looked great on Sunday when I saw him," Franklin said. "We're anticipating him playing and playing well on Saturday." During his conference call with re- porters, Barkley said he and his teammates were thrilled to be one win away from claiming a conference championship. "The whole team is excited," he said. "Playing in the Big Ten Championship [Game] means a lot to this team, and it's something we talked about before the season started out." –NATE  BAUER Barkley expecting to play in championship game

• Cover