Northwestern-Wisconsin Preview Capsule
No. 20 Northwestern (8-2, 4-2, No. 20 CFP) at No. 21 Wisconsin (8-2, 5-1, No. 25 CFP), 3:30 p.m. (BTN)
Line: Wisconsin by 10 1/2
Series Record: Wisconsin leads 57-34-5
WHAT'S AT STAKE
Second place in the Big Ten West and jockeying for bowl position, though Wisconsin still has a longshot chance at an outright division title if it wins its last two games and leader Iowa loses out. Two more wins for Northwestern would give the program its second 10-win season in Pat Fitzgerald's 10 years as head coach.
KEY MATCHUP
Northwestern RB Justin Jackson vs. Wisconsin front seven. Jackson gashed the Badgers for 162 on 33 carries in a Wildcats victory last season. He's coming off two straight 100-yard games, including 186 two weeks ago against Penn State. But no Big Ten team is better at stopping the run than Wisconsin, the only conference team limiting opponents to less than 100 yards on the ground (97.3).
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Northwestern: Jackson, a sophomore, has averaged 122.3 yards a game in Northwestern's eight victories, and 27.5 yards in the two losses.
Wisconsin: Senior QB Joel Stave has been a target of criticism for Badgers fans at times during his career. He's also one of the most successful quarterbacks in the program's history. One more victory would give him 30 as a starter, matching him with Brooks Bollinger as the winningest quarterback in school history.
FACTS & FIGURES
A storm is forecasted to dump 6 to 11 inches of snow in Madison from Friday night into Saturday morning. High temperatures on Saturday are expected to be in the low 30s. ... Northwestern last beat Wisconsin on the road on Sept. 23, 2000, 47-44 in double overtime. ... MLB Anthony Walker Jr. has team-high 15 1/2 tackles for loss, the ninth-best mark in school history. ... Badgers have allowed three TDs in six home games and just five points per game at Camp Randall Stadium. ... Senior LT Tyler Marz is only offensive lineman to start every game this year at Wisconsin.