Wisconsin Preview

okanaganokanogan.com

Time: 12:00 EST
Location: Camp Randall
TV: Fox
Stream: Fox to Go
Weather: 37 & 80% rain
Line: Wisconsin -7.5


This line has dropped 2.5 points since it opened.   Which means Vegas started to take a bunch of money on Michigan to cover.   Some breaking news out of Madison is that WR's Rushing and Peavy who were both hurt are now off the team.   Which seems like a strange development before their biggest game of the year. 


Neither Michigan nor Wisconsin has any big wins this year and each will be looking to change that trend on Saturday.  (Florida was ranked when Michigan beat them early on, but they have since imploded).  Jim McElwain now has more time for deep sea fishing.


Tale of the Tape:
Michigan O vs. Wisconsin D = Wisconsin
Michigan D vs. Wisconsin O = Michigan
Special Teams = Wisconsin
Weather = Wisconsin
Coaching = Push
Intangibles = Wisconsin


Michigan lost to MSU in a monsoon and Michigan lost to PSU in bad game planning by the Wolverine coaches.   The weather forecast looks to be cold and rainy.   Which should limit the passing game, which fits both offenses style of play. 


Yell, a round of cheese for everyone if................

• Don Brown is able to stop Jonathan Taylor
• Michigan plays clean on offense
• Michigan's defense creates 2-3 turnovers
• B. Peters passes for 200 yards
• Nordin makes 100% of field goals and extra points

Say quietly, well it's just one of those years if.............

• Wisconsin has the best defense in the stadium
• Michigan can't move the ball on offense
• Michigan's defense plays Taylor like they did Barkley
• Peters has a bad day

These teams are very similar, neither throw to the WR's and both prefer to run the ball and use the TE's in the passing game.  Wisconsin is all about running Jonathan Taylor and throwing it to Troy Fumagalli.  If this was a Bill Belichick game plan he would take those two guys out and have QB Hornibrook beat the Wolverines.   Don Brown is a great college DC but he didn't do that against Barkley and they gashed the top ranked Wolverine defense.    Wisconsin would love nothing but the same result.


Guess what Wisconsin's game plan will be on defense?  Stop the Michigan running game.  The box will be filled with Badgers and Peters will have to move the ball through the air.   We need a huge game from him, the TE's, and the banged up Michigan WR's.   Michigan will have to pass to open up any run game.   Many of us has expected that Jimmy has been keeping plays off tape for these two games, we will see if that is true early on Saturday afternoon.   Wisconsin's defense gave up 56 total yards to Iowa last week.


This is a very hard game for me to predict.  The weather is going to suck and both teams play solid and sound defense.   Both teams play right into each others strength.  This should be your "daddy's Big Ten" game.  No offense, tough defense, and whoever makes the most mistakes loses.   Big Ten teams have played poorly on the road this year and that might be the difference Wisconsin needs.   Michigan is a better team then they were a month ago but still over a TD dog in this game.  It's also a 11:00 am kick off local time.  Which is weird but better for Michigan then a night game.   Every point is important and Nordin better make his kicks.


Wisconsin 17 Michigan 13

from The BIG HOUSE Blog http://mbighouse.blogspot.com/2017/11/wisconsin-preview.html