The Road to the B1G Championship

It has been a chaotic year for the best conference in college football and it is not over yet. The Penn State Nittany Lions will take on the Wisconsin Badgers in the Big Ten Championship game Saturday night in Indianapolis. While many are disappointed in the two teams representing the conference and ticket prices are plummeting, those in attendance are in store for a classic football game for many reasons. The sixth ranked Badgers and seventh ranked Nittany Lions have each gone through rough patches this season, that resulted in one bonehead writer here asking for the firing of a coach. Yet now, each team is on fire with Penn State riding an eight game win streak and Wisconsin winning six in a row. These teams may not be the best that the Big Ten has to offer, but they may be the closest in terms of talent.

Expectations for Penn State coming into 2016 were all over the place. Your diehard, Penn State loyalists predicted an undefeated season and most experts thought it would be another vanilla season for the Nittany Lions. I personally, thought this team could go 0-12, 12-0, or anywhere in between. A rocky 2-2 start had many looking to pack it in on the Nittany Lions in 2016. Head Coach James Franklin’s seat was scorching hot and things were going to get ugly in Happy Valley. Not so fast my friend. A comeback overtime win over Minnesota was the turning point that kickstarted Penn State’s winning streak. A nice win over Maryland the following week and the improbable Ohio State win made the team and fans alike believe this season could be something special. A couple of poundings and a bit of a nail biter at Indiana closed out the regular season as all the stars aligned to give Penn State the Big Ten East Division Championship.

Slow starts have been a problem throughout the year for Penn State. A true second half team, first year offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead has completely revamped the offense. A 6-foot baby faced quarterback, Trace McSorley, and the Big Ten offensive player of the year, Saquon Barkley, have been racking up the yards in Moorhead’s system. An upgrade from swiss cheese to tissue paper as the offensive line has given McSorley just enough time needed to complete his 20 plus yard passes, in which he leads the nation. A serious question mark will be Barkley’s status as he suffered an ankle injury in last weeks victory. What was at one point a young and depleted defense, is now experienced and deep. LinebackerU is back and as strong as ever as Jason Cabinda and Brandon Bell have been setting the tone since their return against Ohio State. A huge improvement to special teams this season is an unappreciated addition to the team. Kicker Tyler Davis is perfect on extra points and has only missed two field goals, both being blocked.

The Badgers set the tone early this season knocking off LSU during an iconic game at Lambeau Field. They thumped a Top 10 Michigan State team in East Lansing before the low point in the year. What may have been the toughest five game stretch in all of college football this year, Wisconsin lost back to back games at Michigan and home against Ohio State by seven points each. Moving on to win at Iowa and home against Nebraska was huge to get out of the stretch above .500. Just like Penn State, they got it rolling down the stretch with no real close games in their final four.

Wisconsin has relied heavily on its defense throughout the year and they have yet to let them down. The most points they have given up all year is 30, they lead the nation in interceptions, and the linebacking corps have been receiving praise all year long. A huge question mark for the Badgers will be if quarterback Alex Hornibrook plays as he is listed as questionable with a head injury. Expect to see a steady dosage of runningback Corey Clement as Wisconsin will certainly look to control the line of scrimmage from the opening kick. Head Coach Paul Chryst has certainly been the man for the job in his second season as the Badgers head coach.

Lookout to see if Penn State changes its offensive game plan to counter the ball hawking defensive backs of Wisconsin. The Nittany Lions love to throw it deep and the Badgers will be sure to invite that. The health of Saquon Barkley is a huge factor. Penn State has a number of able backs, but if the player of the year is ineffective, they might be forced to throw it deep more often than they’d like. It will also be interesting to see how the Penn State offensive line will hold up against a stout front seven for Wisconsin. A number of injuries have plagued the line this year and have been running on what seems to be fumes down the stretch. If the Penn State offense gets out to a quick start, they may never look back.

Wisconsin’s offensive game plan won’t change too much whether it is Hornibrook or Bart Houston taking the snaps. Although it will be tough, the Badgers will look to run it often to stay ahead of the sticks and not let Penn State’s “wild dogs” pin their ears back and get to the quarterback. Keep an eye on Penn State safety, Marcus Allen, who will be all over the field when they are on defense. It will be fun to watch when Wisconsin has the football as it will look like some seriously old school Big Ten football as both teams have relied on their physicality all year long.

The bigger impact this game will have, is how much of an emphasis the College Football Playoff Selection Committee puts on conference championships. Sure, both teams have two losses, but it looks like there is going to be a two loss team in the final four no matter what. Will the committee give credit to these teams for playing in the nation’s best conference? Look for each team to try to win and win big. It may take a blowout for one of these teams to make it to the College Football Playoff. It won’t be personal, just business in Indianapolis.