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College GameDay crew breaks down top-20 matchup between Indiana-Wisconsin
By Paul Harvey
Published:
It has been a crazy year for both Indiana and Wisconsin, albeit for completely different reasons.
For the Badgers, a hot start to the year was quickly derailed by COVID-19 issues within the program. Then a loss to Northwestern and the cancellation of the Axe Game vs Minnesota eliminated Paul Chryst’s squad from contending for a B1G Championship Game berth.
For Tom Allen and Indiana, the Hoosiers have looked fantastic all season long. That even included the close loss to Ohio State where Michael Penix Jr. nearly completed the comeback against the Buckeyes.
Unfortunately, Penix will be unavailable against Wisconsin after suffering an ACL injury in the win over Maryland, and that is one of the main keys that the College GameDay crew discussed Saturday morning. For Desmond Howard, he believes backup Jack Tuttle can lead the offense as he leans on a strong running game in the matchup:
“They have a lot of confidence in Jack. …What’s going to help him is a strong running game,” explained Howard. “They have Sampson James, Stevie Scott III so that strong running game can take the pressure off the quarterback. All Jack Tuttle has to do is go out there and let the game come to him. Don’t go out there and try to be Penix Jr. because you’re not him. Just complete some easy passes early and let the game come to you and don’t turn the ball over.”
For Kirk Herbstreit, he believes the Jim Leonhard-led Wisconsin defense could take advantage of Tuttle’s inexperience:
“The one concern I have…can Tuttle, who’s been getting backup reps, provide [consistency]. Because this Wisconsin defense is about as complex as you’ll find in the B1G,” said Herbstreit. “Jim Leonhard, the defensive coordinator up there, does a great job. One thing to remember, the last time Wisconsin was on the field offensively they turned the ball over 5 times against Northwestern.”
Which team comes out on top? Saturday’s kickoff is set for 3:30 pm EST on ABC.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.