This Week @ Wisconsin
Monday, October 6th, 2008 at 1:04 pm and is filed under Archive
#6 Penn State (6-0) (2-0) @ Wisconsin (3-2) (0-2)
8 p.m. – ESPN
Penn State travels Camp Randall Stadium to take on the slumping, but still-potent Wisconsin Badgers. Penn State (6-0) comes into the game ranked #6 in the nation, having beaten Purdue on Saturday, 20-6. Wisconsin, meanwhile suffered its second heartbreaking loss in as many games, losing under the lights at home last week to the Ohio State Buckeyes, 20-17. It was Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema’s first loss at Camp Randall since becoming coach in 2006.
The Nittany Lions are 5-8 against the Badgers overall and 5-6 in Big Ten play. Last season, Penn State won at Beaver Stadium, 38-7.  The blue and white team is 2-3 at Camp Randall in Big Ten play, last winning there in 2002, losing the last two on the road (2004, 2006).
Penn State Reaches Bowl Eligibility: Penn State became the first Big Ten program to secure a bowl berth by improving to 6-0 last weekend with a road triumph at Purdue. The Nittany Lions will make their fourth straight bowl trip and 35th postseason contest under head coach Joe Paterno, who is the NCAA’s all-time leader in bowl victories (23) and bids (34). The Big Ten has seven bowl tie-ins this season – the Rose Bowl/Bowl Championship Series (BCS) game, Capital One, Outback, Alamo, Champs Sports, Insight and Motor City Bowls. If the Big Ten champion (or co-champion) is ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in the final BCS rankings, then that team will participate in the BCS National Championship Game, to be played on Jan. 8, 2009 in Miami, Fla.
Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern and Ohio State are all one win away from the post-season.
Trophy Bye Weeks: In a conference with 15 traditional trophy games, no trophies will be on the line this Saturday. The Big Ten’s traditional trophy games will return on Oct. 18 when Iowa and Wisconsin battle for the newest award, the Heartland Trophy.
Big Ten Schedule Announced for Oct. 18: The following schedule has been confirmed for Oct. 18:
Wisconsin at Iowa, 11 a.m. CDT, Big Ten Network
Purdue at Northwestern, 11 a.m. CDT, ESPN or ESPN2*
Ohio State at Michigan State, 3:30 p.m. EDT, ABC (regional – ESPN2 outer-market)
Michigan at Penn State, 4:30 p.m. EDT, ESPN or ESPN2*
Indiana at Illinois, 7 p.m. CDT, Big Ten Network
* network to be identified after Oct. 11
Paterno Ties Zuppke for Seventh Place in Century Club: Penn State’s Joe Paterno picked up his 131st triumph since joining the conference to equal Illinois’ Robert Zuppke for seventh place on the list of 12 mentors to collect 100 or more wins while at a Big Ten school. Paterno is now 131-58 in 15-plus seasons since 1993, while Zuppke posted a record of 131-81-13 in 29 years with the Fighting Illini from 1913-41. Next up on the list is Minnesota’s Henry Williams, who produced a record of 136-33-11 in 22 seasons from 1900-21. Among other active Big Ten coaches, Purdue’s Joe Tiller boasts 85 wins in 11-plus years in West Lafayette while Ohio State’s Jim Tressel has racked up 78 victories in seven-plus seasons with the Buckeyes.
This week’s games
#6 Penn State @ Wisconsin
Saturday, Oct. 11, 2008 • 7 p.m. CDT• Madison, Wis. • Camp Randall Stadium (80,321)
ESPN • Announcers: Mike Patrick, Todd Blackledge, Holly Rowe
Series: Wisconsin leads 8-5 • Last Meeting: Oct. 13, 2007: Penn State 38, Wisconsin 7
Minnesota @ Illinois
Saturday, Oct. 11, 2008 • 11 a.m. CDT• Champaign, Ill. • Memorial Stadium (65,000)
ESPN • Announcers: Dave Pasch, Andre Ware
Series: Minnesota leads 31-27-3 • Last Meeting:Nov. 3, 2007:Illinois 44, Minnesota 17
Iowa @ Indiana
Saturday, Oct. 11, 2008 • Noon EDT• Bloomington, Ind. • Memorial Stadium (49,225)
Big Ten Network • Announcers: Wayne Larrivee, Chris Martin, Anthony Herron
Series: Iowa leads 38-27-4 • Last Meeting: Sept. 29, 2007: Indiana 38, Iowa 20
Toledo @ Michigan (non-conference)
Saturday, Oct. 11, 2008 • Noon EDT• Ann Arbor, Mich. • Michigan Stadium (106,201)
Big Ten Network • Announcers: Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis, Charissa Thompson
Series: First Meeting
#19 Michigan State @ #22 Northwestern
Saturday, Oct. 11, 2008 • 2:30 p.m. CDT• Evanston, Ill. • Ryan Field (47,130)
ESPN2 • Announcers: Pam Ward, Ray Bentley
Series: Michigan State leads 32-16 • Last Meeting: Oct. 6, 2007: Northwestern 48, Michigan State 41 (OT)
Purdue @ #11 Ohio State
Saturday, Oct. 11, 2008 • 3:30 p.m. EDT• Columbus, Ohio • Ohio Stadium (102,329)
ABC • Announcers: Ron Franklin, Ed Cunningham, Jack Arute
Series: Ohio State leads 36-12-2 • Last Meeting: Nov. 6, 2007: Ohio State 23, Purdue 7