Michigan State's brutal October schedule continues this week when the No. 4 Wisconsin Badgers visit East Lansing. The Spartans have already downed Ohio State and Michigan this month, and now they have quite possibly their toughest test yet coming up on Saturday.
The same could really be said for Wisconsin. The Badgers are 6-0 and haven't really been tested yet this season. Saturday will be their first road game, and it will be played under the lights of Spartan Stadium. Between the electric atmosphere that is expected and the fact that Michigan State is one of the more talented teams on Wisconsin's schedule, this has all the makings of a possible upset.
Of course, Wisconsin is probably the most talented team on Michigan State's schedule. Led by quarterback Russell Wilson and running back Montee Ball, Wisconsin has the best scoring offense in the nation and the third-best scoring defense. The Badgers have blown out every team on their schedule, including Nebraska. If the Badgers can get by MSU, they could cruise through the rest of the regular season and not face a serious threat to their perfect record until the Big Ten title game, which could very well be a rematch of Saturday's game in East Lansing.
For Michigan State, first place in the Legends Division is on the line with this game. A win would keep the Spartans as the lone undefeated team in the Legends. A loss, on the other hand, would drop MSU back into a tie with Michigan and likely Nebraska and Iowa as well. The Spartans would still be in good position for the Legends title even with a loss on Saturday, but they would no longer be the outright frontrunner, so Saturday's game is important for reasons beyond upsetting a top five team.