Welcome back to another week of Penn State football, folks.

After a much-needed bye week, the Nittany Lions hit the road again and head to Madison, Wisconsin, to take on the Badgers. The last time these two teams played each other was in Camp Randall Stadium in week one of the 2021 season, and Penn State left with a 16-10 victory. Jaquan Brisker and Ji’Ayir Brown both had clutch interceptions at the end of the game.

Our staffers think Saturday’s game will end in a similar result, despite it being a night game in one of the best environments in all of college football.

Fernando Martinez Ruiz De Esparza (6-0): Penn State 31, Wisconsin 24

Folks, get ready for this exciting matchup on Saturday night.

Penn State is coming off a much-needed bye week after an emotional victory over USC two weeks ago. As always, the offense got off to a slow start and almost paid the price against USC. However, the squad showed us that they’re a second-half team and they’re resilient enough to make a comeback when needed.

I think the comeback win against USC gave the team, especially the offense, so much confidence heading into this game. For that reason, I expect great games from Drew Allar and Tyler Warren.

As for the Badgers, they’re coming into this game in great form. Wisconsin’s on a three-game winning streak and has demolished its opponents during the stretch. Even though Wisconsin’s starting quarterback is out for the season, this team has talented players like running back Tawee Walker, who could cause huge problems for Penn State’s defense. Despite being unranked, the Badgers can give Penn State a run for its money on Saturday night, especially having home-field advantage.

In the end, the Nittany Lions will win this game due to their elite playmakers like Warren and will head into a huge matchup against Ohio State next week unbeaten.

Aidan Conrad (6-0): Penn State 27, Wisconsin 21

I’ve had concerns about the game for a couple of weeks now.

Camp Randall Stadium at night is one of the best environments in the sport, and the Badgers are playing good football. Still, I believe we’ll come out of the bye week ready to go and head home with a win.

Cooper Cazares (5-0): Penn State 35, Wisconsin 14

This is the definition of a trap game. Penn State travels to Wisconsin for a night game in Camp Randall Stadium that’s sure to be rocking. The Nittany Lions are top 10 in the country in terms of rushing defense, only allowing 95 yards per game this season.

This will be the way Penn State wins this game. The rush defense needs to come up big as Wisconsin has a significantly better running attack than passing. The Badgers average 194 rush yards per game, good enough for 35th in the country, and fewer than 215 yards per game passing, placing them outside of the top 80 in the category.

The home-field advantage will be difficult to manage, but this Penn State team may have found themselves a bit with its win over USC two weeks ago. I’ll take the Nittany Lions to win and cover Saturday night.

Michael Siroty (5-0): Penn State 38, Wisconsin 24

Wisconsin has allowed 16 total points over the last three games, but the Badger defense is facing a different animal in Penn State. If the Nittany Lions stick to what has worked — running the ball — I don’t think this game will be an issue. 

Camp Randall Stadium will be hopping for the night game, and this is a classic “trap game” for the blue and white. However, I expect Penn State to come out on top by a couple of scores.

CJ Gill (6-0): Penn State 24, Wisconsin 15

The Nittany Lions are coming off the bye week with tons of momentum after their overtime win at USC. Wisconsin has been playing really well in recent weeks and many folks online have labeled this matchup at Camp Randall Stadium as a classic trap game. I think the Badgers have a chance to knock off No. 3 Penn State. That chance, however, is still very unlikely to happen on Saturday.

Penn State is battled tested and most importantly, Drew Allar and the offense is battled tested through the first six games of the season. There might be another slow start for the Nittany Lions, but the blue and white have too much talent on both sides of the ball for this game to slip away.

Jamie Lynch (6-0): Penn State 31, Wisconsin 24

Welcome to your post-bye week trap game, folks.

Coming off a week of rest, with Ohio State looming the weekend after, Penn State needs to stay focused. It should be a rowdy atmosphere in Madison on Saturday, which isn’t favorable for the Nittany Lions. However, they have proven they can win on the road this season, notching wins in Morgantown and Los Angeles.

While Wisconsin has played well lately, it has its fair share of flaws. Penn State needs to get off to a quick start on both sides of the ball and take the crowd out of the game early. The Nittany Lions have had the Badgers’ number in recent years. I like Penn State in a close one.

Noah Flenard (0-0): Penn State 24, Wisconsin 10

Even though Wisconsin is on a winning streak coming into this weekend’s matchup, the Nittany Lions will remain undefeated. The Wisconsin roster does not have the talent Penn State has. This will be a defensive battle, just like the previous matchup in 2021. 

James Russell (3-0): Penn State 24, Wisconsin 14

Penn State’s last away game was a success, as it took down a formidable USC team on the West Coast. This week, the undefeated Nittany Lions travel to Camp Randall Stadium to face the Wisconsin Badgers who currently sit fifth in the Big Ten Conference. No. 3 Penn State is eager to maintain its perfect record.

Although Wisconsin’s defense is noteworthy, the Nittany Lions will stick to their identity as a football team and dominate the line of scrimmage. We’ll see big games from Nick Singleton and Tyler Warren, as they have both been focal points in Andy Kotelnicki’s offensive scheme.

It would be great to see increased involvement from the wide receiver room, especially due to Julian Fleming’s clutch performance in the USC victory and Trey Wallace’s dynamic playmaking ability. Good decision-making from quarterback Drew Allar will be important against this Wisconsin secondary.

The loss of Wisconsin quarterback Tyler Van Dyke in a loss to Alabama was a substantial blow for the Badgers offense. Braedyn Locke has been the signal caller in Van Dyke’s absence and has been prone to putting the ball in harm’s way, throwing five interceptions in the last four games. Look for Penn State’s defense to capitalize off of his questionable decision-making.

I have the Nittany Lions defeating the Badgers, remaining undefeated on the season.

Nolan Wick (5-1): Penn State 27, Wisconsin 24

This one is a toss-up and screams “trap game.” Wisconsin has a fair chance because of significant home-field advantage, an offense that has scored 117 points in October, and the No. 7-ranked passing defense in college football.

However, Penn State has a clear path to winning: Run the damn ball. The Badgers have a weak run defense, so bullying them on the ground with a taste of their own medicine could be the remedy for victory.

Fair warning, though: Do not be surprised if Wisconsin wins. These are two red-hot teams, and the game could come down to the final drive.

CJ Doebler (6-0): Penn State 31, Wisconsin 27

Wisconsin is riding a hot streak, folks.

This game has been on my radar since the schedule came out last year, and I predicted the Nittany Lions were going to drop one of the two road matchups against USC or Wisconsin. I’m changing my prediction. After the last matchup, I think Penn State is going to skip the typical James Franklin post-bye week lull and put together a complete, four-quarter game of football in Madison on Saturday night.

Penn State’s offense hasn’t faced a secondary the likes of the Badgers yet, and the Wisconsin offense has had a lot of success running the ball through its last three games. The Nittany Lions are in for another tough road test, but I think they ride the momentum from USC to a win in Madison.

Mitch Corcoran (6-0): Penn State 31, Wisconsin 20

I think this game is a nail-biter in the first half. I think it’s probably 13-10 Wisconsin at halftime because I think this is a look-over game for Penn State.

The Nittany Lions got a huge overtime win at USC two weeks ago, then they had a bye week. With Ohio State looming a week after Wisconsin, the bye might have been used to look ahead. Camp Randall Stadium at night is also a great college football environment, especially with the Badgers are coming off three big wins.

However, I think Penn State matches up very well with the Badgers and will take over the second half. The game plan for the Nittany Lions is to make Wisconsin quarterback Braedyn Locke win the game. He has at least one interception in each of his last four games and has completed less than 60% of his passes this season.

The Badgers’ strength is their run game, and if Penn State can stop it, it wins the game. On the other hand, the Nittany Lions struggled on the ground for the first time all season against USC, but Wisconsin has the 62nd-best run defense in the country, so I think this is a big rushing game for Penn State and it wins semi-comfortably on the road.

Joe Lister (5-1): Penn State 27, Wisconsin 20

I have the same stance on Wisconsin as I did on the West Virginia game.

I get why people are concerned about this game. It’s a trap game, Penn State’s coming off a bye, Ohio State is in a week, Camp Randall is a tough night environment, and Wisconsin is hot. I’ve heard and read it all.

I just don’t think Penn State loses more than one game this season. Like many, I picked Penn State to lose to Ohio State and USC or Wisconsin before the season. I later decided that USC would be that second loss, not Wisconsin. I was wrong about USC, but I’m sticking to my gut.

Penn State is a better team than Wisconsin, and the Nittany Lions aren’t overlooking the home team. It’s going to be a tough game and a tough first half, but the Nittany Lions are winning this one.