It’s time for some good old-fashioned Big Ten football.

Following Penn State’s 55-13 trouncing of Buffalo last weekend, the Nittany Lions will now turn their eyes to conference play as the Wisconsin Badgers come to town.

The biggest storyline for the blue and white this week isn’t who will be on the field, but who won’t.

Matt Campbell announced on Wednesday that star wide receiver Koby Howard would be out for an “extended period of time,” putting a damper on Penn State’s positive offensive start.

That being said, the Nittany Lions have more than enough young talent to help overcome Howard’s absence, but it will be interesting to see how they fare against their toughest opponent to date, the Badgers.

Penn State now sits at No. 13 in the AP Poll, one spot higher than it did the week prior. Wisconsin is 2-1 and unranked.

These teams have plenty of history and iconic moments together. Most notably, the Nittany Lions took down the Badgers in the 2016 Big Ten Championship, capping off an astonishing 21-point comeback.

Two seasons ago, Penn State defeated Wisconsin under the lights of Camp Randall Stadium 28-13 on the back of a strong Beau Pribula relief appearance.

Penn State leads the all-time series 12-9 and has won the last six contests against the Badgers.

Saturday’s game is slated for a 5 p.m. kickoff and will mark the Nittany Lions’ annual Helmet Stripe and homecoming game. Penn State is a 9.5-point favorite, per FanDuel.

The Team

The Badgers have begun the 2026 season pretty much as expected. 

Taking on then-No. 4 Notre Dame at Lambeau Field to begin the year, Wisconsin hung with the Fighting Irish through the first half before the team from South Bend, Indiana, took over. Notre Dame won 41-13.

The team then faced Western Illinois from the FCS and Eastern Michigan, two games Wisconsin won comfortably. That being said, both opponents put up at least nine points on the Badger defense. 

Wisconsin has averaged 34 points on offense through three games, 13 points higher than it did at the same point last season. 

Speaking of last season, Wisconsin struggled mightily, winning just four games. It did, however, upset No. 23 Washington at home, prompting the fans at Camp Randall Stadium to storm the field in celebration.

The last time the Badgers finished above .500 was in 2023, ending the season with a 7-6 record and a ReliaQuest Bowl berth.

Luke Fickell is the Badgers’ head coach and has held the position since the latter half of the 2022 season. The former Ohio State nose guard took over the reins following the firing of Paul Chryst, the man in charge of Wisconsin for the seven years prior.

Before arriving in Madison, Wisconsin, Fickell served as the head coach at Cincinnati, helping lead the Bearcats to a College Football Playoff berth, the first team from a Group of Five school to do so. He also has coaching experience in the Big Ten, holding a variety of titles with the Buckeyes from 2002 to 2016.

Jeff Grimes is the team’s offensive coordinator. Fickell hired him after the 2024 season, and he oversaw the Big Ten’s bottom-ranked offense and the nation’s second-worst in his inaugural season with the Badgers. 

Grimes has worked at 11 different Power Four schools over his 30-year coaching career.

On the other side of the ball, Mike Tressel is Wisconsin’s defensive coordinator. He served in the same role at Cincinnati and made the transition to the Big Ten along with Fickell.

During the 2021 season, Tressel boasted the fifth-ranked defense in the nation. Wisconsin has hovered in the middle of the Big Ten under his leadership.

The Offense

Wisconsin’s offense has taken leaps and bounds since its disappointing 2025 campaign, thanks in large part to Old Dominion transfer quarterback Colton Joseph. 

The Badgers’ offensive scheme is built around Joseph’s mobility, as he leads the team in carries entering Week 4. His 82 yards on 25 carries is also the second-highest rushing-yard total on the team.

Through the air, Joseph’s 752 yards for the year are just one yard higher than that of Rocco Becht’s. However, his completion percentage of 63.5%, five touchdowns, and two interceptions are all statistically worse than those of the Penn State signal caller. 

Running back Abu Sama III is a familiar face for Matt Campbell and many members of this Nittany Lion defense. Sama spent the previous three years at Iowa State, where he split carries with Carson Hansen in 2024 and 2025. Last season, Sama rushed for 732 yards on 140 carries, finding the end zone five times. 

Sama got off to a promising start this year, exploding for 107 yards on eight carries in the team’s victory over Western Illinois. He has been dealing with a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the Eastern Michigan game, and although listed as questionable on this week’s availability report, Sama is expected to be ready to go.

As for the pass catchers, wideout Tyrell Henry leads the team in yards and receptions, tallying 293 yards on 22 catches.

Senior Malachi Coleman is another name to look out for as the week develops. The receiver suffered a head injury against Western Illinois, but he could look to make his return on Saturday in Happy Valley. He was upgraded to probable on Thursday evening.

Coleman was a four-star recruit out of high school who committed to Nebraska before transferring to Minnesota and, lastly, Wisconsin. He possesses great physical talent and skill, but is still searching for a breakout season.

The offensive line has also progressed from a tumultuous 2025 season, but still has some holes it needs to fill. Wisconsin’s average rushing yards per game ranks No. 117 in all of college football. On the bright side, the unit has surrendered just two sacks on 89 drop-backs. Junior left guard Colin Cubberly has been the most successful out of the bunch.

The Defense

Cooper Catalano has been a force at inside linebacker for this Badger defense. His 26 total tackles through three weeks lead the team and rank fourth in the Big Ten. Mason Posa is another linebacker who has been making his presence known, racking up 19 tackles this year. Posa is recovering from a toe injury and is probable for Week 4.

At safety, senior Matthew Jung is at the top of his class. He has accounted for 20 total tackles, 10 solo tackles, one pass deflection, one forced fumble, and one interception so far this season. If Penn State were to get into turnover trouble, it’s safe to assume Jung might play a role.

When it comes to getting to the quarterback, no one does it better than Sebastian Cheeks, who has experience as an edge rusher and outside linebacker. His two sacks lead the team and are good for fifth in the conference. Cheeks also leads the team with 14 pressures and nine quarterback hurries.

Charles Perkins and Hammond Russell IV sit at the top of the depth chart when it comes to the defensive line. Russell is a transfer from West Virginia. Despite Wisconsin’s rough 2025 season, its interior defensive linemen were the lone bright spot. 

Tyreese Fearbry plays a similar role in this 4-2-5 defense as Cheeks. Wisconsin doesn’t explicitly have any players listed as defensive ends or edge rushers, but Fearbry can slot into a hybrid role at outside linebacker. He has six total tackles and no sacks this season.

Special Teams

The Badgers’ special teams have become a force under new coordinator Bob Ligashesky. Ligashesky has a breadth of coaching experience, including with seven NFL organizations. 

The team leads the nation in blocked punts, accounting for three this season. In Week 2, one of those was returned for a touchdown, courtesy of Carson Van Dinter. 

In Week 3, Wisconsin’s Donovan Dunmore blocked a field goal and returned it for a touchdown on the final play of the game.

Gavin Lahm is Wisconsin’s place-kicker, and is a perfect seven-for-seven on field goals this season. He has missed one extra point, however. Lahm can drill kicks from long range, splitting the uprights on a 51-yard attempt in Week 2.

Sean West is the team’s punter and has averaged 45.4 yards per punt this season, with his longest being a 70-yard boot. The team’s average of 23.5 yards per kickoff return ranks fourth in the Big Ten.