It’s that time of year, folks!

Big Ten football will take the Beaver Stadium gridiron as the No. 13 Penn State Nittany Lions face off against the Wisconsin Badgers in Week 4.

Penn State capped off non-conference play with a 55-13 win over Buffalo in Week 3. While the Nittany Lions maintained their undefeated start, they caught the injury bug. Standout wide receiver Koby Howard is out for the foreseeable future. Tight end Andrew Rappleyea and center Brock Riker also got a little banged up against the Bulls.

Wisconsin is 2-1 in the young season, with its sole loss coming to then-No. 3 Notre Dame in Week 1. The Badgers rattled off two wins against Western Illinois and Eastern Michigan to round out non-conference play.

Wisconsin will be Penn State’s first true benchmark test of the season.

Here’s how our staff thinks the Nittany Lions will fare against the Badgers.

Brandon Collica (2-0): Penn State 27, Wisconsin 21

Penn State will definitely hurt without Howard, but will still manage to get it done thanks to the defense.

Brian Kriley (3-0): Penn State 31, Wisconsin 10

Even with the Nittany Lions’ best weapon missing, I still have utmost faith that Matt Campbell and Co. will cruise to a relatively easy win in Penn State’s Big Ten opener.

Defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn has orchestrated one of the nation’s best defenses so far, and I don’t think the Badger pass rush will be good enough to stop an excellent Nittany Lion aerial attack.

Give me the boys in blue and white.

Christopher Green (0-0): Penn State 27, Wisconsin 20

Saturday. 5 p.m. kick. Homecoming. Dare I say more?

Cooper Allmaras (0-0): Penn State 34, Wisconsin 24

Going into Big Ten Play will be tough.

Wisconsin’s not huge competition, but it’s also not a blow-over. The home-field advantage will get Penn State by with a two-score win.

Holden Mostofsky (3-0): Penn State 33, Wisconsin 16

It’s Campbell’s first conference game, so I think it will be a challenge. While Wisconsin hasn’t seen too much success in recent years, it typically has a strong defense and knows how to hold teams in the first half.

I think Penn State will have a slow start, but will pick it up later and breeze by the Badgers.

Ian Becker (0-0): Penn State 27, Wisconsin 13

The Howard injury may lead to early offensive struggles, so don’t be surprised if it’s a close game at halftime.

I do think the Nittany Lions’ talent and the electric environment of Beaver Stadium will be enough for Penn State to pull away late in the game.

Jake Speicher (0-0): Penn State 17, Wisconsin 13

The Nittany Lions will stumble out of the gate without Howard; Wisconsin will charge ahead first, but Penn State will pull through in the second half.

Jason Perry (3-0): Penn State 31, Wisconsin 17

Let’s be honest, Penn State hasn’t looked perfect through the non-conference portion of the schedule. It’s struggled to get going early and allowed Temple and Buffalo to put up a few more points than they probably should have.

That being said, Penn State should still comfortably beat Wisconsin. Howard’s absence might throw a wrench into the game plan, but I’m confident Campbell and crew will work around it.

There’s a lot more receiver depth on the roster than Penn State fans are used to. The Badgers will score some points, but the Nittany Lions should be able to outscore them and get the win at home.

Karlee Feger (2-0): Penn State 28, Wisconsin 14

Due to a slew of injuries, including two major offensive producers in Howard and Rappleyea, I think this game will be closer than originally anticipated.

I do believe players like Benjamin Brahmer and Brett Eskilden will step up and lead the Nittany Lions to a Homecoming victory.

Laura Wells (0-0): Penn State 24, Wisconsin 17

Since it’s the first Big Ten game this season, I think it will prove a challenge at first. Being a home game, however, I believe Penn State should win.

Michael Zeno (3-0): Penn State 28, Wisconsin 17

Howard’s injury saddens me, but the Nittany Lions have enough in the passing game to survive.

The injuries might lead to a bumpy ride to start Big Ten play, but a great crowd at Homecoming will help the good guys pull away late.  

Robert Delorenzo (0-0): Penn State 38, Wisconsin 20

I think Penn State is going to struggle with the injuries it has, but it should still come out of the game on top.

Tadhg Gorman (0-0): Penn State 28, Wisconsin 20

Wisconsin is the toughest opponent the Nittany Lions have seen so far, so I do think this will be a closer game, but they should take the win in the end.

Zach Paulhamus (0-0): Penn State 27, Wisconsin 14

First Big Ten game for Campbell, no Howard, a 5 p.m. kickoff at Beaver?

Ask Michigan what happened the last time that happened… I think Wisconsin will keep it interesting for a bit, but Penn State will eventually pull away.

Cadyn Gill (3-0): Penn State 23, Wisconsin 17

I expect Wisconsin to challenge Penn State on Saturday night. Firstly, I’d be lying if I claimed that a Howard-less offense didn’t worry me. Chase Sowell and Eskildsen have flashed, but when Rocco Becht has needed to find someone downfield, Howard has been that guy.

I need to see Zay Robinson get a heftier workload, but I also want to see for myself whether this Amarion Jackson guy can truly hoop after the heavy praise he’s gotten during camp.

Defensively, Colton Joseph’s dangerous rushing threat at quarterback will require a top-to-bottom defensive effort. The defensive line will have to play contain on pass-rush downs, rather than darting upfield for pressures.

Then, the blue and white cornerbacks will have to plaster in coverage once he extends the play with his legs, which can lead to penalties and coverage breakdowns. Mix that with the layered run-pass option the Badgers love, and you get a ton of moving parts that can scramble even the best defenses.

Penn State has more talent than the Badgers, but I think the increased physicality and Power Four-caliber scheme will be hard to absorb in just 60 minutes. Nonetheless, I think Campbell will have his guys ready to respond.

Jamie Lynch (2-0): Penn State 27, Wisconsin 14

Here we go!

Big Ten season is the best time of year, and Penn State was blessed with a 5 p.m. kickoff, Homecoming festivities, the Helmet Stripe game, and a formidable opponent to kick things off.

Wisconsin will always be viewed as a trap game for the Nittany Lions. But as it normally does against the Badgers, Penn State will find a way to get the job done.

This game will be no walk in the park, but I think the defense will come up big, winning the turnover battle and creating takeaways in crucial moments. I’ve got the boys in the secondary accounting for two interceptions and a fumble recovery this weekend.

Joseph poses a real rushing threat, so containing him will be another key to victory.

Beaver Stadium will be rocking, and the blue and white will advance to 4-0 for the first time in two years.

Oscar Orellana (3-0): Penn State 31, Wisconsin 17

I don’t mean to be dramatic, but this game has the ability to break Penn State’s season, folks.

Penn State’s best offensive player is hurt. It’s a total gut punch for the Nittany Lions, but I think the receiver depth should be enough to power them through Wisconsin.

Joseph also provides a unique challenge for Penn State’s defense, as he is an actual dual-threat quarterback who can and will hurt the Nittany Lions with his legs.

If Penn State rolls over and fails to beat the Badgers, it’ll unravel months of excitement and kill the season just one game into Big Ten play.

Good thing I don’t think that will happen.

Campbell has worked too hard for Penn State to lose this game. The Nittany Lions are too talented to lose this game. Even with Howard out, Penn State should pull this out comfortably despite a tight first half.

I expect Becht to go off for over 300 yards and four touchdowns as he hits over eight different receivers. It’s time, Becht. Time to put the Big Ten on notice and show that Penn State has turned the page and is here to play.