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    IU football game day: Wisconsin at Indiana primer and prediction

    Mike SchumannBy IU Football No Comments
    Photo by Seth Tow for TDH

    Seniors who transformed a program will play their final regular season home game at Memorial Stadium.

    But in pursuit of multiple championships, Indiana can’t let their emotions get in the way.

    Longtime nemesis Wisconsin stands between the Hoosiers and an 11-0 start.  But the tables have turned recently, and IU hopes to clinch their third straight win over the Badgers.

    Here’s everything you need to know about Indiana’s week 12 matchup against Wisconsin in Bloomington.

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    WISCONSIN (3-6, 1-5) at No. 2 INDIANA (10-0, 7-0)

    • Kickoff:  Noon ET, Saturday
    • Location:  Bloomington, Ind.; Memorial Stadium (56,626; field turf)
    • Television:  Jeff Levering (pbp), Jake Butt (color), Brooke Fletcher (sideline)
    • Stream:  Fox Sports
    • Radio:  IU Football radio network
    • Odds:  Indiana is around a 29-point favorite
    • Weather at kickoff:  66 degrees, mostly cloudy, wind 15 mph, 4% chance of precipitation.
    • Series:  Wisconsin leads the series 41-20-2
    • Tickets:  Use our StubHub affiliate link
    • The Coaches:
      • Curt Cignetti is in his second year as the head coach at IU.  He holds a 140-37 record in his 15th season as a college head coach.  He’s 21-2 at Indiana.
      • Luke Fickell is the head coach of the Badgers.  He’s 16-19 in three seasons at Wisconsin, and 79-44 overall in 11 seasons as a head coach.

    GAMEDAY TIMELINE

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    TALE OF THE TAPE 

    THE COMPLETE BIG TEN WEEK 12 SLATE

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    WISCONSIN RESULTS

    Date Time At Opponent Location Result
    Aug 28 (Thu) 8 p.m. CT Home Miami (OH) (Camp Randall Stadium) W 17-0
    Sep 6 (Sat) 3 p.m. CT Home Middle Tennessee (Camp Randall Stadium) W 42-10
    Sep 13 (Sat) 11 a.m. CT Away #19 Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL L 14-38
    Sep 20 (Sat) 11 a.m. CT Home Maryland (Camp Randall Stadium) L 10-27
    Oct 4 (Sat) 11 a.m. CT Away #20 Michigan Ann Arbor, MI L 10-24
    Oct 11 (Sat) 6 p.m. CT Home Iowa (Camp Randall Stadium) L 0-37
    Oct 18 (Sat) 2:30 P.M. Home #1 Ohio State (Camp Randall Stadium) L 0-34
    Oct 25 (Sat) 6 p.m. CT Away #6 Oregon Eugene, OR L 7-21
    Nov 8 (Sat) 3:30 PM Home Washington (Camp Randall Stadium) W 13-10

    WISCONSIN NOTES AND NUMBERS

    (Via Wisconsin Athletics)

    • Coming off its first Big Ten victory of the season and first ranked win since 2021, Wisconsin heads to Bloomington, Indiana to take on the No. 2 Hoosiers.
    • The Badgers’ rugged schedule continues Saturday as they log their 4th trip to face a Top-25 team this season. Wisconsin plays its 6th game against a Top-25 team this season overall, more than any other regular season in program history. UW opponents’ 70-30 (.700) record so far this season is the best in the nation.
    • After a challenging midseason stretch, the Badgers rallied to win a slugfest at Camp Randall over #23 Washington behind a stout defensive effort and the debut of true freshman QB Carter Smith
    • QB carousel… After being thrust into action during the win over Washington, true freshman QB Carter Smith could become the 4th Badger QB to start a game this fall if he gets the nod.

    BADGER QBS THIS SEASON
    Player Games Started Injury
    Gr. Billy Edwards Jr. Miami (OH), Maryland Knee
    So. Danny O’Neil MTSU, Alabama, Wash. Leg
    Gr. Hunter Simmons Mich., Iowa, OSU, Oregon N/A
    Fr. Carter Smith Entered vs. Washington N/A

    • The Badgers are the only Big Ten team this season to have 4 different QBs attempt at least 10 passes. West Virginia is the only other Power 4 program with the same scenario this season. The last time UW had 4 different QBs attempt 10+ passes in a season was 1956.
    • 6 Badger players have attempted a pass this season: QBs Edwards Jr., O’Neil, Simmons, Smith, P Sean West and WR Tyrell Henry. West led the Badgers with 24 passing yards vs. Washington, coming on a fake punt.
    • W is 8-3 under Fickell when the starting QB (proj. season starter) plays the entire game.
    • Some slate… ESPN currently ranks the Badgers’ 2025 slate as the 2nd-hardest in the nation. Wisconsin will be playing its 6th ranked opponent of the season, 4th in a row and 5th out of the last 6 games.
    • Wisconsin is currently tabbed to face 3 top-10 teams and 6 top-25 teams this season (first time in program history). The last time UW faced 3 top-10 teams during the regular season was 2016. It’s never faced
    • Young guns… While steady veteran leadership still permeates through the Badger roster, true freshmen have been thrust into meaningful roles recently. LBs Cooper Catalano and Mason Posa started as a tandem at Oregon and shined in Wisconsin’s upset win over Washington.
    • Catalano registered an astounding 19 tackles, including a sack, in the win, the most tackles for a Power 4 freshman since 2017 (Paddy Fisher, Northwestern). His 19 tackles were the most for a Badger since LB Mike Taylor registered 22 against Ohio State in 2011.
    • Catalano became the first Big Ten player to have 19 tackles and a sack in a game since Blake Cashman (Minnesota) in 2018.
    • Posa was also a difference-maker, totaling 11 tackles, 2.5 sacks and forcing and recovering the same fumble to set up Wisconsin’s game tying TD in the 3rd quarter.
    • Posa became the first FBS player this season to have 10+ tackles, 2.0+ sacks, a FF and FR in a game. He’s the first P4 player to do so since 2020 (Joseph Ossai, Texas).
    • Injuries taking a toll… The Badgers have been ravaged by injuries this fall, forcing the Badgers’ depth to be tested across the roster. To this point, 2025 projected starters have had 44 games missed or significantly impacted by injuries.
    • Injuries on the O-line led to 3 R-Fr. starting on the unit together (vs. Maryland) for the first time since 2015. The Badgers have deployed 7 different starting offensive line configurations through 9 games this season.

    MORE WISCONSIN WEEK COVERAGE

    PREDICTIONS

    Wisconsin’s defense is respectable.  And they’ll give IU trouble at times.  But the Badger offense will give Indiana plenty of short fields, and the IU defense might even produce some points of their own.

    This one is over by the third quarter and the Hoosiers start 11-0 for the first time ever.

    TDH PREDICTION:  INDIANA 38 WISCONSIN 3

    • ESPN SP+ (Computer):  Indiana 41 Wisconsin 6 (98% win probability for IU)
    • ESPN FPI (Computer):  Indiana has a 97.1% chance to win.

    For complete coverage of IU football, GO HERE.

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