TV: 11 a.m. Saturday, FOX-32.
Line: Wisconsin by 7.
Records: Michigan 8-2, 5-2 Big Ten; Wisconsin 10-0, 7-0.
Last meeting: Michigan limited the Badgers to eight first downs and 71 rushing yards in its 14-7 victory on Oct. 1, 2016, in Ann Arbor, Mich. Wisconsin’s Alex Hornibrook had a brutal day, completing 9 of 25 passes for 88 yards with three interceptions.
Keys to the game
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Can Michigan travel by air? The matchup pits the Big Ten’s 11th-ranked passing attack against the nation’s most efficient pass defense. Keep in mind, though, that Michigan QB Brandon Peters has shown some good signs. Since taking over during the Oct. 28 Rutgers game, the redshirt freshman has led the Wolverines to touchdowns on 42 percent of his drives. Wilton Speight and John O’Korn had a combined 19 percent rate.
Can Wisconsin hang on? A remarkable thing about the Badgers’ 10-0 start is that they’ve committed 19 turnovers. Only Illinois (22) has coughed it up more in the Big Ten. Hornibrook has been picked off in seven straight games, and Iowa dinged him for two pick-sixes last week. Jonathan Taylor has almost 500 more rushing yards than anyone else in the conference but has lost four fumbles.
Does Jim Harbaugh have something special planned? The Michigan coach has flown under the radar since his team got waxed at Penn State. Since then the Wolverines have beaten up on Rutgers, Minnesota and Maryland. Michigan has not beaten a top-25 team on the road since 2006. “(It’s an) opportunity to re-introduce yourself to the national football audience,” Harbaugh told WXYT-FM in Detroit. “And that opportunity, we cherish it.”
Teddy Greenstein’s pick: The 10-0 Badgers will move the dial to 11 but only after a gritty, 60-minute fight. Wisconsin 23, Michigan 19.