Wisconsin vs. Minnesota U

Badgers -13 1/2 vs. Golden Gophers

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For most teams, winning seven games with a guaranteed postseason berth should equate to a good season. But it all depends on how you get there. If you are a team that struggled early in the season and caught fire in conference play, alas the Iowa Hawkeyes, you have an incredible season. But when you sputter and falter after going to 7-1 and losing to two archrivals two weeks in a row, one of which you rarely beat, but had your best chance to take your frustrations out on them and failed. This situation aptly describes the Minnesota Golden Gophers season.

Minnesota (7-3, 3-3) was bounced out of the Top 25 two weeks ago when they lost at home to Northwestern on Homecoming on a last minute play. Then they had the chance to pounce on a wounded Michigan team who usually pounces on them. Minnesota had the chance to win against Michigan for only the fifth time in 41 years, the opportunity was there against the weakest Wolverines team in a generation, but the Gophers dropped the ball in more ways than one. The Wolverines came into last Saturdays game the losers of five in a row and they totally dominated the Gophers 29-6.

Just like that Minnesota lost two home games and sunk to the middle of the Big Ten pack. They more than likely also waved goodbye to a rare New Years Day appearance for the program. Their rivals from Wisconsin will host Minnesota this Saturday. Things are not looking better for Minnesota since they have won only once in the last ten matchups with the Badgers.

Wisconsin (5-5, 2-5) is expressing no sympathy for their neighbors to the east. The Badgers were the class of the Big Ten in the preseason and the early part of the 2008 campaign. But a come from behind loss to Michigan in Ann Arbor in late September sent the Badgers into a spiral that they have only recently come out of. Last week Wisconsin beat Indiana 55-20. That victory gives the Badgers their second victory in three games after a four game freefall within the conference cost Wisconsin only hopes of winning the Big Ten. During the middle of the season where the Badgers lost five out of six, they had fourth quarter leads in three of those games, Michigan, Ohio State and Michigan State before ultimately blowing the games late.

The teams will be playing for the historic trophy known as Paul Bunyons Ax, but it has seemingly found a home in Madison. The Gophers have not beaten the Wisconsin Badgers since 2003 and have not won at Camp Randall Stadium since 1994.

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