3 Badgers Who Must Step Up for Wisconsin to Upset No. 13 Penn State

Which Badgers need to take their game to another level for Wisconsin to pull off the upset?

Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Tyreese Fearbry. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Wisconsin isn't as big of an underdog as perhaps it should be on the road against No. 13 Penn State.

While the Nittany Lions have enjoyed a near flawless start to the season, sitting at 3-0 after handling their business against three Group of 6 schools, the Badgers have had their fair share of question marks.

A brutal second half against Notre Dame affirmed that this team isn't quite ready to compete with the nation's elite. A shaky performance against FCS Western Illinois raised concerns that this team is still the maddeningly inconsistent squad from the first three years of the Luke Fickell tenure.

A dominant 54-10 victory over Eastern Michigan in Week 3 eased the minds of Badgers fans, but only temporarily. There's no rest for the weary in the Big Ten; Wisconsin can only ride the high of blowing out the Eagles for a week before it has to go prove itself in one of the conference's toughest road venues.

The Badgers absolutely have the capacity to pull off this upset. Here's three players that must step up if it's going to happen:

LT PJ Wilkins

Wisconsin offensive lineman PJ Wilkins. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Wilkins' play has been a problem this season and concerningly, it only appears to be getting worse. The Badgers' starting left tackle struggled against Notre Dame in the opener, managed to bounce back a bit in Week 2 against FCS competition, and then had a rough go of it against Eastern Michigan.

At this point, it wouldn't be a shock to see Lucas Simmons-Johansson trot out with the starters along the offensive line. Quite simply, Wilkins' play — particularly his pass protection — hasn't been good enough, and if it wasn't good enough against Eastern Michigan, it certainly won't fly against Penn State.

Colton Joseph's ability to escape the pocket has helped him mitigate some of the pressures Wilkins has allowed, but that won't always be the case against Big Ten defensive fronts.

Penn State's most productive pass-rusher through three games, sophomore Yvan Kemajou, has 10 pressures and a sack with a pressure rate of 20%. He mainly lines up opposite the left tackle. Life comes at you fast in the Big Ten, and the Badgers better have a plan at one of the most crucial positions on the field.

QB Colton Joseph

Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Colton Joseph. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Joseph is coming off his best game yet in a Wisconsin uniform, racking up 408 total yards and four touchdowns. He finally used his legs to the tune of 46 yards and a score, and after an early ugly interception, he got hot through the air and unleashed some truly picturesque throws.

Jacob Harris (deservedly) got a ton of credit for this catch, but this ball from Colton Joseph — while on the move — is absolutely gorgeous. #Badgers pic.twitter.com/T4fqCf8Rd1

— Seamus (@seamus_rohrer) September 24, 2026

The biggest thing Joseph needs to do Saturday evening in Happy Valley? Keep the ball out of harm's way. He's responsible for two turnovers thus far, a pair of ugly interceptions. But otherwise, the quarterback has done a nice job facilitating this offense.

The big thing for Joseph is to take what's available. Oftentimes, he can scramble and pick up four, five, six yards with his legs, and his speed and athletic ability gives him the potential to rip off a big run every time he tucks it.

But it's also about taking the check-down when presented with one. This is an elite Penn State pass defense that currently ranks No. 1 in the country, allowing just 90.0 yards per game through the air. The five-yard check-down is a winning play in this game. Early in the Eastern Michigan game, Joseph passed up on several check-downs, one of which resulted in his interception. Against a stout defense, it's all about keeping the offense ahead of schedule.

OLB Tyreese Fearbry

Wisconsin linebacker Tyreese Fearbry. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Wisconsin's pass-rush has been...fine through three games. The Badgers have just three sacks, but two of them were strip sacks, one of which led to a scoop-and-score. Top outside linebacker Sebastian Cheeks has 14 pressures on just 56 pass-rushing snaps, a pressure rate of 25%.

But outside of Cheeks, Wisconsin needs someone else to step up as a pass-rusher. Fearbry has played the second most pass-rushing snaps with 51, but he has just one pressure.

With the clear threat that Cheeks presents for Penn State, coupled with the lack of other productive pass-rushers on the Badgers, the Nittany Lions should be able to focus on slowing Cheeks down. Chips, double-teams, whatever it takes to mitigate Cheeks' effect on the game, I see Penn State making him one of its main focuses. That's why Wisconsin desperately needs another pass-rusher to step up and put pressure on the quarterback.

Nick Clayton, who has two pressures across 25 pass-rushing snaps, looks like the Badgers next-best pure edge rusher, but he's played in a limited capacity thus far in 2026. It'll be interesting to see if Wisconsin deploys him more in an effort to kickstart its pass-rush that's been tepid outside of Cheeks.