Point Spread vs. Penn State Indicates Badgers are Getting More Respect After Dominant Win

The Badgers aren't nearly as heavy underdogs as initially expected.

Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There's been a handful of games in the Luke Fickell era in which the Badgers have felt like a sacrificial lamb against a stacked, highly-ranked Big Ten opponent.

Under Fickell, Wisconsin has played No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Indiana, No. 3 Ohio State, and so on and so fourth — there's been no shortage of opportunities to take down a marquee opponent, and the Badgers have yet to pull it off under Fickell.

The last time Wisconsin played Penn State, in 2024, the Nittany Lions waltzed into Camp Randall Stadium ranked No. 3. Trailing just 14-13 heading into the fourth quarter, the Badgers ultimately lost 28-13.

Vegas expects things to be a little different this time around. With Wisconsin set to open Big Ten play against Penn State on Saturday evening in State College, the Badgers opened as a 9.5-point underdog on FanDuel Sportsbook.

Is Wisconsin slowly earning more respect?

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

Penn State being favored by not even 10 points is very surprising to me. There's a litany of reasons the Nittany Lions should realistically be favored by more.

Penn State is 3-0. It destroyed Marshall 45-0, escaped Temple on the road 27-9 and blasted Buffalo 55-13.

It's currently ranked No. 13 in the country. Its defense is elite through three games against Group of Six schools, allowing the fourth-least passing yards per game in the country and boasting the 13th-ranked total defense. Quarterback Rocco Becht has made the transition from Ames to Happy Valley look seamless, completing over 70% of his passes with 751 yards, nine touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Then there's Wisconsin. It looked feisty in the first half against Notre Dame, but collapsed in the second half and was ultimately blown out. It didn't look all that good against FCS Western Illinois either before it finally took care of business against Eastern Michigan, manhandling the Eagles for the better part of four quarters.

Still, the Badgers are just 10-point underdogs on the road against the Nittany Lions, a team that, if things shake out their way, looks poised to compete for a spot in the Big Ten title game.

It's safe to say Vegas took note of what the Badgers did against Eastern Michigan. A dismal first quarter that saw Wisconsin surrender a touchdown on its opening drive, turn the ball over on downs and throw an interception soon gave way to a dominating final 45 minutes of play in which Wisconsin out-scored the Eagles 51-3.

Finally, Wisconsin looked like a team that was ready to thoroughly annihilate a lesser foe. Clearly, their emphatic win over Eastern Michigan was enough to elevate this team in some folks' eyes. Can the Badgers go on the road in an extremely hostile environment and prove them right?

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