In 2003 it was Ohio State. Wisconsin students marked their calendars for the home game against defending National Champion Ohio State. In primetime, in the pouring rain, in a tie game, Lee Evans out-ran the nation's fastest defensive back, Chris Gamble, and caught a 79-yard touchdown in stride for the winning score in a much-anticipated, unforgettably monumental upset.
In 2004 no home games delivered. The only excitement came in West Lafayette against Purdue when Scott Starks picked up a fumble and sprinted 40 yards for the game-winning touchdown, knocking off fifth-ranked Purdue and keeping UW's undefeated record in tact.
But in 2005, UW season ticket holders got their money's worth once again when Michigan came to Madison. It didn't provide the aesthetic pleasure of a ball dropping from the open sky into open arms of a blurred Lee Evans, but John Stocco's game-winning draw was the defining moment of the season for the home crowd, rivaling Jonathan Casillas' blocked punt against Minnesota three weeks later.
It seemed reasonable to assume that 2006 would be no different. Everyone had their eye on the schedule, trying to spot the game which was most likely to yield a meaningful and memorable upset. After all, there has to be one. It's the annual anticipatory practice; unreasonably but understandably, fans expect that a superior opponent will fall in front of a raucous Camp Randall crowd, making their year- and sometimes lifelong dedication to Badger football—worthwhile.
This year, it was all supposed to happen against Penn State. They were supposed to be ranked, confident and favored upon arrival. They were supposed to fall to us like Ohio State and Michigan had before them. But instead the 2006 Nittany Lions have played mediocre football in the midst of an extremely difficult schedule, with a respectable, but certainly unimpressive 6-3 record. The respectable part: their three losses have come to top 10 teams (Notre Dame, Ohio State and Michigan). The unimpressive part: their six wins have come against Big Ten bottom-feeders and weak non-conference teams.
This, on the heels of an 11-1 season and a BCS berth in 2005. Their Sugar Bowl victory over Florida State in January gave head coach Joe Paterno something he hadn't had to worry about in decades: job security. His Coke bottle glasses and aged complexion began to resemble incompetence. He had seemingly lost his edge—appearing exhausted and sometimes vacant—and his advanced age was believed to be a disadvantage in recruiting; many kids out of high school prefer youthful, energetic, relatable coaches to legends that are dangerously close to being over-the-hill.
But the program rebounded last year after several years of futility when senior Michael Robinson became a complete college quarterback, earning the title of the Big Ten's Most Valuable Player. His success came in large part to—of all things—an incredible recruiting class of freshman wide receivers, four in all. When they weren't getting open, they were giving Robinson downfield blocks when he scrambled.
The dynamic offense was a departure for Paterno—not its effectiveness, though; just its youth. This was an anomaly in the Penn State program under the old-school Paterno, but he knew he had to play his undisciplined youth and let their talent compensate until their maturity developed. This decision was the key to their season and the origin of a renewed confidence in the head coach.
This season the Nittany Lions return everyone but their quarterback, which is precisely the problem. The defense is still solid because of the linebacking corps, in particular, All-American Paul Posluszny, and they return most of their offensive talent, but it hasn't been enough to keep them in the nation's elite. Junior quarterback Anthony Morelli has struggled trying to replace last year's conference MVP, throwing just seven touchdowns and six interceptions. He has completed only 54 percent of his passes and hasn't been able to open up the running game for his formerly formidable backfield.
Saturday marks the first game in the last month of the season for the Badgers. The hype machine, which runs on speculation and friendly debate, will make something of the match-up against the Nittany Lions, but it won't be anything close to what it was expected to be. UW did their part to make the game relevant but Penn State got blown out by the Notre Dame early in the season and haven't played—or perhaps even felt—like they belonged in the Top 25.
But the atmosphere Saturday morning will be electric anyway. Everyone wants a classic game against a classic opponent so—from the old-fashioned navy and white uniforms, down to the old-fashioned octogenarian on their sideline—Penn State is the Camp Randall crowd's best hope for exactly that.
