1. Wisconsin 38, Minnesota 17 (2019)

The build up to this game was enormous. With three weeks left in the regular season, Wisconsin trailed by two games. Minnesota was undefeated, while Wisconsin had two losses, to Ohio State and an embarrassing loss to Illinois. The Gophers had just had one of their biggest wins in 50 years, knocking off Penn State to reach a perfect 9-0. The same week, Wisconsin held off Iowa 24-22 in Madison. Following the win over Iowa, the Badgers needed help from the Hawkeyes if they wanted to earn a trip to the Big Ten Championship game. They got the help, as Iowa beat Minnesota the next week as Wisconsin defeated Nebraska in Lincoln. Each team won in the second to last week of the season, which set up the big showdown to see who would play Ohio State in Indianapolis, as 9-2 Wisconsin played at 10-1 Minnesota.

It was being built up as the biggest game for Minnesota in more than 50 years. The Gophers had not won the Big Ten since 1967 and defeating Wisconsin would be one step closer to doing just that. The Gophers had dominated the Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium 37-15 the year before and Wisconsin was out for revenge. To make things even better, College Gameday was in town. Up to that point, Minnesota was one of just a handful of teams to have never hosted Gameday. The show chose that site over great games like Auburn/Alabama and Michigan/Ohio State. The game was on ABC at 2:30 CST with the A-team of Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit on the call. And oh yeah, one of the greatest trophies in college football—Paul Bunyan’s Axe—was on the line.

Wisconsin and Minnesota—the biggest meeting since the 1960s. The hype was enormous. All the folks on Gameday picked the Gophers, including Pat McAfee. Despite Minnesota getting most of the love, Wisconsin was put as a slight favorite. I guess maybe Vegas knew something many fans did not?

I mentioned the raucous crowd at TCF Bank Stadium….and it didn’t get any quieter at the beginning of the game when the Gophers defense stuffed Wisconsin on the first possession and a short punt set up the Gophers near midfield. Two plays into the possession, Tanner Morgan found a WIDE open Rashod Bateman running a post down the field, and he jogged into the end zone for a 53-yard touchdown and a quick 7-0 lead.

The whole game changed, though, in the second possession. Wisconsin registered one first down before punting. The Gophers then moved inside the 40, but were stuffed on back-to-back plays, forcing them into a 4^th-and-2. Instead of going for it, Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck chose to punt. Momentum gone. They couldn’t get it back the remainder of the game.

While Wisconsin didn’t score on its ensuing possession, it did get the offense going and gain confidence before Aron Cruickshank fumbled after receiving the snap out of the shotgun.

But the Badgers responded with a takeaway of their own. On third down, Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan threw to the left sideline, but was intercepted by Caesar Williams. That pick led to a field goal to cut it to 7-3.

Wisconsin took the lead on its next possession, turning a seven-play 82-yard drive into a touchdown. On a third down from their own 35, they ran a tight end middle screen and he broke a tackle which would have stopped him shy of the line to gain. Jake Ferguson broke numerous tackles for 20 yards, moving into Gophers territory.

Three plays later, Bucky had that lead. The Badgers ran a wheel route and Coan threw it down the right sideline to JT23, who caught it at the 6 and back pedaled into the end zone for the score.

The Gophers reached the Minnesota 49, but a Jack Sanborn sack ended the hopes for a score before the end of the half.

Wisconsin owned the second half right from its first offensive possession. The Badgers held the Gophers off the scoreboard to begin the half, but were backed up to their own 9 after the punt.

It took Bucky just four plays to go the 91 yards to make it a two-score game and it started with the first play of the drive. Backed up, Chryst called a deep ball. Coan found his favorite target, Quintez Cephus, for 31 yards to the 40. Three plays later, Coan went deep to Cephus for a 47-yard touchdown in a blizzard.

After Minnesota booted a field goal, Wisconsin took control of the game. With the score 17-10, the Badgers ran some trickery on the ensuing kickoff. Cruickshank caught the kickoff and handed it off to Isaac Guerendo, who was running from right to left. He found some room and blasted for a long return down to the Gophers 39.

Two plays later, Wisconsin made it a two-score game once again. With the ball at the 26, Wisconsin ran a jet sweep with Kendric Pryor, who received great blocking and he sprinted untouched for the touchdown to quickly answer the Gophers score to make it 24-10.

Minnesota had a tremendous drive going, aiming to cut it back to one score again. Morgan found Bateman for 18 yards down to the Wisconsin 6, as the Gophers were knocking on the doorstep as the fourth quarter began.

Two plays gained them two yards, which set up third down from the 4. On third down, Morgan looked to the back left corner of the end zone intended for Tyler Johnson that was knocked away by Williams. On fourth down, Morgan went back to that same matchup at the goal line. Once again, Williams was equal to the task, knocking the pass away to keep the lead at 14.

With a 96-yard drive, the Badgers broke it open. Specifically, one play daggered the Gophers. The Badgers faced a 3^rd-and-6 at their own 19. Minnesota had a chance to get the ball back with good field position. However, Coan took the snap and the Gophers brought the blitz. Wisconsin had a screen called, the perfect play call. Coan dumped it to running back Garrett Groshek, who rumbled 70 yards down to the Gophers 11.

One play later, JT23 busted through for an 11-yard touchdown to break the game open. His second score of the game made it 31-10.

If the Badgers didn’t have the game in hand before, it did following Minnesota’s next drive. On the first play of the possession, Morgan was sacked by Garrett Rand and lost the ball and Wisconsin recovered.

Four plays later, JT crashed in from a yard out to cement the Badgers trip to Indianapolis and give Bucky a 38-10 lead.

The Gophers scored a late touchdown, but it was too little, too late, for Minnesota. Wisconsin gained 453 yards of total offense to win by 21.

Wisconsin went to 10-2 with the win and the win helped them make a return trip to the Rose Bowl. What makes this so high is destroying the dreams of Minnesota fans. In the biggest game for the Gophers in more than 50 years, the Badgers obliterated them. Fun times in Madison.

2. Wisconsin 16, LSU 14 (2016)

I was debating if I should put this No. 1 or 2. Nevertheless, this was an enormous win by the Badgers. Yes, I went to this game, so I am biased and feel obligated to put this right near the top. But there were so many storylines to this game. First off, Wisconsin was facing off against former defensive coordinator Dave Aranda, who bolted to LSU in the offseason. Secondly, the No. 5 Tigers came in as one of the preseason favorites to make it to the College Football Playoff, led by Heisman Trophy candidate Leonard Fournette. On the other hand, Wisconsin had to play LSU and Ohio State in Wisconsin, while playing Michigan, Michigan State and Iowa all on the road. Many, such as Colin Cowherd, predicted the Badgers to be a 6-6 team. Arnie Spanier said Wisconsin was not that good any more and that LSU would cover the massive 10.5-point spread with ease. And oh yeah, the game was at Lambeau Field, the crown jewel of all NFL stadiums. As former boxing referee Mills Lane would say, “Let’s get it on!”

College Gameday was in the house for this one. I mean, despite the fact that there were so many other great games that weekend, there was no way the show was not going to be held at Lambeau. Many called it the greatest opening weekend for college football ever. It did not disappoint. It was quite impressive that out of all the outstanding games that weekend, they chose this matchup for College Gameday. The Badgers had to replace their winningest quarterback of all-time, Joel Stave. They replaced him with senior Bart Houston, who waited for his turn despite being a highly ranked recruit coming in from California. Fittingly, Houston was named after former Packers legend Bart Starr, who had played in that stadium 50 years before. You can't make this stuff up.

In addition to Cowherd and Spanier, seemingly nobody gave the Badgers much of a chance to beat the mighty LSU Tigers. But, as Chris Berman would say, "that’s why they play the game."

Wisconsin received the opening kickoff and would get a pair of first downs on Aranda’s defense before having to punt. LSU would go three-and-out on its first possession, which was a theme for the Tigers offense in the first half. LSU would gain just 64 yards on 21 plays in the first half and four of the six drives would last three or fewer plays for the Tigers.

Twice the Badgers would drive deep into LSU territory, but would be turned away each time. On its second drive, Bucky would drive to the Tigers 23 on the strength of a Houston 21-yard pass to Rob Wheelwright. However, on the 4th-and-1, Clement would be stopped behind the line of scrimmage and the Badgers had to turn the ball over on downs. On their very next drive, Wisconsin would move into the red zone. However, on 3rd-and-9 from the LSU 10, Houston went to the right corner of the end zone intended for Kyle Penniston, but it was woefully underthrown and easily picked off by Rickey Jefferson.

It would remain scoreless until well into the second quarter. In a defensive struggle, turnovers would be magnified. They took points off the board for Wisconsin in the first quarter, but it would benefit from a big one in the second. Following a P.J. Rosowski punt, the Tigers started at their own 36. On the first play, they ran a jet sweep with running back Derrius Guice, and he was tackled and fumbled near the sideline. After a few seconds with the ball sitting on the ground, Conor Sheehy recovered for the Badgers at the 36.

This time, the scoring chance would not go to waste. Wisconsin would pick up two first downs on the drive to move down the field to the LSU 12, where the drive would stall. On the third down play, Houston threw a pass off the hands of Wheelwright in the end zone, so the Badgers had to settle for three. Rafael Gaglianone’s 30-yard field goal split the uprights and Bucky took the 3-0 lead with a little more than four minutes remaining in the first half.

Wisconsin’s defense was not done making plays in the second quarter, though. After one first down from LSU’s offense, Fournette gained nine yards on two carries to set up a 3rd-and-1. After the Heisman Trophy candidate was stuffed on third down, Les Miles decided to roll the dice on fourth down in his own territory. Fournette got the carry again, and he was stopped short of the first down by Jack Cichy and Arrington Farrar and Bucky took over on downs at the LSU 45.

Wheelwright would make his presence felt in the first half. The senior had four catches for 60 yards, three catches of which came in the first half. On the opening play of the drive, Houston found Wheelwright along the sideline, who broke a tackle and ran to the middle of the field for a 12-yard gain and a first down. That would set up Gaglianone for a 48-yard field goal, which he drilled with less than a minute left in the half. That would remain the score at the end of one half of play.

You can’t understate the job Wisconsin’s defense did in the first half. Now, no one will ever confuse LSU’s offense with the 1999 St. Louis Rams, but to hold a team to 64 yards of offense in the first half is really impressive. What is even more impressive is that they held arguably the nation’s best running back (and future top five draft pick) to just 35 yards on 11 carries. He would break off a few long runs in the second half to inflate his numbers, but for the most part, he was bottled up by a salty Wisconsin front seven. You knew LSU would not stay down for long, though.

However, the Tigers offense would pick up in the second half right where it left off in the first, going three and out and having to punt. Wisconsin would waste little time in the second half putting the first touchdown on the board. Following the LSU punt, the Badgers would travel 58 yards in less than two minutes to put them ahead by two scores. The first three plays of the drive went for first downs, starting with a 27-yard pass from Houston to tight end Troy Fumagalli to move the ball to the LSU 31. This would be the coming out party for Fumagalli. After having 500 yards receiving combined in his first two seasons, the big tight end would catch seven passes for an even 100 yards against the vaunted LSU defense. Clement would do the rest on the drive. The first three carries went for a combined 26 yards to move it to the 5. Then he would get the ball again and make a cut and fight his way into the end zone for the score. Clement was first ruled down at the 1, but after review, it was determined that he broke the plane. Bucky led 13-0.

Fournette finally made his presence felt on the next drive. He would gain 51 yards on the next four carries to move to the Wisconsin 32. But the Badgers defense would stand tall and push the Tigers back and force a punt. But that is the whole game changed.

After a few short runs from Clement set up a 3rd-and-4, Houston made a game-changing mistake. He went back to pass from his own end zone and fired a dangerous pass along the left sideline that was picked off by LSU’s Tre’Davious White, who picked it off and weaved his way 21 yards for the first Tigers score of the season.

It only got worse for the Badgers on the next drive. Even though Wisconsin still had the lead by six, the momentum was swinging to the side of the SEC school. After the kickoff, the Badgers gained one yard in two plays. On the third down, Houston found junior wide receiver George Rushing for a first down, but he would be hit and the ball came free. White recovered it for the Tigers and they were in business again at the Wisconsin 41. That was the third turnover for the Badgers and every one was painful. Thinking the defense would be on its heels after a sudden change of possession, Miles went for a shot. Brandon Harris struggled mightily on the day, only going 12-of-21 for 131 yards, but he would find a wide open Fournette down the left sideline for 31 yards. It would not take long for the Tigers to go from being down 13-0 to in front 14-13, as Harris threw a short pass to wide receiver Travin Dural, who shook free of D’Cota Dixon and waltzed into the end zone from 10 yards away. It was quite a turn of events.

The score would stay that way until late in the game. That isn’t to say there weren’t key plays, though. Starting inside linebacker T.J. Edwards broke his foot during the summer and would miss this game, so ‘Three sack’ Jack Cichy started in place of him. Already without Edwards, the other starting inside linebacker, Chris Orr, tore his ACL on the very first defensive snap of the season. Down both starting inside linebackers, former walk-on sophomore Ryan Connelly made one of the biggest plays of the game, and maybe the season. With LSU facing a 3rd-and-8 from its own 33, Miles called a screen pass. Harris threw it to Fournette and the blocking was set up nicely, but Connelly knifed through to bring down the 228-pound running back in the open field. That forced the Tigers to punt with a little more than eight minutes to play.

Wisconsin started at its own 23, looking for one of its biggest non-conference regular season wins of all-time. Houston, despite making his first start, looked as poise as you can be, completing all three passes he attempted on the drive for 38 yards. He and his big tight end got the drive rolling, as the two connected on 20-yard pass to move into Tigers territory. Backup running back Dare Ogunbowale would run for 14 yards on the the ensuing play and all of a sudden, Wisconsin was at the LSU 33. However, Paul Chryst would play it conservative and settle for the field goal attempt of 47 yards.

Gaglianone, wearing No. 27, had already hit two on the day, including one of 48. The kicker had switched his number to 27 from No. 10 to honor his friend Sam Foltz. In July of 2016, former Michigan State punter Mike Sadler and Foltz, who was entering his senior season at Nebraska, were returning from a kicking camp at Wisconsin when the car Sadler was driving lost control on wet pavement, left the road and struck a tree. Both were killed. LSU kicker Colby Delahoussaye was also in the car, but he survived and needed stitches in addition to suffering burns to his legs. It would only make sense that Gaglianone would be called upon to give Wisconsin a lead against the No. 5 team in the country late in the game.

The snap was good and Gaglianone’s kick was drilled right down the middle to give the Badgers the 16-14 lead with 3:47 remaining. It did not make it by much, but it was plenty much for the Badgers. To celebrate his big-time kick, Gaglianone pointed to his jersey. “That one was for you brother,” he tweeted after the game. “I know you were looking down and helping me make those kicks!!”

LSU had one more chance, and it was up to Wisconsin’s defense to bring home the win. The Badgers wouldn’t have had it any other way. The Tigers offense had not done much of anything to that point, gaining just 217 yards. But the drive started well for LSU, as Harris found tight end DeSean Smith for 19 yards up to the 44. Three plays later, the Tigers looked to be in business, as Harris connected with future Green Bay Packer Malachi Dupri for a first down to move to the Wisconsin 45. That was only their second third down conversion of the game. It looked even more like LSU would come out of Lambeau with a win when Fournette blasted through a hole for 15 yards before being upended by safety Leo Musso and injuring his leg. That injury would force him to miss LSU’s next game against Jacksonville State. With less than a minute and half left in the game, the Tigers were without their best player and were just whistled for a false start. Instead of being able to run the ball with confidence since Fournette was out of the game, Harris had to put the ball in the air.

Going into the season, people wondered who would replace the starting safeties from 2015, Michael Caputo and Tanner McEvoy. Those two complemented each other well. Caputo was the safety who played in the box and McEvoy was the center fielder, leading the team with six interceptions as a senior. Most of all, Caputo added leadership to a young cornerback duo. Musso had to take on more of a leadership role, and helped lead a secondary that was second in the country in interceptions. The safeties combined for nine and would make numerous big plays throughout the season. Not one was bigger than D’Cota Dixon’s in the season opener.

Harris went back to pass on the game-deciding play, and quickly was under pressure from Vince Biegel, who came in unblocked. The LSU quarterback was able to spin away from Biegel and find some space to throw. Unfortunately, for the Tigers, he rushed his throw intended for wide receiver D.J. Chark that was picked off by Dixon to seal the deal. In celebration, the safety was leveled by LSU offensive lineman Josh Boutte, which deservedly got him ejected and suspended for the following week's game. Houston took a knee three times and the Badgers emerged with a monumental win over LSU at Lambeau Field. The win was the first victory for Wisconsin over an AP top five team while unranked since 1985. It also snapped LSU’s FBS-record 52-game non-conference winning streak. The Badgers also snapped a seven game losing streak to top 10 teams.

There are no words that can describe how big this victory was. For a team that came into the season with really low expectations by Wisconsin standards, this gave them confidence that they could compete with the big boys. This win jump-started the Badgers to what would turn out to be an incredible season that would end with a victory in the Cotton Bowl in Texas.

3. Wisconsin 34, Miami 24 (2017)

Wisconsin came into the 2017 Orange Bowl looking for a program-record 13th win. The Badgers torpedoed through the regular season, going 12-0 with only one game being won by one score. It was their first perfect regular season since 1912. However, they were stopped one win short of the College Football Playoff, as the Badgers fell 27-21 to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Big Ten Championship. Their consolation was a berth in the Orange Bowl......against the Miami Hurricanes and their turnover chain. Just like the previous season when it was Wisconsin’s first trip to the Cotton Bowl, this would be the first trip to the Orange Bowl. It was their second meeting in a bowl game, with the Badgers winning the previous matchup 20-14 in the 2009 Champs Sports Bowl. In a battle of two good defenses, I expected a low-scoring game. What we got was the Alex Hornibrook Show, as the Badgers quarterback threw four touchdown passes helping the Badgers win their 13th game of the season, 34-24.

Wisconsin received the ball to start, and would pick up a first down, moving into Miami territory. However, on Jonathan Taylor’s first carry of the game, he would carry the ball to the Hurricanes 30-yard-line, but would fumble. Well, he was down before he fumbled, but the officials ruled it a fumble anyway and it would be Miami football.

Enter the turnover chain.

Miami would blow into Wisconsin territory in two plays, which both picked up first downs. Wisconsin would hold the Canes after that, and Miami’s Michael Badgley would not even come close to making the field goal attempt. It was way wide right and way short. Wisconsin would take over in solid field position, and Jonathan Taylor would make up for his fumble on the previous drive by rushing four times for 38 yards, setting up a Rafael Gaglianone field goal to put Bucky on the board first.

But after that, the rest of the quarter was all Hurricanes. Just like their first drive, the Canes started out with two first downs on their first two plays and they moved inside the Badgers 40. Miami then went to the ground to score. Three players carried the ball on the final five plays of the drive, and it ended when Travis Homer blasted his way into the end zone from five yards away and Miami took a 7-3 lead.

It did not get better for Wisconsin, as it was called for a holding on the ensuing kickof return, and the Badgers had to start at their own 9. Three plays lost three yards, and the Badgers were forced to punt, and Anthony Lotti’s punt went out of bounds at the Wisconsin 45. Miami’s DeeJay Dallas made quick work of the Wisconsin defense, as he carried the ball twice on the drive, including a 39-yard touchdown run down the right sideline. In the span of three minutes, it went from a Wisconsin 3-0 lead to a 14-3 deficit.

The Badgers would be forced to punt from their own 22 on the next possession, so it looked like the Hurricanes would be in position to blow the game open. But the game turned in the other direction. After Homer was tackled for a loss of five to end the first quarter, Miami quarterback Malik Rosier tried to throw a wide receiver screen to Braxton Berrios, but was picked off by linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel. The interception set up the Badgers with great field position at the Canes 23. Three plays later, Wisconsin faced a 3rd-and-7 from the Miami 20. Hornibrook, who had a tremendous game, threw a back shoulder pass to freshman wide receiver Danny Davis. The freshman caught it inside the 5, despite blanket coverage from Miami’s Dee Delaney, and fell into the end zone for the score. As Matt Lepay would say, “....and the Badgers are back in the fight!”

That started a terrific evening for Hornibrook. For the game, he was 23-of-34 for 258 yards and four touchdowns. After the Van Ginkel interception, the sophomore quarterback ended the half completing 11 of 12 passes for 116 yards and three scores. He had a subpar first quarter, completing only three passes in nine attempts for 23 yards. But in his final three quarters, he was flawless, completing 20 of 25 passes for 235 yards and all four of his touchdowns.

Wisconsin’s defense stopped Miami’s offense in three plays on its next possession, so Hornibrook and company took advantage and re-captured the lead. He led the Badgers on a 12-play, 71-yard march that was capped off by another Hornibrook touchdown pass, this one to sophomore wide receiver A.J. Taylor. Star freshman running back Jonathan Taylor was bottled up on this particular drive, rushing for 15 yards on five carries, but Hornibrook more than made up for it. The Pennsylvania native was 4-for-4 on the drive for 46 yards, including the touchdown to A.J. Taylor. On the touchdown, once again, it was terrific coverage by the Miami defender. This time it was Sheldrick Redwine on the coverage, and Hornibrook threw it to a perfect spot. The Wisconsin quarterback made a great throw, but A.J. Taylor made an even better catch. He caught with his left hand while being covered tightly by Redwine, and secured the Badgers first lead of the quarter.

Miami’s offense went three plays and out once again, and Hornibrook went back to work. The Hurricanes defense stuffed Jonathan Taylor on this drive once again, but the Badgers quarterback looked like Aaron Rodgers once again. Hornibrook went 4-for-5 for 48 yards and a touchdown on the drive that gave them a 24-14 lead with 28 seconds left in the half. Two of his completions were on 3rd-and-long. Hornibrook’s touchdown pass was a pass over the middle to Danny Davis, his second of the game, who beat Redwine to give Bucky the 10-point lead going into halftime.

Playing in its home stadium, you knew Miami would not go away quietly. The Hurricanes cut the deficit to three on their second possession of the second half. After a short punt from Anthony Lotti, the Canes traveled 46 yards in just two plays. Rosier scrambled and found a wide open Lawrence Cager, who beat top cover man Nick Nelson, for a 38-yard score.

Miami had everything going its way, as it forced a Wisconsin three-and-out and then would travel 37 yards on two plays to move to the Badgers 24. But on 2nd-and-10, Rosier took a shot into the end zone and was picked off by the Florida native Derrick Tindal.

The teams would trade field goals following the interception, and the Badgers would need a touchdown to try to seal the game. In a big-time drive to give the Badgers the 34-24 lead, Jonathan Taylor ran the ball once for no yards. Hornibrook, on the other hand, threw the ball six times on the 8-play drive, going 6-for-6 for 74 yards and the touchdown. On the drive, the Badgers never once faced third down, and the drive was capped off with Davis’ third touchdown reception of the game. The true freshman had only caught two touchdowns in the first 13 games of the season.

Miami had one more opportunity in the game, as Jeff Thomas beat Tindal on a 48-yard reception down to the Wisconsin 10. But the ensuing three plays gained only four yards, and Badgley’s 24-yard field goal attempt bounced off the right upright. So with 4:34 to go and the Badgers up 10, it was all but over.

Wisconsin had a nice bounce back win over Miami after the crushing loss to Ohio State. It was a great ending to what was one of the best seasons in school history.

4. Wisconsin 31, Minnesota 0 (2017)

Wisconsin was looking for its 12th win of the season and its first undefeated regular season in more than a century. The only team left that was standing in its way was its rival directly to the West, the Minnesota Gophers in the annual battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe. The Badgers were on a 13-game winning streak over the Gophers, with its last loss coming on a last-second field goal in 2003. In the previous meeting, Wisconsin overcame a 17-7 halftime deficit to score 24 consecutive points and win 31-17 at Camp Randall Stadium. Interestingly, the Badgers had won their last three games in Minneapolis convincingly, compared to having to come back from double-digit deficits the last two games in Madison. The previous week for Minnesota, P.J. Fleck’s bunch gained only 182 yards against Northwestern in a 39-0 loss in Evanston. It did get any better against the No. 5 Badgers, gaining only 133 yards in another shutout defeat. This one was never in doubt, as the Badgers celebrated with the Axe once again, winning 31-0 and headed to Indianapolis with their first undefeated regular season record since 1912.

The Badgers started a bit slow, as they gained a combined two first downs in their first two drives before punting both times. The 12-play drive would start with Wisconsin picking up two first downs in its first three plays of the series. The Badgers faced two third downs on the drive, with the first being a 3rd-and-8 from midfield. Alex Hornibrook found an open Troy Fumagalli for a first down to the 40. Soon after that, Hornibrook found an open A.J. Taylor on a play action pass for 23 yards down to the Minnesota 6. The Wisconsin quarterback would find Fumagalli once again on a third down to give the Badgers the 7-0 lead with 24 seconds left in the opening frame. The much-maligned quarterback was 6-for-7 on the drive for 62 yards and the touchdown.

That would open the floodgates. After punting on its first two drives, Bucky would not punt again until 4:29 left in the fourth quarter when the Badgers were led by Jack Coan at quarterback. Following a Minnesota punt, Wisconsin went back to work. The 9-play drive was capped off by a short Rafael Gaglianone field goal. The big play of the drive was a handoff to fullback Austin Ramesh, who received a block in the backfield and went around the outside for 41 yards down to the Minnesota 15. Goldy’s defense would stiffen and Gaglianone’s field goal made it 10-0 with 9:08 to go in the first half.

I mentioned Wisconsin did not punt again until late in the game. Well, the next drive would be the only drive in which it did not score points. With Wisconsin facing a 3rd-and-3 from its 49, Jonathan Taylor did something that plagued him all year: he fumbled. Minnesota recovered and took over at its own 49. It was the star freshman’s fifth lost fumble on the season. Fortunately for the Badgers, though, Ryan Connelly sacked Demry Croft on the first play following the turnover and the Gophers didn’t threaten to score after the takeaway.

Taylor was benched for a series after his fumble, but Hornibrook still led his troops down the field with ease. Wisconsin only faced one third down, which was a 3rd-and-2, on the 7-play drive that put the game away. The drive traveled 79 yards with Chris James providing the biggest play, a 29-yard scamper across midfield. Fellow reserve tailback Garrett Groshek added a 27-yard carry on a similar play to James’ run. On the very next play, Hornibrook threw a beautiful pass to reserve tight end Kyle Penniston in the back of the end zone where Penniston was the only one who could grab it. He did just that and Wisconsin went ahead 17-0. At this point, the Badgers were in complete control, as they actually had more points than the Gophers had total yards of offense (15 plays for 13 yards). Minnesota would put together easily its best drive of the half with a 47-yard march, but it would end with a missed field goal, as Emmit Carpenter pushed a 46-yard attempt to the right and it remained 17-0 at the half.

Minnesota had a nice drive going to start the third quarter, on the strength of a Will Reger reception of 26 yards, one of the just three completions for Croft on the game. The drive would reach the Wisconsin 33, but once again a Connelly sack derailed the promising Gophers drive and the Badgers would take over after a touchback.

Jonathan Taylor would carry the ball five times for 38 yards on the 8-play touchdown drive that put the game away. The only third down of the draft just happened to be the last play of the drive, a Hornibrook 5-yard slant pass to Danny Davis. That was the freshman wide receiver’s second touchdown grab of the season. Hornibrook was 2-for-2 on the drive for 36 yards. His 31-yard pass to an open Kendric Pryor along the sideline got the Badgers in the red zone and set up the score. Considering the Gophers lack of a passing game, Minnesota did not have much of a shot at coming back.

Any chance Minnesota had at coming back was nailed shut on Wisconsin’s following drive. You could sense Jonathan Taylor was close to popping one, especially after gaining 17 yards on his two carries to start the drive. But then.....BAM! Hornibrook took the snap from the shotgun and gave it to Taylor, who blasted through the hole and received a block from Davis and outraced everybody to the end zone for the 53-yard score. Start the celebration for 12-0!

The shutout was secure on Minnesota’s next possession as Carpenter missed another field goal and the lead remained 31-0. After the Wisconsin touchdown, the crowd just starting singing songs and having a good time. After all, it is not every year the Badgers have an undefeated regular season.


Wisconsin would head into Indianapolis to face Ohio State, but the Badgers could not earn a College Football berth as big plays did them in and they fell 27-21 in the Big Ten Championship. The Badgers did rebound, though, with a victory in the Orange Bowl over Miami to earn a program-record 13th victory. Still, this was one game that will be remembered for years to come by Badgers fans.

5. Wisconsin 35, Michigan 14 (2019)

It was a huge game between two of the biggest programs in the Big Ten. Many people thought this was the year for Michigan to topple Ohio State for conference supremacy. The Badgers were projected as third in the Big Ten West behind Iowa and Nebraska, but had shut out its first two opponents, outscoring South Florida and Central Michigan by a combined score of 110-0. It was a huge game for Paul Chryst, as he was 1-2 against his buddy Jim Harbaugh, and many thought Chryst could not win a big game. While he was 1-2 against Harbaugh, he was 1-0 against him at Camp Randall Stadium. It was the Big Noon Saturday game, as Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt were the announcers for the contest.

Wisconsin was crushed 38-13 the previous season against Michigan, but got its revenge in this one. The Badgers scored on their opening possession and finished the half in front 28-0. Chryst showed some cajones by going for it three times in the first half, all converted and went on to be huge plays, helping lead to touchdowns later in the drive. The Badgers eventually went on to lead 35-0 before Michigan fought back to make it a 35-14 final.

The first big decision from Chryst came on the opening possession of the contest. Wisconsin had gained three yards on the first three plays of the game and faced 4^th-and-inches from just past its own 34. While many thought Wisconsin should punt, Chryst sent the offense on the field and Taylor dove over the top of bodies for three yards and the first time.

That gamble paid off as the Badgers struck first on a Taylor 1-yard touchdown run eight plays later. The big play running back was featured on the opening march, as he carried eight times for 51 yards, twice rushing for first downs (or touchdowns) and once on fourth drive to keep the drive moving.

It looked like Michigan would tie the game back up when Patterson was flushed to the right and found Ronnie Bell, who slipped a tackle attempt and ran down the field for 68 yards before being brought down at the Badgers 7 by Faion Hicks.

That tackle by Hicks would loom large, as two plays later, Michigan fumbled and Eric Burrell recovered for Wisconsin at the 4. Wisconsin drove 47 yards before punting, but it was big to flip field position.

The defense forced a 3-and-out on Michigan’s next possession, and Taylor took the first play of the ensuing drive to the house.

Coan handed the ball to Taylor on a 1^st-and-10 from the 28, and he found nothing up the middle. The Wolverines defense was sucked in to the middle, and Taylor bounced it and found nothing but green grass. He out-raced the defense 72 yards for the touchdown and the two-score lead.

The second and third fourth down conversions took place on a 15-play drive to put the Badgers up by 21. On a 4^th-and-3 from the Michigan 42, Chryst went for the throat. Coan lined up out of the shotgun and Michigan brought the house. The junior quarterback stood in and lofted a perfect pass down the right sideline for Quintez Cephus for 26 yards.

Six plays later, Wisconsin faced another fourth down. This one inside the 1. Chryst again went for the jugular. On the fourth down play, Coan ran a quarterback sneak and there was a big hole to go through and he dived into the end zone for the score.

They ended the quarter with another Coan touchdown run. Following a 3-and-out where they forced the Wolverines backward, Wisconsin took over at the Michigan 43. The home team just needed two plays to break it wide open. The first play was a pass to running back Garrett Groshek for 18 yards in which he slipped a tackle after the reception. The second one was the dagger.

On the play, Jack was pressured immediately, but he stepped up and found all kinds of daylight. He was not touched again until he dived across the goal line for the score and the 28-0 lead at the half.

In the second half, the Badgers coasted to the finish line. Wisconsin tacked on another score on its first possession of the second half after a 13-play, 84-yard drive. The biggest play of the drive was a Garrett Groshek 23-yard run on a 1^st-and-20 after a holding penalty pushed the Badgers back. John Chenel capped off the drive with a 2-yard carry up the middle in which he kinda body surfed into the end zone to make it 35-0..

Michigan scored twice in the final 18 minutes to make the score more respectable, but the game was all Bucky all the time. Wisconsin out-gained Michigan 487-299, but much of the Wolverines work was done after the score went to 35-0.

The Badgers ended up winning their first six games before a hiccup, dropping their next two. Bucky rebounded to win the final four regular season games to earn a trip to the Big Ten Championship game in Indianapolis and trip to the Rose Bowl.

6. Wisconsin 23, Nebraska 17 (OT) (2016)

It was basically the championship game for the West Division in the Big Ten. No. 7 Nebraska came in undefeated at 7-0, but had not played anyone close to the quality of Wisconsin. No. 11 Wisconsin came in at 5-2, having bounced back with a road win in Iowa City after suffering two consecutive heartbreaking losses. Even though Nebraska would still lead the division with a loss, the Cornhuskers had a date with Ohio State in Columbus looming. This game would be tight throughout, with the biggest lead of the game being 10 points in the third quarter. Dare Ogunbowale would be the unlikely hero in this game, rushing for a career-high 120 yards on just 11 carries and would score the game-winning touchdown in overtime to give the Badgers the 23-17 win.

Wisconsin needed to win out to win the division. There was no way the Badgers were going to win the division if they lost to the Huskers since they would be three games back with four to play and lose the tiebreaker. This was the second consecutive night game at Camp Randall Stadium, and the second consecutive overtime game in Madison. The previous game at Camp Randall was an overtime loss to Ohio State. The Badgers needed a last-second field goal to beat Nebraska in Lincoln in 2015.

It looked like Bucky was going to have an easy time of it, as the Badgers scored on their second possession in easy fashion. Wisconsin started with great field position at its own 49 after a 24-yard punt return by Corey Clement. The scoring drive was just two plays. After a 30-yard pass from Alex Hornibrook to Troy Fumagalli, Bradrick Shaw blasted through a gaping hole and raced 21 yards for the score to put the Badgers on the board first.

The 7-0 score would last until early in the second quarter. Nebraska would have a chance to tie the score late in the first, but Sojourn Shelton picked off a Tommy Armstrong pass deep in Badgers territory. But Bucky would not be so lucky on the next Cornhuskers possession. Nebraska forced a three-and-out and Anthony Lotti had a relatively short punt, which De’Mornay Pierson-El returned 15 yards to the Wisconsin 42. The biggest play on the drive would be an Armstrong 36-yard pass to Jordan Westerkamp to the Badgers 4 on the final play of the opening quarter. Three plays later, Devine Ozigbo blasted in from a yard out to tie the game at 7.

Following the Wisconsin touchdown, Nebraska dominated much of the remainder of the half. After the Badgers score, the Huskers started their next four first half possessions at the 25, 44, Wisconsin 42 and the Nebraska 40. Amazingly, the Badgers defense allowed only seven points on those four drives. The final of those four drives was ended when D’Cota Dixon picked off a deflected pass and set the Badgers up with great field position at midfield. That intereception would help set up an Andrew Endicott field goal to give the Badgers a 10-7 lead, which would remain until halftime.

Despite the fact that Nebraska had dominated the field position battle, Wisconsin held the slim edge at halftime. It was time for the Badgers offense to show up. It did just that on the opening possession in the second half. Wisconsin drove 73 yards in 13 plays to give Bucky a 17-7 lead, capped off by a Hornibrook touchdown pass to Rob Wheelwright. The Badgers converted three third downs on the drive, including the touchdown. Ogunbowale, who dominated the second half, gained 40 yards on four carries, including a 15-yard gain on 3rd-and-7 deep in Nebraska territory. That all led up to a lofted touchdown from Hornibrook to Wheelwright to give the Badgers the 10-point lead. It would remain that way until an eventful fourth quarter.

However, when the fourth quarter started, Nebraska was on the doorstep of cutting its deficit to three once again. The 14-play, 75-yard drive lasted nearly six minutes and was capped off by an Armstrong two-yard run to cut it to 17-14. Westerkamp only had three catches in the game, but they were all timely. All three were for first downs and this Westerkamp catch on 3rd-and-7 set up the Huskers at the Badgers 13. Armstrong was 3-for-6 on the drive for 38 yards and all three completions were for third down conversions. He would also gain another 15 yards on the ground on three carries, including the touchdown.

Wisconsin would try to push the lead back to two scores, but its next two drives ended in interceptions. Both interceptions were by Nathan Gerry and he picked off both Hornibrook and Bart Houston. On the second possession, the Badgers used an Ogunbowale 39-yard run to move them into Nebraska territory. But two plays later, Gerry picked off Houston.

Following the pick, the Huskers traveled 52 yards in 11 plays to set up a Drew Brown 35-yard field goal to tie the game up at 17. The biggest play of the drive came on an Armstrong 25-yard pass to Stanley Morgan, Jr., to put Nebraska on the Wisconsin 21. Wisconsin got a long run by Clement on the next drive to Nebraska 34. The Badgers would play conservative and three runs gained them eight yards, but Andrew Endicott missed a field goal and the game stayed tied. This was the first game Endicott really struggled in replacing injured Rafael Gaglianone, who missed the final 10 games of the season with a back injury. Nebraska would drive close to midfield on the next possession, but would end up punting and the game went into overtime.

Nebraska won the toss and played defense first. Wisconsin wasted little time punching it into the end zone. Three Clement runs moved the ball down to the 11, and from there, Ogunbowale did the rest. On a 2nd-and-8 from the 11, Ogunbowale received the carry from the shotgun and broke a tackle in the backfield and followed his blocking until he found nothing but green in front of him and he scampered into the end zone for the 23-17 lead. But like I said, Endicott had a rough day. He would miss the extra point, and the lead remained at six, giving Nebraska a chance to win it in the first overtime. The Badgers defense stood tall. The first three plays for Nebraska gained two yards and the Cornhuskers faced a 4th-and-8 from the 23. Armstrong went back to pass and lofted a pass into the end zone intended for Morgan, who had beaten Shelton at the line of scrimmage. But Dixon came over from his safety spot and knocked the ball away to seal the six-point win.

The win was the second of six consecutive victories for the Badgers, and Wisconsin would represent the West Division in the Big Ten Championship game. Nebraska would not recover, as the Huskers would be annihilated in Columbus the following week 62-3 to fall into a tie with Wisconsin. Overall, Nebraska would lose four of its final six games after the hot start and Bucky would win the division title outright.

7. Wisconsin 31, Minnesota 17 (2016)

The Badgers had won a dozen consecutive games in the rivalry, but in the last meeting at Camp Randall Stadium, Wisconsin needed a second half rally to win and earn a berth in the Big Ten Championship game against Ohio State. This meeting followed a similar script. Wisconsin didn’t need to win against Minnesota to earn a berth in Indianapolis the following week, as Iowa annihilated Nebraska 40-10 the previous day to secure the trip to Indy for the Badgers. However, Bucky wanted more. Wisconsin needed a victory to win the Big Ten West division outright, and let’s face it, they wanted to make it 13 straight over their rivals directly to the West. The Badgers also had an outside chance with a win against Minnesota and a win in Indianapolis to reach the College Football Playoff. After a sluggish first half, Wisconsin rallied to beat Minnesota 31-17 to win the axe once again.

Although Minnesota was mathematically eliminated from playing in the Big Ten Championship, nothing would make its season sweeter than to destroy any hopes Wisconsin had of playing in the College Football Playoff. The Gophers weren’t a bad team at 8-3, but only beat two teams that would play in a bowl game, and one of those was Colorado State, which played in the Idaho Potato Bowl. Goldy had a two-headed monster at tailback with Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks. In the 2015 meeting (a Wisconsin 31-21 win in Minnapolis), the Gophers only rushed for 53 yards on 18 carries. Prior to the year, ESPN’s Todd McShay predicted Mitch Leidner as a first round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. In the 2015 meeting, he would complete just 16 of 37 passes for 223 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. The Minnesota offense was out to prove that was a fluke.

On the first drive, the Gophers were proving just that, motoring down the field 72 yards in 12 plays. However, the Badgers defense rose up in the red zone and forced a field goal. Leidner, who is a run-first quarterback, only had 10 rushing yards in the previous meeting. He rushed for 50 yards on four carries on the opening drive, including a 32-yard scamper to move inside Bucky’s 30-yard line. It would remain 3-0 Gophers after one quarter.

Following a Minnesota punt early in the second quarter, Wisconsin traveled 80 yards in 10 plays to take the lead. Bart Houston would lead the team down the field, completing all three passes to three different receivers on the drive for 48 yards. Even though Houston did most of the work driving the Badgers down the field, fullback Alec Ingold got the glory, as he punched it in from a yard out to put Bucky in front 7-3.

That lead was short-lived, however. Minnesota’s KiAnte Hardin returned the ensuing kickoff 69 yards down to the Wisconsin 13. One play later, Goldy was back on top, as Leidner found senior wide receiver Drew Wolitarsky over the middle for the score. Minnesota would add another score with less than a minute left in the first half. Wolitarsky once again had a big hand in giving the Gophers a 10-point halftime lead, as he caught a 35-yard pass to move to the Wisconsin 22. Five plays later, Leidner ran in from three yards out to give the Gophers the 17-7 halftime lead.

Two years prior, as I mentioned, Wisconsin was in a similar position. The Badgers were down 17-13, but rallied to outscore the Gophers 21-7 in the second half and 31-7 dating back to the first half to win 34-24. In 2016, Bucky was down by 10 points and seemingly nothing was working. Wisconsin was being dominated on both offense and defense and starting quarterback Alex Hornibrook was knocked out of the game in the second quarter due to a concussion. As good as Wisconsin’s defense was, the Badgers surrendered 226 yards en route to being outgained by 82 yards in the first half. But the defense would take over in the second half.

On the opening possession of the second half, Wisconsin dinked and dunked its way down field on its way to a field goal to cut the deficit to seven. Houston was 3-of-4 for 35 yards, but none longer than a 13-yard completion. Minnesota had an answer, driving down the field on the strength of an iffy third down pass interference penalty and an incredible 25-yard catch by Smith to move the Gophers down to the Badgers 15. Wisconsin was still struggling a bit on offense, so going down by 10 once again would have been problematic. The defense needed to make a stand.

Enter Leo Musso. I mentioned in the countdown earlier in the Michigan State game that Musso had more than one game-changing play during the season. The first was that fumble return touchdown in East Lansing. This would be the second. Leidner had a great first half, but the Wisconsin defense knew he would give them chances to make plays in the second half. The first chance in the second half came in the red zone, and Musso would take full advantage. On 3rd-and-9 from the Badgers 14, Leidner went back to pass. Wisconsin put the heat on and the Minnesota quarterback was unable to step up into the pocket to throw. Gophers wide receiver Rashad Still was open for a split second, but Musso jumped in front of Still in the end zone to pick it off and the game remained 17-10. That would be the score at the end of the third, but the Gophers had the ball in great field position.

Following a sack on third down, the Badgers were forced to punt from their own 10. If that wasn’t bad enough, Anthony Lotti had a short punt and Minnesota started in Wisconsin territory at the 47. This was when the Badgers defense took over the game. T.J. Watt sacked Leidner on second down, forcing a 3rd-and-15. And then Sojourn Shelton made one of the plays of the game. Leidner went back to pass and threw a route short of the first down intended for wide receiver Eric Carter, but they were not on the same page. Leidner expected him to run a shorter route and Carter ran deep. What resulted was a Shelton interception, and he slanted across the field, eluding tacklers before finally being thrown out of bounds by Leidner at the Gophers 19.

The Shelton interception set the tone for the rest of the game. It took Bucky three plays to tie the score. Robert Wheelwright, the brother of former Minnesota wide receiver Ernie Wheelwright, hauled in a 16-yard pass over the middle to set up a Clement 2-yard score to even the score.

Corey Clement fumbled in Minnesota territory on the next Badgers drive, but they did not come up empty on their next one. While the defense was putting clamps on the Gophers offensive attack, the Badgers offense finally felt like it had life. After being bottled up all day, wide receiver Jazz Peavy finally gave the offense the spark it needed. An enchroachment penalty moved the ball to the Badgers 18 before Peavy made his mark. Prior to the play, color commentator Mark Tauscher on the radio broadcast said to look for the jet sweep with Peavy. What a call by the former Badger, as Peavy raced down the right sideline for 76 yards all the way down to the Gophers 11. A Minnesota penalty moved the ball closer, and the running backs did the rest. Two plays later, Clement carried the ball across for his second 2-yard score of the day, and Wisconsin had the lead for the first time since the second quarter.

This time, the lead lasted longer than 14 seconds. I mentioned earlier that Leidner would give the Badgers defense chances for plays in the second half. In that regard, he is to the Badgers what Jay Cutler was to the Packers. In his three games against Wisconsin, Leidner completed 37 percent of his passes (30-for-81), throwing two touchdowns and seven interceptions. That includes the four he threw in this game. The last two came on the following two possessions. With Minnesota still firmly in the game, only down seven, Leidner threw the back breaker. On 3rd-and-10 from his own 25, Leidner threw an ill-advised pass into traffic that was picked off by Wisconsin linebacker Leon Jacobs, who rumbled down to the Minnesota 8.

Dare Ogunbowale would insert the dagger, as Wayne Larrivee would say, on the following play. The Wisconsin running back blasted threw the hole in the middle of the line and was not touched until he was close to the end zone. The touchdown gave Bucky a 31-17 lead and effectively ended the game.

Shelton made his second interception of the game on the following drive for the Gophers, which ended any chances of a Gophers comeback, and the Badgers came away with a 31-17 comeback win to earn their 13th consecutive win over their arch rivals.

In addition to the four second half interceptions, the Wisconsin defense held Minnesota to a remarkable minus-7 yards of offense in the fourth quarter and just 60 yards for the entire second half. That is one way to erase a second half deficit.

Unfortunately, the chances of a berth in the College Football Playoff would end the following week in Indianapolis, as Wisconsin blew a 28-7 second quarter lead and would lose the Big Ten Championship 38-31 to Penn State. The Badgers did rebound, though, as Bucky took down previously undefeated Western Michigan 24-16 to win the Cotton Bowl to finish a successful 2016 season at 11-3.

8. Wisconsin 24, Western Michigan 16 (2017)

For the first time in the College Football Playoff format, the Wisconsin Badgers made an appearance in a New Year’s Six Bowl game. It was not the bowl Wisconsin was looking for, as it lost a trip to the Rose Bowl by blowing a 21-point lead in the Big Ten Championship. Nevertheless, the Cotton Bowl is a big time bowl game, and was a great accomplishment for a team that many thought would struggle to even make a bowl game due to a tough schedule. In the Cotton Bowl, the Badgers played the upstart Western Michigan Broncos from the MAC, which came in unbeaten. After two easy touchdown drives by the Wisconsin offense, many thought (including myself) this game would be over quickly. But the Badgers had to hold on to escape the Broncos 24-16.

The state of Wisconsin football would own AT&T stadium. After the Packers upset of the Cowboys in the NFC playoffs, the state football teams would be 4-1 at Jerry’s World. Western Michigan would feature an outstanding offense, led by quarterback Zach Terrell and Corey Davis, arguably the best wide receiver in the nation. The Broncos were dominant in their run to the Cotton Bowl, winning every game except for two by at least 15 points. The Badgers, on the other hand, were rarely pretty, but got the job done. They also were battle tested, playing seven games decided by one score. This would end up being number eight.

Wisconsin would receive the opening kick and motor down the field with ease. The first three carries for the Badgers gained 46 yards, moving them down to the Broncos 34. Bucky faced one third and long on the drive, and Bart Houston found tight end Troy Fumagalli down the seam, who made a tremendous one-handed catch down to the Western Michigan 12. That was the second of two third down conversions on the drive for the Badgers. Three plays later, Clement crashed in from two yards out to put Bucky on the board first.

After one first down, T.J. Watt crashed in on a Western Michigan third down to force a poor throw and the Broncos had to punt. Then, the Badgers offense went back to work at their own 12. Following a short run from Clement, Wisconsin had three consecutive plays of at least 20 yards to move the ball down to the 18. A nice run from Ogunbowale would put the ball on the doorstep and would blast his way in from a yard out to give the Badgers a 14-0 lead. Bucky was making it look easy against the MAC champs. Too easy, in fact.

Everybody knew the undefeated Broncos would not go away quietly. Wisconsin out-gained Western Michigan 166-46 in the first quarter. Starting at its own 35 early in the second quarter, Western Michigan would drive 20 yards and face a 3rd-and-12 at the Wisconsin 45. The Broncos received a massive break when the officials failed to call a holding when Vince Biegel was closing in on Terrell. That break gave Terrell time and he found Jarvion Franklin for seven yards to set up a manageable 4th-and-5. The Broncos went to the reliable Corey Davis on fourth down to keep the drive alive. Seven plays later, Terrell ran in from two yards out to cut it to 14-7. Game on!

The final score of the first half would belong to the Badgers, though. On a 2nd-and-11 from their own 24, the Badgers ran the Jazz sweep and Peavy ran down the right sideline for 51 yards down to the Broncos 25. Wisconsin nearly ran the remainder of the clock out in the second quarter, and would settle for an Andrew Endicott 30-yard field goal, which made it 17-7 going into halftime. It was a 9-play drive that traveled 63 yards, lasting 5:09.

Wisconsin would be unable to get its offense going the entire second half. Western Michigan, on the other hand, would travel 65 yards in 11 plays to move into field goal range. The Badgers defense would hold and Butch Hampton made the short field goal to cut it to 17-10. Franklin had two carries for 29 yards on the drive and Davis added a 17-yard reception.

Wisconsin and Western Michigan would trade punts throughout the rest of the third quarter. One one of the punts, Broncos return man Darius Phillips muffed it, but would recover it. That would be a theme in the game. In the game, Western Michigan would fumble the ball four times and would recover each one of them. The score would remain 17-10 until the fourth quarter.

Each team would have just two possessions in the final quarter. The first drive for the Broncos just lasted one play. T.J. Edwards is a former Western Michigan commit, but flipped his commitment after being recruited by then-Wisconsin defensive coordinator Dave Aranda. He is the best coverage inside linebacker in the Big Ten, and proved it in 2016, limiting opponents to a 57 passer rating when passing against him. With the Broncos backed up to their own 3, Edwards took it upon himself to give the Badgers a two score lead back.

On the first down play, Terrell went back to pass from his own end zone. He threw an ill-advised pass into tight coverage and Edwards picked it off. There were three Badgers around the pass and Edwards and Leon Jacobs both had a chance to intercept it. If the two linebackers had not collided, Edwards walks into the end zone, but Bucky had to settle for a first down at the 12. After two plays, Wisconsin had gained just four yards on two Clement carries to set up a 3rd-and-6 at the 8. Alex Hornibrook, playing in his first game since the second quarter of the regular season finale against Minnesota, went to his big tight end in the end zone to give the Badgers a 24-10 lead. On the touchdown, Hornibrook went back to pass and was hit right as he threw and Fumagalli made a great catch in the back of the end zone. That made it a two touchdown lead for Bucky with 12:26 remaining.

Even though a little more than 80 percent of the quarter was still remaining, there would only be two drives the remainder of the game. The Broncos would use up nine minutes on a 16-play, 75-yard drive to cut the deficit back to one score again. Davis would cap off the drive on an incredible 11-yard catch on fourth down in the end zone, over the back of Sojourn Shelton. If he failed to catch it, Shelton likely would have been called for pass interference. Twice on the drive, P.J. Fleck’s crew fumbled, including one that I still have no idea how Wisconsin failed to recover it. Alas, Broncos players were able to recover both fumbles, and they went onto score on the drive with less than three and a half minutes to go. The extra point was missed, so it remained a 24-16 lead for Bucky.

With only two timeouts remaining, the Broncos chose to go with an onside kick, which was recovered by the Badgers. Two plays gained two yards and Fleck called a timeout with 2:35 left. With the game on the line, Houston found his big target Fumagalli again, all alone. He slid down at the Western Michigan 20 for a big first down. Fullback Austin Ramesh would seal the deal with another third down conversion with just over a minute left and Wisconsin had the win.

Most had the Badgers finishing around .500 on the season and struggling to make a bowl, so an 11-3 record was very impressive. It also was a springboard for Bucky's record-breaking 2017 season. It was the first Cotton Bowl win in the first Cotton Bowl appearance for the Badgers.

9. Wisconsin 45, Illinois 7 (2020)

It was a much-anticipated opener for the Wisconsin Badgers. Not only was the season starting late due to COVID, but it was the eagerly anticipated starting debut of highly-regarded freshman quarterback Graham Mertz. The starting quarterback going into the season was Jack Coan, but he broke his foot in practice and Mertz got the call.

Not only did he get the call, but he had one of the best games a Wisconsin quarterback has ever had. The freshman completed 20 of 21 passes for 248 yards and five touchdowns, breaking the school record for completion percentage in a game and tying the record for passing touchdowns. All that as he and the Badgers got revenge on Illinois, which had upset the Badgers in 2019 in Champagne, as they didn’t allow an offensive touchdowns in crushing the Illini 45-7.

The game could not have started much better for Wisconsin, as the Badgers recovered a fumble on the second play of the game at the Illinois 33. He converted his first third down of the game on a receiver screen to running back Garrett Groshek for 12 yards down to the 19. Three plays later, Mertz went did a play action pass and threw it to fullback Mason Stokke for a 10-yard touchdown to put Bucky on the board first.

Two drives later, Mertz led Wisconsin a 14-play, 88-yard drive and it finished with Mertz’s second touchdown pass, this one to Jake Ferguson. The touchdown was Ferguson’s first of his three on the evening.

Illinois actually made it a game midway through the second quarter, as Tariq

ue Barnes returned a Ferguson fumble 39 yards for a touchdown.

But Wisconsin made a strong push to finish the half, scoring two touchdowns in the final 70 seconds. The first touchdown came with 1:06 left in the half on a Mertz 14-yard pass over the middle to Ferguson. Two plays earlier, the touchdown was set up by a long pass from Mertz to Fergy. On second down from midfield, Mertz lofted a perfectly thrown pass down the left sideline to Jake, who made an over-the-shoulder catch down to the 16.

Following an Illinois punt, the Badgers wasted little time making it a three-score game. On 1^st-and-10 front its own 47 with 36 seconds left, Mertz went for the jugular. The freshman quarterback went back to pass and launched a pass to a wide open Danny Davis down the field on a post pattern. Davis caught it at the 15 and ran in for the touchdown to make it 28-7, and it stayed that way until halftime.

Wisconsin punted twice and its defense stiffened twice when Illinois reached Badgers territory and the Illini turned it over on downs.

But when the third quarter ended, the Badgers were on the move. John Chenel finished off a 10-play drive by lowing in for a 2-yard score to make it 35-7.

Mertz tied history on Wisconsin’s next possession, as he threw his fifth touchdown of the game on the 11^th play of the drive. The first 10 were passes, but on 3^rd-and-Goal from the 3, he did a play action pass and found a wide open Ferguson in the end zone for his fifth passing touchdown of the evening and Fergy’s third touchdown reception of the game.

The fifth passing touchdown ties Jim Sorgi for the most in school history for a single game, which he did against Michigan State in 2003. All five of Sorgi’s touchdown tosses were to the same guy, the great Lee Evans in a 56-21 demolition of the Spartans.

Wisconsin recorded an interception on the next possession and kicked a field goal after it to put the finishing touches on a 45-7 win.

The win was interrupted, as they had the next two games cancelled. Even with a dominating win three weeks later in Ann Arbor, they did not have the same mojo that they had against Illinois and did not have it the rest of the season.

10. Wisconsin 47, Purdue 44 (3 OT) (2018)

All in all, it was a pretty disappointing season for Wisconsin. For a team that was supposed to contend for a College Football Playoff berth, Bucky came in at 6-4. The Badgers had alternated wins and losses since the calendar turned to October and Wisconsin was coming off a 22-10 loss at Penn State.

While stud running back Jonathan Taylor was still dominating, he would have his best game ever in this one. The sophomore ran for 321 yards, which is the third highest total in school history. In addition to all the yards he accumulated, he scored three touchdowns as well, including the game-winner in the third overtime in the longest game (by overtimes) in Wisconsin history.

In the overtime periods, neither defense could stop the opposing offenses. Rondale Moore, who caught nine passes for 114 yards and a pair of touchdowns, scored one in the first overtime. With the ball at the 15, David Blough threw him a wide receiver screen and he weaved and broke a number of tackles on his way to the score.

Taylor responded with a 12-yard score to tie the game. Then he ran 21 yards to set up Garrett Groshek for a 4-yard touchdown run. However, Purdue responded on its first play of the second overtime, as Blough found Isaac Zico in the end zone for a 25-yard score.

Then we went to the third overtime. Neither defense had showed any sort of ability to stop the other offense. That was until Wisconsin forced Purdue into a field goal attempt. Following a 2-yard reception by DJ Knox, Blough was forced into two incompletions. Spencer Evans’ 41-yard field goal was good, which set up Taylor’s heroics.

It took JT just two plays to end the game. Jonathan found a hole through the defense for eight yards on the first play. On the second one, quarterback Jack Coan was out of the shotgun and handed it to JT. The Badgers star probed the right side of the line before blasting through a hole and slipping a few tackle attempts and going into the end zone from 17 yards out and give Wisconsin a 7-4 record.

Despite the high-scoring affair, the game was just 10-3 Purdue at halftime and scoreless after the first quarter. The Purdue touchdown came on a perfectly called screen pass to Knox, who scored from 18 yards out.

However, in the second half, JT23 blasted through a gaping hole and ran untouched down the left sideline for an 80-yard touchdown to tie the score. It was beautifully blocked and JT did the rest to tie it at 10.

Wisconsin actually took a 13-10 lead on a short field goal by Rafael Gaglianone on the next possession. But it was all Purdue for the next 15 minutes, as the Boilers scored 17 straight to take a 27-13 lead.

Purdue scored touchdowns on its next two possessions to take control. Markell Jones ran in from 12 yards out to re-take the lead with four minutes to go in the third quarter. Moore showed how electric he was as a freshman with a 46-yard score with less than a minute to go in the third. On the play, Moore beat fellow freshman Rachad Wildgoose off the line of scrimmage and caught the pass before making a dirty spin move to get past the last line of defense for the score.

The game appeared over when a poor punt by Purdue hit Wisconsin’s Caesar Williams and the Boilermakers recovered. But the Badgers defense responded. Purdue actually made it to the 1 and had a second down, but the defense stood tall.

On second and third down from the 1, Purdue ran with Jones. He was stoned at the line of scrimmage on second down and hit in the backfield on third down by linebackers Ryan Connelly and T.J. Edwards to force the field goal attempt, which was made.

Coan came of age in the final minutes of regulation. He and Danny Davis brought the Badgers back. A pass interference penalty on an interception kept the drive alive, but then DD came up with the Sports Center No. 1 play of the day. Coan took the snap from the Boilers 5 and went for a fade. Davis went up with his right hand to haul down the touchdown on a remarkable touchdown to cut the deficit to 27-20.

Following a 3-and-out, the Badgers started at their own 32 and needed just five plays to tie the game. Taylor started the drive with a 35-yard drive down to the Purdue 33. A few plays later, Coan found Davis again—this one a little less degree of difficulty, but still a great throw and catch—for the score to tie the game.

It looked like the Boilers would maybe win it in regulation, as Blough found Terry Wright for 35 yards down to the Badgers 40. But then they were stonewalled from there. They had another opportunity with 59 seconds left, starting on their own 39, but went three plays and out.

That set the stage for the first three overtime game in school history and Taylor to add to his career day.

The momentum didn’t last long, as they lost to Minnesota 37-15 the following week for the first time since 2003. However, they rebounded with a resounding 35-3 Pinstripe Bowl victory over Miami. Coan started that game and he brought that confidence into the 2019 season where he led the Badgers to their fourth Rose Bowl appearance of the decade.

11. Wisconsin 38, Iowa 14 (2017)

It was a pivotal game for the 9-0 Wisconsin Badgers, as they hosted the No. 20 Iowa Hawkeyes at Camp Randall Stadium. Iowa was coming off a game in which it pounded Ohio State 55-24 in Iowa City. The Badgers were three wins away from a perfect regular season, and would have one of the best defensive showings in school history, They allowed just 66 yards of total offense, which was the fewest they have ever allowed to a Big Ten opponent, in the 38-14 Bucky win. The victory also clinched the Badgers second consecutive Big Ten West championship and trip to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship.

While the Badgers played a great game, it did not start well for the folks from Madison. After a 19-yard run by Jonathan Taylor to open the game, the Badgers were forced with a 3rd-and-13 from their own 36. Alex Hornibrook had solid protection, but threw an ill-advised pass to the right sideline intended for A.J. Taylor that was picked off by Iowa’s Josh Jackson. The second round pick of the Green Bay Packers would race 43 yards for the score to put Iowa in front 7-0. It was Jackson’s fourth interception in the last five quarters, and Iowa also started with a pick six the prior week against Ohio State.

Wisconsin would respond with a 14-play, 75-yard drive to cut the deficit to 7-3. However, the result was disappointing, as the Badgers had a 1st-and-Goal at the Iowa 2, but were unable to tie the game at 7. Gaglianone’s short field goal cut it to 7-3 with 5:43 left in the first.

After a three-and-out, Wisconsin started out the drive well on a pair of nice runs from Jonathan Taylor. However, Hornibrook would make his second costly mistake of the quarter, as he launched a pass intended for Danny Davis that was picked off by Iowa safety Jake Gervase at the Wisconsin 6. Turnovers would be a theme throughout the game, by both teams.

It would remain 7-3 Hawkeyes until close to the midway point of the second quarter. Wisconsin started off with great field position at the Badgers 49 after a short Colten Rastetter punt. It would take them five plays to take the lead. Freshman wide receiver Kendric Pryor would score untouched on the jet sweep to give the Badgers the 10-7 lead. On the run, Wisconsin center Tyler Biadasz pulled around and pancaked Iowa defensive back Manny Rugamba to give Pryor a clear path to the end zone. Hornibrook was 2-for-2 on the drive for 20 yards.

Four of the next five drives (three for Iowa, one for Wisconsin) would end in a three-and-out. The only drive that wasn’t lasted one play, when Jonathan Taylor fumbled following a nice run into Iowa territory, which the Hawkeyes recovered.

Wisconsin was not done, though. Following an Iowa punt from deep in its own territory, return man Nick Nelson caught a punt at the 46 and brought it back to the Hawkeyes 26. The 20-yard return set the Badgers up to take a 10-point lead late in the half. Following a false start, Wisconsin traveled 31 yards in three plays to take the 17-7 lead. Jonathan Taylor had a run for five yards and a reception for 14 to put the Badgers at the 12. That would be when Pryor would come through again. Hornibrook underthrew a pass into the left side of the end zone, but Pryor made a great catch for the score, over Rugamba, who had a rough half. The touchdown made it 17-7 with 1:19 left in the half. The score would remain that way the remainder of the half.

Iowa’s second half started much like the first half went for the Hawkeyes, as they lost six yards on their opening third quarter drive. Unfortunately, the Badgers first second half possession ended like their first.....with a Josh Jackson pick six. It started well, as Jonathan Taylor ran for 26 yards on three carries, and the Badgers looked poised to break the game open. But, after a Garrett Groshek run of three yards set up a 3rd-and-3 from the Iowa 33, guard Jon Dietzen was called for an unnecessary roughness personal foul.

That backed the Badgers up, and forced a 3rd-and-18. On the third down play, Hornibrook threw a short pass to running back Rachid Ibrahim, but the pass was high and it went off his hands and into the hands of Jackson. The defensive back raced 52 yards the other way for his second pick six of the day. Instead of Wisconsin going up 20-7 or even 24-7, the lead shrunk to 17-14. But fortunately for the Badgers, the Hawkeyes would be kept off the scoreboard the rest of the day.

Wisconsin would punt on the next possession. But on Iowa’s next drive, Bucky gave the Hawkeyes a taste of their own medicine. On 3rd-and-10 from Iowa’s 30, Hawkeyes quarterback Nathan Stanley was not ready for the snap and ball hit off his leg and fell to the ground. In the scramble for the ball, Wisconsin linebacker Leon Jacobs picked up the loose ball and returned it for the score to give the Badgers their two-score lead back. After Wisconsin coughed up the ball four times in the game’s first 34 minutes, this was Iowa’s first turnover of three it would have in the second half.

A pair of punts followed the fumble return for a touchdown by Jacobs. Iowa went on its best offensive drive on the day, gaining two first downs (they only had five on the day) and moving to the Badgers 47. That was only the second time they stepped foot in Wisconsin territory all game. The Hawkeyes were picking up nice gains every play on the drive, but All-American linebacker T.J, Edwards put an end to it. With the Hawkeyes facing a 2nd-and-6 from the Wisconsin 47, Stanley went back to pass and had good protection. He was trying to get the ball to tight end Noah Fant, who had a step on Andrew Van Ginkel. But Edwards picked off the ball with one hand and the Badgers took over at their own 41.

The Badgers then salted the game away on an 8-play, 59-yard drive that put Bucky up 31-14. Hornibrook went 2-for-2 on the drive for 40 yards, with both passes coming on third down. Bradrick Shaw sealed the game with an 8-yard touchdown with 11:05 to go in the game.

If the game was still in doubt to some, that doubt ended on the next drive. On 3rd-and-8 from the Iowa 26, Ryan Connelly came free on a blitz and knocked the ball away from Stanley as he was winding up to throw and Jacobs fell on the ball at the Hawkeyes 14.

Five plays later, Wisconsin put the final nail in Herky’s coffin, as Hornibrook found A.J. Taylor over the middle for the score. The Badgers took the lead 38-14 with that score, and it would remain that way the rest of the game.

With the win, Wisconsin improved to 10-0 on the season, and they stayed alive for a possible berth in the College Football Playoff. It also showed what the Wisconsin defense was capable of. It still amazes me that Iowa could score 55 points one week, and the following week gain only 66 total yards of offense.