With an Ohio State loss this afternoon, the Big Ten title race has opened up again to a Wisconsin team that already has a win of their own over the Buckeyes. The team that stands in their way? A pesky Penn State squad that has already beaten the Badgers once this year and is looking for their first ever series sweep of Wisconsin.
For Penn State this game is one of the last opportunities to pick up a key road win, a win that has eluded the Nittany Lion's fairly solid resume.
The key to this game, like in the first meeting is control of the glass. Penn State was able to control the boards in the first meeting and keep a lanky Wisconsin squad from getting a lot of second chance points. If Penn State can find their shooting stroke early and limit Wisconsin's rebounding they'll have a real chance to avenge their loss last year after blowing a 16 point lead in Madison.
For Wisconsin the key to the game will be limiting Talor Battle's ability to take over a game and match it with Jordan Taylor's ability to carry a sometimes stagnant Badger offense. If he and Jon Leuer are able to get going at the same time, it'll be a big help for Wisconsin who is looking to improve to 10-4 in the conference.
A Wisconsin win today puts them only a game and a half behind Ohio State and Purdue and while they'll need some help to win the Big Ten title, it would keep them in the hunt down the stretch.