Big Ten Football Game of the Week: Wisconsin vs. No. 1 Oregon

Oregon football is in a great spot with two games left in the regular season as the Ducks travel to Wisconsin for another road test.

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel carries the ball as the Ducks host Maryland at Autzen Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oregon and Wisconsin have a history of meeting each other for huge matchups, except they usually come in the Rose Bowl.

This time, the two proud programs will face off for the first time as conference opponents. They enter this game with two very different outlooks for the rest of their season. Oregon is looking to clinch the top overall seed in the College Football Playoff, while Wisconsin is fighting to reach a bowl game. That is an important streak for the Badgers to keep alive. For 22 consecutive seasons, they have had a winning record and gone to a bowl game. That is the longest active streak of winning seasons of any Power Four program. 

The Ducks are in the middle of one of the best seasons in their program’s history. They are nearly a lock to make the playoffs at this point and are awaiting the victor of Ohio State vs. Indiana to see who they will be playing in Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship. However, all of those plans can quickly go awry if the Ducks lose on the road against the Badgers in what promises to be a hostile environment at Camp Randall Stadium. Winning in that building at night as a visiting team is no easy task.

This game is also a quarterback mismatch. Dillon Gabriel has the most touchdowns in NCAA history with 180. He set the record last week with three touchdown passes against Maryland. He is a Heisman contender and one of the best quarterbacks in the country.

On the other side, Braedyn Locke has struggled mightily. In the last two games, he has thrown only one touchdown pass and has three interceptions. Since taking over the starting job early in the season, he has eight touchdowns and eight interceptions. He will need to have the best game of his career for the Badgers to have a chance Saturday night.

Oregon has not been 11-0 since 2010 when the Ducks started 12-0 before losing in the national championship to Cam Newton and Auburn. The Ducks are trying to win their first national championship in program history, and Wisconsin is just trying to keep its streak of winning seasons alive. Both teams have something they're playing for, even if their goals are vastly different.

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