No reason red-hot Wisconsin can't upset No. 3 Penn State

The Nittany Lions are undefeated, but are they as good as their ranking suggests?

Wisconsin vs. Penn State in 2021 / MARK HOFFMAN/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Wisconsin, at 5-2 and after outscoring its last three opponents by a combined 117-16, didn't receive any votes in the latest AP Top 25 college football poll. Like, literally no votes in the "also receiving votes" section. How is that even possible?

It goes to show that the Badgers are being overlooked after close wins over Western Michigan and South Dakota followed by tough losses to USC and Alabama. USC was No. 11 in the nation when they rallied to defeat Wisconsin and Alabama was ranked fourth, but 'Bama has since slipped to No. 15 and USC has crumbled with three straight close losses to Minnesota, Penn State and Maryland.

What's it all mean? It means Wisconsin has to show against No. 3 Penn State on Saturday that three dominant performances against Rutgers, Purdue and Northwestern wasn't simply a product of playing average opponents. Can the Badgers do that? They certainly can, and they are more than capable of pulling off the upset at Camp Randall Stadium.

How good is Penn State? They're 7-0 and have the ranking to back up their record. But outside of a 21-7 win over Illinois they don't have any wins that jump off the page. They've beaten West Virginia (3-4), Bowling Green (3-4), Kent State (0-7), UCLA (2-5) and USC (3-4).

They barely defeated Bowling Green and they needed overtime to win at USC. In fact, they trailed at halftime of both games. Playing in Madison will be their toughest task to date and it'll be on national TV and under the lights, setting the stage for a potentially dramatic contest that could vault the Badgers into the College Football Playoff conversation.

There's nothing to suggest that Penn State will enter Camp Randall and dominate. They have a strong defense that compliments a nice offense featuring standout quarterback Drew Allar, running backs Nic Singleton and Kaytron Allen, and arguably the best tight end in the nation in Tyler Warren. But if the Nittany Lions are so good, why have they had trouble against lesser teams?

One of the keys will be coming out strong in the third quarter. Penn State has been a slow starter before punishing teams by a combined score of 59-3 in the third quarters of games.

Sure, Wisconsin lost to USC at home, but that was in a period of major transition for the Badgers. Braedyn Locke was making his first start after Tyler Van Dyke tore his ACL the week prior, and Tawee Walker hadn't been certified as the bell-cow running back.

Locke has thrown for 759 yards and five touchdowns the past three weeks and Walker has exploded for 418 yards and six rushing touchdowns the past three games. Locke is also hoooking up for big plays with Vinny Anthony II, Will Pauling and Trech Kekahuna. The offense needs to play big against a Penn State defense that is talented but not as strong as in years past.

Meanwhile, Wisconsin's defense hasn't allowed more than 279 yards of total offense in three straight weeks. There's no doubt that Penn State presents more challenges than Rutgers, Purdue and Northwestern, but the Nittany Lions haven't done enough this season to be considered a lock to come into Wisconsin and leave with a victory.

If Wisconsin does pull off the upset, they will be 6-2 and it would be shocking to see them ranked anywhere outside of the top 20 in the nation. Attention would then turn to a battle at Iowa (4-3) the following week, which will lead into the No. 16 home game against No. 1 Oregon.

Just how good can the Badgers be? We're about to find out...