Two games in particular highlight the Big Ten's Week 9 schedule. But one is far better than anybody expected before the season, and the other is substantially less significant than initially imagined.
We're talking, of course, about Wisconsin-Nebraska and Michigan-Michigan State. The Badgers and Cornhuskers will meet at Camp Randall Stadium in a prime-time matchup featuring two teams ranked in the top 11 of the Associated Press poll. For No. 11 Wisconsin (5-2), it will be the fifth top-10 opponent in the first eight games. No. 7 Nebraska (7-0) will face its most critical test of the season, and with a victory could run away with the Big Ten West.