Game 56: Oregon @ #5 Wisconsin

Oregon could easily play the role of a top ten team. Their absence in the top 25 is staggering. They are led by quarterback Joey Harrington who has brought them to extreme heights and after Wisconsin’s struggle against Western Michigan, many Badger fans expected the Ducks to roast the Badgers. Seeing a powerful Pac Ten team charge into town brought on an intimidation factor.

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Game 55: Western Michigan @ #4 Wisconsin

The Broncos didn’t stand much of a chance entering the cavernous concrete mountain known as Camp Randall in Madison…or did they? Wisconsin opened this season ranked in the top five and coming off two Big Ten and Rose Bowl titles led by Heisman trophy winner, Ron Dayne. Even with Dayne’s graduation, the Badgers appeared like an impenetrable monster for visiting squads.

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Game 52: #10 Wisconsin @ #21 Purdue

Heisman Trophy Showdown ’99 took place in West Lafayette, Indiana. From Wisconsin was Ron Dayne who needed only 321 yards to become the nation’s all time leading rusher surpassing the mark set by Ricky Williams who won the coveted prize last season. From Purdue came Drew Brees who electrifies audiences with a consistent arm and fantastic mobility. They meet at Ross-Ade Stadium in an integral matchup in the Big Ten.

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Game 51: #11 Wisconsin @ Northwestern

Sellout crowds in Evanston are not common unless the road team travels well and Wisconsin fans would trek to Russia if the end result involved Badger football. Since Ryan Field is merely an hour from the Wisconsin border, the stadium had a distinct red tinge. The presence of the Badger band transformed the venue into Chicagoland’s personal Camp Randall Stadium.

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Game 50: #11 Michigan State @ #17 Wisconsin

The Spartans sauntered into Camp Randall Stadium handling a pretty fancy resume holding opponents to 40 yards on the ground and being the leading rush defense in the nation. Unfortunately for Michigan State, the interview process, conducted by Heisman candidate Ron Dayne, did not go very well. Dayne collected 51 yards on his first touchdown run four plays into the game and finished the day with 214 putting him 483 yards from the all time rushing record. Up to this point, the most Michigan State had allowed an entire team was 108 yards.

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Game 49: Indiana @ #17 Wisconsin

After losses to Cincinnati and Michigan three weeks earlier, Wisconsin looked to be settling back into mediocrity. However the flurry of questions surrounding the defending Rose Bowl champions were slowly getting answered with resounding victories at Ohio State and at Minnesota. During the Ohio State game, Wisconsin found the answer to their offensive woes in quarterback Brooks Bollinger. As a replacement for Kavanaugh, Bollinger was more elusive as a runner and efficient as a passer.

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Game 48: #4 Michigan @ #20 Wisconsin

Wisconsin’s loss to lowly Cincinnati last week raised eyebrows nationally and gnarled teeth locally. Prior to last week’s defeat, ESPN’s number one pre-game show, “College Gameday,” was all set to air their broadcast from Madison. They ordinarily choose the game of the week, but with the stunning failure by the Badgers, “College Gameday” almost turned the truck around and set up shop in a more worthy location.

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Game 47: #9 Wisconsin @ Cincinnati

Wisconsin had some deep wounds in their playing style. An inept offense was being covered by a band-aid of special teams, defense, and a heavy reliance on their Heisman trophy candidate, Ron Dayne. For Wisconsin’s last two opponents, the band-aid was strong enough to hold. However, the Cincinnati Bearcats not only located the protective covering, they clawed it off and dug deeper into the wound.

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