It's been a long six years for Michigan football fans.
Since Wisconsin last stepped foot in the Big House, Michigan has gone through three head coaches, lost three bowl games and dropped nine of 11 games against its rivals.
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When the Badgers rolled through the Big House on Nov. 20, 2010, they left behind a lost and battered Michigan program. When they return Saturday, they'll find a team competing for a national championship
Top 10 matchup
Before the season, it seemed nearly impossible that Michigan and Wisconsin would meet as top 10 foes, and it took two very different paths for the teams to arrive here.
Michigan was heavily favored in four straight games and came through with four blowout wins. Only Colorado, which led 21-7 in the first half, gave Michigan any type of scare. But even with a 14-point lead, Colorado couldn't keep Michigan in its sights, falling by 17 points.
Through four games, Michigan has scored 208 points and held its opponents to just 55 points. Thanks to a preseason No. 7 ranking, the Wolverines have climbed into the top five.
Wisconsin, on the other hand, had to work much harder. The Badgers were unranked coming into the season, but quickly changed that with a season-opening win over No. 5 LSU. Three weeks later, the Badgers went into East Lansing and bullied No. 8 Michigan State, 30-6.
Wisconsin climbed to No. 8 in the AP poll to set up a game in Ann Arbor that not only holds major Big Ten implications, but national ones as well.
New quarterbacks
Wisconsin's offense took a sharp turn for the better two weeks ago when redshirt freshman quarterback Alex Hornibrook took over for Bart Houston.
Hornibrook led a pair of touchdown drives to save the Badgers from disaster against Georgia State, then threw for 195 yards, a touchdown and an interception in his first career start against Michigan State. Some of the windows Hornibrook threw into against Michigan State were nearly too small to attempt, but the freshman was fearless and made the plays necessary to complete the upset.
Now Hornibrook is the sure starter heading into Ann Arbor, where he'll see another of the country's top defenses.
Michigan's quarterback enters the game with more experience, but not by much. Wilton Speight has completed 63.2 percent of his passes this season, compiling 875 yards and nine touchdowns to just one interception.
Speight has struggled with the deep ball this season, especially during the first half against Colorado. But his command of the offense and his accuracy on short passes has given Michigan enough offensive firepower to score the second-most points in the country.
Neither quarterback has played in a game of this magnitude, where the winner joins Ohio State among the favorites in the Big Ten. In a game that could be decided by turnovers and field position, their decisions could be the difference.
Battle of defenses
Michigan and Wisconsin have been nearly identical in overall defense, but they attack in two very different ways.
The Wolverines rank 11th in the country, allowing 270 yards per game. Michigan ranks in the top 10 in defending the pass, thanks to a loaded secondary led by Jourdan Lewis and Channing Stribling. Teams have passed for just 147.3 yards per game against Michigan, but have found some success on the ground, rushing for 122.5 yards per game.
Wisconsin absolutely shuts down the running game. The Badgers have allowed 277 yards per game, and only 80.5 of those yards come on the ground. Michigan State, a team that loves to pound the ball in the running game, managed just 75 yards on 27 carries against Wisconsin. After Michigan racked up 326 rushing yards against Penn State, expect the Badgers to force Speight to beat them, just as UCF and Colorado did.
Both teams have shown an ability to move the ball on offense, but when the top two defenses in the Big Ten meet Saturday, don't expect point totals to stay well above 30.
What's at stake?
For Michigan, this game is an opportunity to solidify the first four games of the season. The Wolverines are highly ranked, but they're still regarded as relative unknowns. If they can knock off a top-10 team that already has wins over LSU and Michigan State, some of those questions will be answered.
Michigan also hopes to take advantage of the Spartans' slip-up last weekend. As the two teams battle with Ohio State for the top spot in the East, they can't afford to drop home games against West Division opponents. If the Wolverines slip up, they let MSU off the hook and open the door for Ohio State to run away with the division.
Wisconsin is looking to put a third win over a top-10 team on its resume, which would almost surely land the Badgers in the top four when the new rankings come out. Road wins are one of the most important factors in the College Football Playoff rankings, and two road wins over top-10 teams in a row would give Wisconsin the best resume in the country.
The road doesn't get any easier, as the Badgers host Ohio State next after their bye week and then travel to Iowa. But coming out of its tour of Michigan undefeated would give Wisconsin breathing room through the end of this difficult stretch.
Predictions
Regardless of how impressive Wisconsin has been this season, Michigan should take care of business at home this weekend.
With Lewis and Taco Charlton back in the mix, Michigan's defense dominated Penn State last weekend. Hornibrook has never played against a secondary with as many playmakers as Michigan's, and he'll feel more pressure this weekend than he did against Michigan State. Don Brown has an embarrassment of riches on the defensive line, which fits his aggressive scheme perfectly.
Hornibrook needs a much better performance from his running game, which should be able to gain some yardage against the Wolverines. Corey Clement had one rush for 22 yards against MSU, and his other 22 carries went for a total of 32 yards. If the Badgers average 3 yards per carry again this week, Hornibrook will be exposed by a relentless defense.
I think the opposite is true for Michigan. One week after seven Wolverines combined for 326 rushing yards, Jim Harbaugh has a chance to exploit Wisconsin in the play action, just as he did to Colorado. De'Veon Smith and Karan Higdon combined for nearly 200 yards and three touchdowns on just 21 carries against Penn State, so Wisconsin will spend much of the week preparing for Harbaugh's creative rushing attack.
Look for Speight to throw the ball even more this weekend as Michigan works backward to open up the running game. The offense has shown an ability to use both dimensions, and now that a top-10 team is heading to the Big House, it's time to take advantage of that.
With a win, Michigan will hold steady at No. 4 in the country. There's no chance of Alabama or Ohio State losing this weekend, and the winner of Louisville and Clemson will land inside the top three. Luckily for Michigan, being in the top four is all that matters.