EDITORIAL BY GRAYDON FOX

Overview:

On Saturday, October 13^th, the (4-1) Wisconsin Badgers will be on the road to take on the (5-1) Michigan Wolverines.

The Crowd:

The Crowd projects a final score of Michigan 31.0 – Wisconsin 26.1 with an over/under of 57.1.

Lou Holtz and Mark May:

Lou is predicting a final score of Michigan 27 – Wisconsin 21.

Mark is predicting a final score of Wisconsin 30 – Michigan 24.

2018-19 Statistics (130 total teams):

Passing offense: Michigan 220.8 YPG > Wisconsin 193.2 YPG

Rushing offense: Wisconsin 287.0 YPG > Michigan 199.8 YPG

Scoring offense: Michigan 38.2 PPG > Wisconsin 33.8 PPG

Scoring defense: Michigan 15.8 PPG > Wisconsin 16.4 PPG

Passing defense: Michigan 134.0 YPG > Wisconsin 219.6 PPG

Rushing defense: Michigan 96.5 YPG > Wisconsin 130.2 PPG

Turnover Margin Per Game: Wisconsin +0.8 > Michigan +0.2

Summary:

Wisconsin is (4-1) to start the season with wins over Western Kentucky, New Mexico, BYU, Iowa, and Nebraska.  They were upset 24-21 at home by the BYU Cougars in week three.  The Badgers rank 45^th in points per game (33.8) and 12^th scoring defense (16.4 PPG).  Quarterback Alex Hornibrook has completed 64% of his passes for 963 yards with 7 touchdowns to 2 interceptions.  Running back Jonathan Taylor is third in the nation in rushing with 849 yards to go along with his 8 touchdowns.  Wisconsin, as a team, ranks 6^th in yards per carry (6.2).  A.J. Taylor leads the team in receiving with 354 yards and 2 touchdowns.  The Badgers’ defense ranks 54^th against the pass (219.6 YPG) and 42^nd against the run (130.2 YPG).  Wisconsin ranks 18^th in turnover margin (+0.8).

Michigan is (5-1) with victories over Western Michigan, SMU, Nebraska, Northwestern, and Maryland.  Michigan’s only loss was a 24-17 road defeat to #12 Notre Dame.  The Wolverines rank 30^th in points per game (38.2) and 10^th in scoring defense (15.8 PPG).  Quarterback Shea Patterson has completed 68% of his passes for 1,187 yards with 10 touchdowns to 3 interceptions.  Karan Higdon leads the team in rushing with 582 yards and 5 touchdowns.  Donovan Peoples-Jones is an electric weapon, dangerous as both a receiver and a returner.  The Wolverines’ defense leads the nation in defending the pass (134.0 YPG) and ranks 6^th in defending the run (96.5 YPG).

Bottom Line:

Wisconsin has won ten straight road games with their lass loss ironically coming in Ann Arbor.  Michigan has been a completely different team at home outscoring the opposition 192-55.  Stopping Jonathan Taylor is a nightmare for any defensive coordinator but Michigan has the personnel to do it.  Shea Patterson has been gradually improving every week after a slow start to the season.

Michigan wins 28-24

Contest Rules:

To be eligible to win a prize in any contest at The Crowd’s Line, you must be at least 18 years old and a resident of the United States or Canada. You must also submit your score prediction on our official prediction tool (blog widget), and include a valid email address. Contest winners are determined according to The Crowd’s Line scoring methodology. If more than one entrant has the same winning score, final contest rankings and prize winners are selected by random draw. Only one entry per person is allowed for each contest; multiple entries from a single player will be deemed invalid. There are no prize substitutions or exchanges available from The Crowd’s Line.

All prizes will be sent by e-mail within two weeks after the conclusion of each contest.