It is game week for the Wisconsin Badgers as they get ready for Wednesday’s Duke’s Mayo Bowl matchup with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
The two teams enter the contest with similar records, though they took completely opposite paths to reach where they stand today.
Related: Duke’s Mayo Bowl: 5 things to know
The Badgers, as you probably know, began their season with two straight victories, then went on a three-game losing streak and finally finished their regular season with a win over Minnesota to move to 3-3.
Wake Forest, on the other hand, began the season with two losses, won four straight including a 23-16 victory over then-No. 19-ranked Virginia Tech and finally finished their regular season with two losses to move to 4-4.
Related: Wisconsin’s bowl-week depth chart sees a few key players return
Furthermore, although the two squads sit at .500 entering the contest, their path to success looks a lot different—Wisconsin’s coming through running the ball and playing defense and Wake Forest’s through playing fast and getting points on the board as quickly as possible.
So, with opposite styles of play set to face off, there are a few pivotal matchups that will dictate the pace of Wednesday’s game and decides who comes out on top.
Related: Team preview: Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Those matchups and more are highlighted below in my Duke’s Mayo Bowl edition of 10 players to watch: