Rich Barnes-US PRESSWIRE
Wisconsin missed a field goal in overtime and lost to Penn State, 24-21, Saturday. But don't worry about the Badgers, they'll be playing in the Big Ten championship game next week.
The Wisconsin Badgers managed to tie the game against Penn State in the final seconds on Saturday, as Curt Phillips completed a pass to Jeff Duckworth for a 4-yard touchdown to make it 21-21 with less than 30 seconds remaining.
That sent the game into overtime. There, Penn State kicked a field goal and managed to force a loss of yardage that made Wisconsin miss theirs, sealing the 24-21 win.
Penn State came out, picked up 6 yards and Sam Ficken hit a 37-yard field goal to give them the edge. It was tougher going for Wisconsin, as they had Montee Ball pick up a rush for 1 yard, but Phillips was then sacked by Sean Stanley for a loss of 4 yards, at which point, Phillips fumbled the ball. Wisconsin recovered, but not until they were back at the Penn State 27-yard line.
Kyle French then attempted the 44-yard field goal and missed it, giving the Nittany Lions a victory.
Wisconsin might have been able to win the game with that drive late in the fourth quarter, if only Phillips hadn't been intercepted by Jacob Fagano on the previous drive, after Wisconsin drove into Penn State territory. The Badgers held a 14-7 lead heading into halftime, but Penn State quickly took over in the third as Wisconsin suffered through multiple 3-and-outs. Not coming alive
Box Score Hero: Though his per-carry average wasn't otherworldly, Zach Zwinak carried the ball a whopping 36 times for Penn State, rushing for 179 yards and a touchdown. His per-carry average was 5.0 yards.
Rankings Ramifications: Wisconsin is eyeing a postseason appearance, while Penn State isn't eligible. Wisconsin still has another game to play, though they are already bowl eligible. The rankings aren't going to shift any in this one.
But Did They Cover? The line was extremely narrow on this one, with Penn State opening as two-point favorites, and with many oddsmakers adjusting to hold them as favored by only a single point. They won by three, so the line was pretty dead on.
Next Week's Schedule: Wisconsin will next take on No. 14 Nebraska on Dec. 1. Penn State is done after this one, having played its full season and without bowl eligibility due to NCAA sanctions.
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