The sixth-ranked Badgers have 11 interceptions over the last three games and 21 on the season, tops in major college football.

And now they are focused on Trace McSorley and No. 8 Penn State in the Big Ten title game on Saturday night.

”They’ve done a good job of playing the ball and … looking for it,” Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst said about his defense. ”Not just knocking it down, but let’s get the pick.”

All those interceptions are, in part, a byproduct of the stout play of the front seven at Wisconsin (10-2, No. 6 CFP).

The defensive line has controlled the line of scrimmage, helping to free up a strong linebacker corps to make plays, whether in the backfield or in coverage. A secondary that had question marks at the beginning of the season has become a ball-hawking strength.

Safety Leo Musso, a former high school running back, has the speed to catch up to deep throws. He also has been displaying smarts in coverage, like when he stepped in front of a pass in the end zone last week against Minnesota after appearing to bait Mitch Leidner into making a seemingly safe throw.

”Our names are getting called but it’s really the front seven doing their job,” said Musso, who has four interceptions over the last three weeks. ”We have the easy job of just covering guys and catching the ball.”

But the quality of Wisconsin’s competition hits a higher level Saturday when compared to the past three weeks. The Badgers had four interceptions apiece against Illinois and Minnesota, sandwiched around a three-pick game at Purdue.

Penn State (10-2, No. 7 CFP) presents a big-play problem.

McSorley has thrown just five interceptions all season. The Nittany Lions have 106 plays this season of 20 yards or more, with 57 coming through the air.

”I think the explosive plays come from Trace’s mobility, when he is able to step up in the pocket and extend plays,” Penn State coach James Franklin said this week. ”If you can buy time and extend plays and force people to cover longer than is normal, it’s really challenging. So I think that’s where a lot of our big plays have come from.”

Blitzing could be costly for the Badgers. McSorley was 12 of 15 for 245 yards and threw three TDs against the blitz in last week’s 45-12 win over Michigan State .

Wisconsin has done a good job this year getting pressure with four rushers. Coordinator Justin Wilcox also has disguised rushes and blitzes, like he did last week against the Golden Gophers while rattling Leidner into a four-interception second half.

”Anytime you create some pressure on a quarterback, maybe the accuracy is off just a little bit, or the timing is off a little bit,” Chryst said. ”You’re thankful -those are big plays.”

Wisconsin has allowed just 40 plays of 20 or more yards, including 31 through the air and two touchdown passes. Cornerback Sojourn Shelton, a four-year starter, had two interceptions last week against Minnesota.

He is looking forward to what could be a track meet in the secondary with the Nittany Lions.

”It’s going to be fun to play against these guys. This secondary group, we’re all competitors. We all like to be put in challenging situations,” Shelton said. ”So far we’ve excelled.”

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AP freelance writers Dennis Semrau in Madison and Travis Johnson in State College, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report.

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More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25

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Follow Genaro Armas at: https://twitter.com/GArmasAP

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Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. Wisconsin Badgers
When: 11/26/2016 3:30 PM

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network.
LINE: Wisconsin -14.5
PREDICTION: Wisconsin 33, Minnesota 17

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network.
LINE: Wisconsin -14.5
PREDICTION: Wisconsin 33, Minnesota 17

MADISON, Wisc. — In the middle of October, Wisconsin’s football season looked headed toward a subpar season with a 1-2 record in the Big Ten Conference after a stellar start.

Sure, the Badgers lost those two conference games to No. 4 Michigan by seven points on the road and to No. 2 Ohio State in overtime in Madison, but projections for another strong season looked bleak with games against Iowa and Nebraska in consecutive weeks looming.

And they had quarterback questions with freshman Alex Hornibrook taking over the starting job at Michigan.

“When we looked at our schedule, we knew there wasn’t a game that we couldn’t win,” Hornibrook said. “We felt we could win every one of them.”

Now the Badgers are knocking on the door of the Big Ten title game.

They’ve won five straight games heading into Saturday’s showdown against Minnesota on Senior Day at Camp Randall Stadium, are ranked No. 5 in the country and at 9-2 overall and 6-2 in the Big Ten West, they have to win one more game to ensure a spot in the Big Ten title game on Dec. 3.

Wisconsin can clinch the division crown Friday if Iowa beats Nebraska, and if Minnesota beats Wisconsin on Saturday, the Badgers would still win the division due to a four-way tie with Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa. The Badgers have beaten Minnesota 12 straight times.

“The end of the season’s feeling closer, with Senior Day coming up,” UW running back Dare Ogunbowale said. “I wouldn’t say that anything is different, as in the postseason or anything like that. We know we have to beat Minnesota for all that stuff to (ring) true, so we’re going to make sure we go out and do that.”

The Badgers are one of three Big Ten teams, including Michigan and Ohio State, ranked in the top five. The Badgers are ranked No. 5 in the Associated Press poll. Take care of business, and the Badgers in playing in the conference title game in Indianapolis and have a shot at a berth in the college playoffs.

“I had the personal and our team had the goal of getting (to the Big Ten title game),” Wisconsin linebacker Vince Biegel said. “We still have one more game before that happens. We cannot overlook a talented Minnesota offense and team. They’re hungry for a win against us. It’s a trophy game. It’s a border battle. A lot of storylines. A lot of things on the line in this game.”

Minnesota (8-3) could position itself for a better-than-expected bowl bid if the Golden Gophers win the border rivalry. Saturday will be the 126th meeting between the two programs, marking the most-played rivalry in the FBS.

Minnesota has won five of its last six games.

“I know it’s always special in this game,” Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst said. “I’ve been lucky to go the Minnesota/Wisconsin game with my dad, just me and him in the stands, and then when he was coaching. I got a chance to be a part of it as a player, and then as a coach here.”

Wisconsin hasn’t thrived on offense, but it has been consistent for the most part.

Hornibrook is a quiet but effective leader and quarterback. He has completed 100 of his 171 passes, but has thrown seven interceptions and eight touchdowns. He enters the Minnesota game looking to lead the Badgers into the Big Ten title game. He must keep his emotions under check during Senior Day, and not try and force the issue and stay away from turnovers.

A big reason he should stay calm is Corey Clement, who has topped the 1,000-yard mark to raise his season total to 1,040 yards, becoming the 17th player in school history to hit the 1,000-yard mark in a season. His running has been key in Wisconsin’s five-game winning streak, and with the division title at state, look for him to have plenty of carries against Minnesota.

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Wisconsin at Ohio State
When: 8:17 PM ET, Saturday, December 6, 2014
Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
TV: 8:17 p.m. ET, FOX.
LINE: Wisconsin -4
PREDICTION: Wisconsin 28, Ohio State 24
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Oddsmakers currently have the Badgers listed as 3½-point favorites versus the Buckeyes, while the game’s total is sitting at 55.

Head coach Urban Meyer’s lone loss in 25 games as a Big Ten coach came in last season’s title game against Michigan State, and his resolve during a tough week has his team pointed in the right direction. “We believe in a very, extremely close team that leans on each other in tough times and someone usually steps up and makes a tremendous play or says something,” said Meyer, whose team learned on Sunday that defensive lineman Kosta Karageorge had been found dead of a gunshot wound to the head. Meanwhile, Jones – a sophomore who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 250 pounds – gives the Buckeyes plenty of athleticism at quarterback, having averaged 7.8 yards per carry on 43 rushes in his career.

Ohio State was a 42-28 winner in its last match at home against Michigan. They failed to cover the 21.5-point spread as favorites, while the total score of 70 sent OVER bettors to the payout window.

Team record: 11-1 SU,7-5 ATS
Current Streak: won 10 straight games.
Ohio State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Ohio State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Ohio State’s last 11 games
Ohio State is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Wisconsin

Gordon and the Big Ten’s top defense gain the bulk of the headlines, but quarterback Joel Stave has quietly picked up his game after sitting out four games to start the season due to throwing issues. Stave, who threw for 2,494 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2013, completed just 48 percent of his passes and had three TDs versus three interceptions through his first four games but has a 66.7 percent completion rate with four TDs and one pick over the last four. “He is seeing the field very, very well,” Andersen said after Stave threw for 215 yards and a pair of scores – including the clincher with 4:41 left – against the Golden Gophers.

Wisconsin won its last outing, a 34-24 result against Golden Gophers on November 29. Wisconsin failed to cover in that game as a -16-point favorite, while the 58 combined points took the game OVER the total.

Wisconsin:
Team record: 10-2 SU,5-7 ATS
Current Streak: won 7 straight games.
Wisconsin is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Wisconsin is 5-10 ATS in its last 15 games
Wisconsin is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Wisconsin is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Ohio State

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