Steffes available for title game

Tight end thought his season was over

Madison — Wisconsin tight end Eric Steffes felt the searing pain in his left knee, crumpled to the ground and thought his season was over.

“It definitely hurt right away and I thought the worst,” the fifth-year senior from Mount Calvary said.

Steffes’ injury was minor – a hyperextension – and he is prepared to play when UW faces Penn State for the Big Ten title Saturday night in Indianapolis.

He has six catches for 20 yards and a touchdown this season, but his primary task is to block for the running backs.

Steffes was injured while trying to block Minnesota safety

Antoine Winfield Jr. on Jazz Peavy’s

71-yard run. Winfield Jr. went low and cut Steffes, which drew a penalty for an illegal block.

No one can blame Steffes for having flashbacks to the 2014 season when he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee at Rutgers and missed the final six games.

“But my leg only caught for a second, so all I did was hyperextend it for a little bit,” Steffes said. “At the time it didn’t feel quite so right, but I’ll be fine.” Fan of Chryst, but not UW: Bill O’Brien,

in his third season as head coach of the Houston Texans, has his hands full this week preparing for a game against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday at Lambeau Field.

Nevertheless, O’Brien will have a rooting interest in the Big Ten title game because of the two seasons he spent as Penn State’s head coach (2012 and ’13).

“I’ve got to go with the Nittany Lions,” he said during a conference call with Wisconsin Wisconsin tight end Eric Steffes picks up a first down against Nebraska on Oct. 10. He hurt his knee against Minnesota, but the injury was minor. media. “I’m sorry guys. I’m so proud of those kids. A lot of those kids were there when we were there, a lot of our guys here that we on that staff, we’re very proud of those kids. And James Franklin’s done a great job. “It’ll be a great game.” While at Penn State, O’Brien got to know then-Pittsburgh coach Paul Chryst, who was with the Panthers from 2012 through ’14 and is in his second season as UW’s head coach.

“We wanted to get the rivalry back going, Pitt and Penn State,” O’Brien said. “I don’t know what happened. I don’t know if it was the ADs or what. They didn’t really want to. …

“But because of that, we talked a lot and then we would see each other in Pennsylvania recruiting or whatever, clinics or whatever it was.

“He’s just a great guy, a hell of a football coach. Great hire by

Barry Alvarez at Wisconsin. He’s done a great job there and I have a lot of respect for him.”

Extra points: UW has intercepted passes in the last three games – victories over Illinois, Purdue and Minnesota. That is one shy of the team’s total in 13 games last season. UW has 21 interceptions overall, which is three more than UW had in 2014 and ’15 combined (18). …

UW has won 10 of its last 11 games away from home. The lone blemish during that stretch was a 14-7 loss Oct. 1 at Michigan.