UW, Penn State traveled down the same road

Both teams haven’t lived up to expectations this season

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Welcome to the Crossroads Bowl.

Wisconsin opened the 2018 college football season No. 7 in the Amway coaches poll and No. 4 in The Associated Press poll.

Penn State opened at No. 9 and No. 10, respectively.

Preseason rankings generally are a crapshoot but the players in both locker rooms believed their teams would contend for the Big Ten title

and a berth in the College Football Playoff.

The stakes won’t be as grandiose when UW (6-3, 4-2 Big Ten) meets Penn State (6-3, 3-3) at 11 a.m. Saturday at Beaver Stadium.

UW, despite losses to Michigan and Northwestern, remains in the running for the West Division title, though the chances are slim with three games left and Northwestern on top of the standings at 5-1

“The rest of the season … we can’t lose any more,” UW sophomore cornerback Madison Cone said. “We’ve got to lock in and handle business from here on out.

“But this game is going to be a big one. We’ve got to win Saturday after Saturday.”

“We have to make sure we start fast,” senior linebacker T.J. Edwards said. “Especially being at Penn State, that is