HOW THE WEST WILL BE WON

WISCONSIN, MINNESOTA MEET WITH SPOT IN BIG TEN TITLE GAME ON LINE

Keys for Wisconsin

Ride the horse: Since Ohio State limited Jonathan Taylor to 52 yards rushing and no touchdowns in the Buckeyes’ week 8 romp, Taylor has eclipsed 200 yards rushing in each of his three past games, against Iowa, Nebraska and Purdue. Taylor is averaging 8.1 yards per carry in those starts. His 5,856 career yards are the most by any player through their junior season in Football Bowl Subdivision history.

Clean up mistakes: The Badgers’ performance against Boilermakers wasn’t pretty but they did enough to get the job done in a mistake-riddled game. Wisconsin turned the ball over four times and allowed Purdue to score on its first three possessions. The Boilermakers had 226 yards in the first half and led 17-14 lead midway through the second quarter before the Badgers reeled off 24 straight points to pull away.

Keys for Minnesota

Slow down the run: If the Golden Gophers can stop Taylor or even limit his big plays, they’ll have a better chance of shutting down the Badgers. Forcing turnovers also is key for Minnesota, which has 17 takeaways. Taylor lost two fumbles against Purdue, and the Gophers may try to make of point of stripping him of the football. If they can force a turnover or two, they could put pressure on Wisconsin’s defense.

Lean on Morgan: Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan, who leads the Big Ten in passing yards (2,679 yards passing) and is second in passing efficiency, has played with a ton of poise this season. He threw for 211 yards and four touchdowns last week as the Gophers beat Northwestern 38-22 to lock up their first 10-win season since 2003.

Prediction

Minnesota 31, Wisconsin 24. The Badgers have bounced back with three wins after a 31-point loss to Ohio State in late October, but their defense has been far from dominating, allowing an average of 22.3 points per game in that stretch. With Morgan directing an offense that includes three 1,000-yard players (RB Rodney Smith and WRs Tyler Johnson and Rashod Bateman), Minnesota has the explosiveness to claim its first Big Ten West Division title and get a shot at Ohio State in the conference championship.

[MORRY GASH/ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS] Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor