Illinois @ Wisconsin preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 19, 2011 ) Wisconsin 28, Illinois 17

After falling out of the Top 25, Wisconsin tries to bounce back after letting what would have been a solid road win slip away at Nebraska last week. The Badgers should feel confident for Saturday's game against Illinois at Camp Randall Stadium, though, where they have won their last 10 Big Ten games since an October 2009 defeat to Iowa. Wisconsin finished a rather sub-par September – in which its home victories over Northern Iowa, Utah State and Texas-El Paso came by an average of 6.0 points – by blowing a 17-point lead against the Cornhuskers. Illinois has not left Madison with a victory since 2002 and that is likely to be the case again if the Illini continue to play mistake-filled football. They followed a six-turnover home loss to Louisiana Tech with three more, plus some costly penalties including a personal foul player ejection, in Saturday's 35-7 home thrashing by Penn State.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ABC. LINE: Wisconsin -14

ABOUT ILLINOIS (2-3, 0-1 Big Ten): Junior quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase threw two picks against the Nittany Lions, including one at the goal line just before halftime. He finished with 270 passing yards and has found a big-play threat in junior wide receiver Ryan Lankford, who made seven catches for 104 yards and owns six receptions of 20-plus yards this season. The Penn State loss could have been even worse if not for good defense at times, such as freshman V'Angelo Bentley's blocked chip-shot field goal that ended the first half. The backfield received a lift with the return of senior safety Supo Sanni, who recorded a career-high 10 tackles with a pass breakup after sitting out the first four games with a knee injury.

ABOUT WISCONSIN (3-2, 0-1 Big Ten): Heisman Trophy finalist Montee Ball returned and ran for 90 yards and three scores versus Nebraska after missing most of the previous week's victory over UTEP because of an early head injury. The senior has 67 career touchdowns, tied for fifth in NCAA history. But the Cornhuskers limited the Ball to only 2.8 yards per carry and stopped him and forced a fumble on fourth-and-1 near midfield with a minute to go in the 30-27 loss. The Badgers led by 17 twice (20-3 and 27-10) and received a solid effort from redshirt freshman quarterback Joel Stave (214 yards, touchdown) in his first road start, after getting the nod over Danny O'Brien against UTEP. Wisconsin's 183.6 yards passing ranks 109th in the nation. Junior linebacker Chris Borland recovered two fumbles that led to points against Nebraska, but they were the first two turnovers the defense forced this season.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Illinois leads the series 36-35-7, but Wisconsin has taken six of the last seven. In 1995 the teams played to a 3-3 tie, the final one in FBS (then Div. I-A) history before overtime was instituted.

2. Ball ran for 224 yards and three touchdowns last season at Illinois, when the Badgers erased a 17-7 halftime deficit for a 28-17 triumph.

3. Wisconsin senior LB Mike Taylor made 15 tackles versus Nebraska and has collected 13 or more in 10 of his last 15 games.

PREDICTION: Wisconsin 27, Illinois 10