The Scarlet Knights return home after their first loss of the season in Lincoln against Nebraska.

Can Rutgers get back in the win column against Wisconsin?

See below how our employees here at OTB see the action on Saturday afternoon.

Greg Patuto: One hopes Wisconsin didn’t wake up this season after blowing out against Purdue last season. The Badgers paced Braedyn Locke with 389 yards and three scores. Tyler Van Dyke and Chez Mellusi are done and there are some injuries on the outside. The matchup is good for Rutgers. Wisconsin has struggled to stop the run against its toughest opponents, while that is clearly the game plan for Rutgers every week. Well, apparently not last week after the first quarter.

That being said, Rutgers has never beaten Wisconsin. It is. a slight favorite on his home court. The spread says Rutgers would be a dog if this game were played in Madison, but it isn’t. The prediction was that Rutgers would pull off a signature win against Washington. Is the team ready for the next one? Wisconsin 24, Rutgers 18.

Gregg Podolski: When the schedule first came out, I saw an 8-4 season up for grabs, with 9-3 more than achievable. The first of those four losses came against Wisconsin, a tough team that we never matched well against. I also expected us to be up in the rankings after back-to-back conference wins, and thought the kids might start reading too much of their own press. That, as they say, is why you play the games on the field and not on paper. We gave Nebraska a win that was there for the taking, and come back to Piscataway to take on a Wisconsin team struggling to regroup after losing both its starting QB and RB. Their offensive and defensive lines will still be a problem — like Iowa and Nebraska, they’re letting their guys grow up in the flyover states — but with Rutgers looking to cut down some trees after the (predictable) disappointment of last week, I like our chances. Plus, I’m taking my father and son for our first live game of the season, and I paid extra for a win. Rutgers 17, Wisconsin 14.

Arjun Jaswal: The Knights play a banged-up Wisconsin team at home and should have extra motivation to finally beat the Badgers for the first time in program history. Despite coming out of Lincoln empty-handed, Joe Harasymiak’s defense completely stifled a red-hot Dylan Raiola, holding the freshman phenom to a season-low QBR of 11.2 (his previous low was 61.2). I expect this week to be more of the same, especially since Wisconsin’s skill position players are hurting as much as they are right now. Kaliakmanis had an uncharacteristically bad day last week, but this week I see him bouncing back behind his home crowd and making plays when it matters most and returning to the same early-season form we saw against Virginia Tech and Washington. While the Badgers haven’t allowed a ball carrier to reach triple figures this season, they haven’t faced a backfield duo as talented as Monangai and Brown, and I believe they’ll run out the clock Saturday afternoon in Piscataway to a convincing Rutgers victory. . Rutgers 23, Wisconsin 10.

Andreas Rice: Rutgers should come with a new focus after this game due to the disappointment of the past few weeks. Rutgers had several chances to win last week, but was unable to do so. Expect them to attack with a new kind of energy this week. Wisconsin is without a starting quarterback and running back. The lineman matchup will still be an issue for Rutgers, but they should still have enough talent to pull off a win. Rutgers 20, Wisconsin 13.

Forno: During my season preview, I called this game a “turn the page” game. Rutgers has never beaten Wisconsin. The previous five games were all quite lopsided and it showed on the pitch. This year has the potential to be very different and Rutgers can “turn the page” and start a new chapter. Wisconsin has a lot of the same types of players as usual (explosive RBs, excellent offensive line play, stout defense), but the difference is their scheme and culture. Offensive coordinator Phil Longa brings a spread, fast-paced attack, all from the shotgun attack – something we’re not used to seeing in Madison. Luke Fickell would have been a home run higher last season, but things didn’t go as expected. Chez Mellusi, the Badgers’ former starting RB, has decided to leave football. With transfer quarterback Tyler Van Dyke out for the season, it looks like things are getting a little shaky in Madison.

Wisconsin absolutely dominated Purdue last week, which is exactly what a team going through some turmoil needed. However, I don’t think a trip to Piscataway in early October is the best way to keep the momentum going. I would say both teams are similar in talent, especially with the injuries Wisconsin is currently dealing with in the WR room. Will Pauling, Bryson Green and Tyrell Henry all suffered lower-body injuries against Purdue (their status is unclear). Luckily for them, Trech Kekahuna answered the call and had a field day against the Boilermakers. Rutgers is also in trouble, but I expect the team to be healthier for Saturday’s game. Rutgers has the ability to control the pace of this game. A solid defensive performance should slow down the Badger offense, which doesn’t thrive when playing behind the sticks. Feed Monangai and Brown, put Athan in a position to make easy passes, and with better performance from the o-line, Rutgers should come away with the win. We don’t expect many fireworks here, but the only thing we have to worry about is securing the B1G W1N! Rutgers 17, Wisconsin 10.

Ed Rosero: Time to wipe off the blood and tears and get back to work. Wisconsin (3-2) comes to Piscataway to take on Rutgers (4-1) in another conference matchup. This will be a setback to last week’s terrible offensive performance. I don’t care what the sentence says: this is going to be a dominant performance at home. I expect the Scarlet Knights defense to impose their will on the Badgers and set the tone for the offense and special teams. I predict at least two tuddies for Kaliakmanis, along with restoring our running game with multiple trips to the end zone. Rutgers wins this one easily. Rutgers 34, Wisconsin 14.

Francis Hearne: This is a crucial match for both teams. Rutgers returns home after their first loss of the season and will look to bounce back. Wisconsin is 3-2 after a big loss at the hands of Alabama, a big lead against USC and a big win over Purdue. The talent level seems to be fairly even on paper. This game will come down to the trenches and turnovers. Wisconsin has struggled at times to stop the run, but their best defenders are on the back end. Look for Kirk Ciarrocca to have a rebounding game making plays. Start the run early and don’t give up on it like you did last week.

Wisconsin turned the ball over a few times against Purdue, but the Boilermakers couldn’t capitalize. The Dark Side Defense has been opportunistic, and in this one they will have opportunities to take something. The offense will have to convert turnovers into points. Rutgers has not lost a game yet this season when Kaliakmanis protects the ball. Last week he threw two picks that killed the drive. The ball is the program and holding onto it should result in a win. Rutgers 26, Wisconsin 18.

Art Stein: Maybe I drank the kool-aid, but I saw some positives from last week’s loss in Lincoln. While I trust Kaliakmanis to make the throws he needs, we are best when we run the ball, eat up the clock and keep the opposing offense on the sideline. The hardest thing a team and a program can do is overcome the final hurdle from an average team to a winning/championship program. Having never beaten Wisconsin, this is one of those moments. Rutgers 24, Wisconsin 16.