Pretty insightful article......

The matchup between No. 6 Wisconsin and No. 7 Penn State in the Big Ten title game on Saturday night might be the most intriguing of the conference championships.

Nobody knows these teams better than the coaches who have to play against them. So we asked a trio of Big Ten coaches who are familiar with both the Badgers and Nittany Lions to scout the game for us candidly in exchange for anonymity. We’ll refer to them as Coach 1, Coach 2 and Coach 3.

Here are their takes:

When Wisconsin has the ball

The biggest challenge for Penn State’s defense, not surprisingly, will be handling the Badgers’ running game.

“They present you a lot of different looks with their shifts and motions and bunched-up sets,” Coach 1 said. “They’re probably the most diverse run-scheme team in the conference in what they do with pullers and motions and counters. They don’t just run one or two styles of run plays; they have multiple things.

“Even when you think you’ve seen a lot of their offense on video, when you play them, they’ll break out something else that’s a little bit different in each game. You’re dealing with a good running back [Corey Clement] and a style of football that really nobody else plays in the Big Ten.”

Starting quarterback Alex Hornibrook is listed as questionable this week after he suffered a head injury against Minnesota. Hornibrook has been splitting time with senior Bart Houston, who might get more snaps against Penn State.

“I think Houston has been playing better than Hornibrook the last few weeks anyway,” Coach 1 said. “The biggest difference is Houston brings a little bit more run and scramble potential, the ability to kind of escape with his legs more so than Hornibrook.

“Houston may have a little bit better arm, but Hornibrook is an accurate thrower. But there’s not a substantial enough difference to them in style of play where you go, ‘Oh, when this guy’s in they run this style of offense.’”

And as far as Penn State’s defense? Coach 2 and Coach 3 said the Nittany Lions don’t play a complicated scheme, but they’re solid up front and blitz a little more than Wisconsin.

“Their defensive line has come on really strong throughout the year, I think,” Coach 2 said. “Those defensive ends do a good job in the running game and the passing game. We knew we would probably struggle a little bit if we had to drop back and throw a lot because those guys are good.

“Their linebackers have played a lot of football and are really good in that scheme. So the front seven, I think that’s sort of where they make their living defensively.

“Their corners were good, too. They played a lot of man coverage and our guys struggled getting free. They’re not big, but they’re good press defenders. We tried passing over the top of them a couple of times, but our guys couldn’t take them.”

Penn State’s defense allowed 31.4 points per game during its first five contests but only 16.6 over the final seven.

“I talked to a few coaches who thought the difference was they simplified things,” Coach 3 said. “They’re still doing the same things, but they’ve simplified the terminology and checks and made it more user-friendly. I think that’s 100 percent true when you watch them, as they’re doing things better, more effectively and faster and not trying to do as much.

“They’ve improved a lot and have a lot of momentum right now.”

Wisconsin averaged 28.5 points per game this season but isn’t known as an explosive offense.

“If you get them in a close game, a mosh-pit type of game, nothing will show up bad for them,” Coach 1 said.” If you get them in a little bit more of a [comeback] situation, you could isolate them in pass protection and things like that.

“The biggest thing you’ve got to do to slow them down is commit numbers to the run game and hold up. If you just roll to Cover 3 or man free on them, stuff like that, they’ll gash you because you’re missing a guy in the box.”

When Penn State has the ball

For the Nittany Lions, everything revolves around the duo of quarterback Trace McSorley and tailback Saquon Barkley.

“McSorley is the challenge because he can scramble and gain yards when things break down,” Coach 1 said. “He’s the bailout for them. And they’ve got good skill players on the perimeter, so you have to pay attention to them.

“Barkley is a really good player. I just don’t think he’ll have a big effect in this game unless he’s catching the ball. I don’t see them being able to run the ball on Wisconsin. They’re not good enough up front to block Wisconsin.”

Penn State’s offensive line remains a question mark, and the Nittany Lions’ struggles on third downs (32.2 percent conversion rate, 12th in the Big Ten) could be a problem against Wisconsin’s defense. But Penn State’s use of run-pass option plays is “a variable,” Coach 1 said.

“Penn State is the best in the Big Ten at the run-pass option, and their quarterback is tremendous at it,” Coach 1 said. “There are teams out there that will screw up or really not fit those things really well. Like Pitt, they struggled against it.

“But I think Wisconsin has enough cover guys that they’re going to be able to play some more man-type of coverage on them. We didn’t have to put a lot of guys in to stop the run on Penn State, and they didn’t block movement well against us. If you don’t have to commit numbers to the run, then you can kind of lay back on some of those run-pass options.”

The Nittany Lions will have to find ways to solve Wisconsin’s 3-4 defense, which has been one of the stingiest in the country.

“It all starts with those two outside linebackers, T.J. Watt and Vince Biegel,” Coach 2 said. “They were hard to handle in the running game and the passing game. On third downs, they’re going to make things very confusing for you, especially from a protection standpoint.”

“They can put an edge on the defense, and it’s hard to get the ball on the perimeter,” Coach 3 said. “They give you the impression that it’s a seven-man box on every snap. Those outside linebackers are outstanding players, really good bookends. They can contain the football, they can rush, they can drop and they can disguise what they’re doing and where they’re coming from.”

It’s not just the front seven you have to worry about with the Badgers. They lead the FBS with 21 interceptions.

“They play a fair amount of man coverage,” Coach 2 said. “I thought they were pretty talented at corner. We really struggled in the second half because their secondary locked down our receivers pretty good.

“They’re typical Wisconsin kids who go 100 mph. They’re going to play their butts off, and they’ll be very hard to move the ball against, especially in the running game.”

Coach 1 sees a big edge for the Badgers’ defense: “I’ll be really surprised if Penn State gets more than 14 to 17 points on them.”

Final thoughts

Coach 1: “I think the advantage here is Wisconsin’s because everything Penn State is going to do Wisconsin has seen this year. They’ve seen the same type of offense from Ohio State, Nebraska, Northwestern and others. But everything Wisconsin is going to do, Penn State hasn’t seen this year. They haven’t played a zero-nose team on defense, for example.

“One team is going to be in a comfort zone about what they’re seeing, while the other is going to be in a kind of new-rules situation.

Coach 3: "If I had to pick a team, I’d pick Wisconsin. I just think their style on offense and defense might give them a slight advantage. And their kids have been in these kinds of games before, where Penn State’s kids haven’t.”

Coach 2: “I just think that Wisconsin is a little bit stronger up front, especially in the front seven defensively against the run. I would think the advantage would go to Wisconsin’s defense. But in a game like this, you don’t know. It’ll be fun to watch, I know that.”