Contending Badgers still must face PSU

Wisconsin's offense is strong, but the defense struggles, their coach says.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Few people expected Wisconsin to contend for the Big Ten title this season.
That includes coach Barry Alvarez.
But the No. 14 Badgers head into Saturday's game against 10th-ranked Penn State with the top spot in the conference on the line, with both teams at 5-1 in the conference, 8-1 overall.
Alvarez said he went into the season knowing his offense could be something special while his defense was likely to struggle. He figured the Badgers had what it took to play in a bowl game in his final season as head coach, possibly in one of the top bowls Jan. 1.
"I didn't even look at a Big Ten title," Alvarez said at his weekly news conference.
If the Badgers can win Saturday, they'd only need a win in Alvarez's final home game against Iowa to sew up a league championship. It would be Alvarez's fourth since he came to Wisconsin in 1990.
But getting past Penn State won't be easy.
While Wisconsin's offense has lived up to Alvarez's expectations -- the Badgers have the best scoring offense in the conference -- his fears about the defense have come true as well. The Badgers rank 97th of 117 teams in Division I, giving up 426 yards a game.
Injuries
Alvarez said it's been difficult to put together a consistent effort on defense in part because of the injuries that have ravaged the defensive line. And it won't get any easier against Penn State quarterback Michael Robinson, who can use his legs just as well as his arm to guide the Nittany Lions offense.
Alvarez said blitzing a quarterback like Robinson is always dangerous because it means the defensive backs are playing man-to-man coverage, often with their backs to the quarterback. That gives a quarterback like Robinson room to move if the defensive line can't contain him.
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