Penn State-Wisconsin kick time and TV channel details: When do the Lions and Badgers meet?
No. 3 Penn State is enjoying its final bye week of the 2024 season. When the 6-0 Nittany Lions return to action next week, they will do so at Wisconsin. We now know when that contest will start and also what television channel it will be on. It’s Homecoming for the Badgers. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. NBC will televise the game. It’s likely that its top crew of Noah Eagle, Todd Blackledge, and Kathryn Tapper will be on the call. But, those details will come out at a later date.
Head coach James Franklin’s team moved up in the top five after beating USC 33-30 in an instant classic at LA Memorial Coliseum. Luke Fickell’s Badgers, meanwhile, blasted Rutgers 42-7 in Piscataway, N.J., to improve to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in Big Ten play.
“This is a team that’s getting better and just like I said last week, it’s exciting, it’s exciting obviously to win, it’s exciting to see things continue to grow in front of our own face and that’s where to me I’m just happy and as proud as anything,” Fickell told reporters on Saturday. “I saw it this week during practice, I saw it this week as we moved forward with guys that were dinged up and guys that wanted to be back out there, and their ability to – whatever role was placed in front of them – they were gonna take, and I think that’s where we’re starting to see a culture form in front of our face.”
More on the Badgers ahead of the Penn State game
Wisconsin has losses to Alabama (42-10) and the Trojans (38-21) on its docket to date but is playing better of late, albeit against weaker competition. The Badgers are now No. 32 in Bill Connelly’s SP+ rankings. Penn State is at No. 6, which is, of course, lower than it is in both the AP Top 25 and the Coaches Poll.
Fickell’s side lost standout running back Chez Mellusi indefinitely earlier this month due to ongoing health issues. It’s not yet clear if he will return at any point during the regular season or not. But, it feels unlikely that he will be back to face the Lions. Tawee Walker is now the team’s leading rusher. Quartrback Braedyn Lock has a 6-to-4 touchdowns-to-interceptions ratio. Three Badgers have two touchdown receptions. including Trech Kekahuna, who is playing well as a freshman.
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Wisconsin currently leads the Big Ten with 12 fumbles. On the other side of the ball, it has a top-30 total defense and a top-35 scoring defense.
“There are some things that we’re doing a lot better, there’s some things that we know that we have to continue to do even better, if we’re going to continue to win, and I just kind of told them there … that there’s a long mountain, there’s a long ride to go,” Fickell said after beating Rutgers. “Nobody needs to talk about us or anything like that, we’ve just got to continue to do what we do, find ways to continue to get better and put the product out on the field on Saturdays in particular. That’s what they understand, that’s what they realize.”
Penn State holds an 11-9 all-time edge over Wisconsin and has won the last five games in the series.
