It might be a bitter border rivalry, but Wisconsin fans actually should feel grateful for the Gophers football team's resurgence this year.
The Badgers are trying to climb back into the BCS picture, and they are running out of chances to impress.
Saturday, the Badgers will be at TCF Bank Stadium taking on a Gophers team that sits just outside the Associated Press media poll in 26th and is 23rd in the USA Today coaches poll.
Wisconsin ranks 16th in the AP poll and 17th in the coaches but still sits 19th in the latest BCS rankings. The Gophers, incidentally, are ranked 25th.
To gain an at-large BCS berth, the Badgers need to climb into the top 14 of the rankings. They close with Penn State and don't figure to leapfrog Ohio State for the Leaders Division title and a Big Ten championship game berth, so Saturday likely will be their last chance to prove themselves against a ranked opponent.
"I think they're an underrated football team," Gophers coach Jerry Kill said of Wisconsin on Sunday during his weekly appearance on 830-AM. "I don't think many people — the way they run the ball and the way they're playing defense — would want to play them right now."
The Gophers had a bye week to get ready for the Badgers and watched them crush Indiana 51-3. Wisconsin had 554 rushing yards, but the more impressive number was the three points allowed. The Hoosiers had scored at least 28 in every game this season, including their 42-39 loss to the Gophers.
It marked the fifth time this year the Badgers have held an opponent without a touchdown. In scoring defense, they rank fifth in the nation at 14.0 points per game, one spot behind Michigan State (13.2).