The conference swing continues for UW head coach Paul Chryst and his program this weekend with a huge showdown that has plenty on the line against a key rival. Wisconsin (4-3 overall, 2-2 Big Ten) hosts No. 9 Iowa (6-1, 3-1) inside Camp Randall Stadium, and the winner of this matchup not only brings home the Heartland Trophy, but also controls its path to the Big Ten West championship.

BadgerBlitz.com presents its weekly "3Cs" roundtable. Senior writers Jake Kocorowski and Benjamin Worgull and staff writer Raul Vazquez break down one topic of curiosity, confidence and concern heading into Saturday's divisional clash (11 a.m. CT, ESPN).

Kocorowski: I’m curious how Wisconsin’s rushing attack looks against Iowa’s front seven. The Badgers have found an offensive identity in a rejuvenated ground game the past three weeks -- tallying 391, 198 and 290 yards against Illinois, Army and Purdue, respectively. Chez Mellusi and Braelon Allen look like the real deal as a one-two combo at tailback.

Iowa comes into the game allowing just 89.7 rushing yards per game -- good for seventh in the FBS -- on 2.7 yards per carry. The Hawkeyes have recorded 38 tackles for loss through seven games as well. Will the Badgers be able to win at the line of scrimmage and get something going on the ground, or will it have to rely on its inconsistent passing attack to try to move the ball down the field?

Worgull: I have been critical of the Wisconsin defense’s inability to generate turnovers to take some pressure off the offense. In UW’s first six games, the Badgers racked up only four turnovers -- only one in their three losses to ranked teams. So, the Badgers notching five takeaways Saturday was a welcome sign (UW only scoring 13 points off those five turnovers is a whole other story).

What was more impressive was that the Badgers did it in different ways (two fumbles, three interceptions) and got interceptions from three different players to flip field position. They disjointed the Boilermakers’ offense and limited them to only one scoring drive on 13 possessions. Ironically, Wisconsin did to Purdue what Purdue did to Iowa the week before.

The Hawkeyes were grounded to a halt by Purdue’s defense by limiting Iowa’s running game (76 yards, 2.5 yards per rush), pressuring Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras (four sacks), and the combination of both led to four interceptions in the 24-7 upset. As seen Saturday, Wisconsin has a really good set of linebackers and linemen who can get after a quarterback and stop a running game. However, I’d argue Iowa is a more well-rounded offense and can harass the Badgers in more ways than Purdue can.

Furthermore, the Hawkeyes had last weekend off and have had plenty of time to correct those mistakes and tighten up those pressures. The Badgers must have a good defensive effort if they want to register the upset. Can they do it two weeks in a row?

Vazquez: I’m curious what adjustment(s) Paul Chryst comes up with in a situation where they aren’t having the kind of success they would like. Wisconsin has had its way running the ball the past three weeks, rushing for a combined 879 yards and leading to just 42 combined passing attempts from quarterback Graham Mertz. The redshirt sophomore signal caller threw just eight this past weekend against Purdue.

By no means do I expect Mertz to all of a sudden throw the ball 20-plus times. But going up against a top defense and from what we’ve seen from Mertz, it’s just setting yourself up for failure if you stick to running the ball on early downs. Does that mean more handoffs to wide receivers? An emphasis on tight end Jake Ferguson to keep the chains moving and keep third downs manageable? How often do they give wide receiver Danny Davis a look downfield to at least try and draw a flag? Now if Allen and Mellusi continue to have success, these questions won’t matter. But even with the rhythm they’ve got going, I doubt they are able to just run at will against the Hawkeyes.

Kocorowski: I’m confident Wisconsin will smother Iowa’s ground game. Defensive end Matt Henningsen called out on Monday how Iowa is “run first, pass second.” Well, despite having All-American center Tyler Linderbaum and a solid back in junior Tyler Goodson, they rank 103rd in the nation in rushing yards per game at 116.6. They average just over three yards per carry.

Goodson ran for 106 yards on 11 attempts last season, but he was greatly aided by an 80-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that essentially put the nail in the proverbial coffin in a 28-7 Iowa victory.

Wisconsin leads the nation in rush defense, allowing 53.3 yards per game, and opponents gain a mere 1.9 yards per carry. Linderbaum will be a challenge to nose tackle Keeanu Benton and the defensive line, but I believe coordinator Jim Leonhard will scheme well to halt the bread and butter of Iowa’s offense. That could set up some third-and-longs where the line, along with linebackers Leo Chenal, Jack Sanborn and Nick Herbig, could feast in the backfield.

Worgull: I would bet that the first one to 20 points is going to win, if anyone can even get that far. Both teams rely on the strengths of their defense, which are each top 10 nationally against the run (UW is first, Iowa is eighth), top 15 in total defense (UW is second, Iowa is 12th), top 20 in scoring defense (Iowa is third, UW is 17th), etc., etc. On the flip side, both are sub 70 in scoring offense, sub-90 in total offense, and sub-100 in passing offense. There will not be any style points in this one.

Vazquez: Wisconsin’s special teams have shouldered a load of criticism this season, but I want to show some love to Colin Larsh and what he has been able to do in 2021. Placekicker was a position of concern coming into the season, but Larsh has been incredibly solid.

This past season, Larsh went 0-for-2 from 40-plus yards and had been 2-for-6 overall in his career. This fall, he has connected on both attempts from at least 40 yards out and he is 10-for-12 overall -- with one of his misses being blocked and the other being a 52-yarder. His usual consistency on extra points has held true as well. Larsh did miss his first extra point this season but the reigning Big Ten special teams player of the week is 16-for-17 overall.

Kocorowski: Turnovers. Wisconsin and Iowa both love to run the dang ball. Both bring stingy defenses into Camp Randall Stadium this weekend. A major difference between the two this season? Turnover margin.

Iowa has generated 21 takeaways through seven games -- 16 interceptions and five fumble recoveries, per their stats sheets -- while coughing up the ball nine times (six interceptions, three fumbles lost). That ranks among the best in the FBS and Big Ten.

Wisconsin? They rank near the bottom of the nation, currently holding a -8 turnover margin (17 turnovers lost, nine created).

With the game likely a low-scoring, grinding affair, whoever wins this turnover battle will likely come out of this contest with a victory and Big Ten West championship hopes within their control. Though UW turned it around against Purdue with a +3 margin, can they continue that? More importantly, can the offense not cough the ball up against a ranked opponent?

Worgull: If Wisconsin attempts to throw the ball, the Badgers are probably screwed. Let’s face it, Mertz is not the answer this season and his play thus far raises serious doubts (at least for me) about what kind of quarterback he’s going to develop into. A program that used to count on the play-action pass and steady/not flashy/smart decision making has received none of that this season, resulting in the offense turning into Army’s offense without the triple option.

After attempting 27.7 passes per game in 2020 and 31.7 passes through the first three games this season, Mertz has attempted more than 15 passes once in the last four games. Against Purdue, Mertz only had eight pass attempts that resulted in 52 yards. He didn’t throw an interception, but a blitzing cornerback that wasn’t stopped by his protection resulted in a 56-yard fumble return for a touchdown.

Iowa defensive back Riley Moss, the Big Ten's co-leader in interceptions, won’t play Saturday, but the Hawkeyes still have a lot of playmakers and are third nationally in turnover margin. Mertz has to be insanely smart and accurate with the football, something he hasn’t done consistently over the last two seasons.

Vazquez: The concern has certainly been a talking point the entire season, but I have questions about Mertz this week and the possibility of the offense having to rely on him to make plays.

It’s no secret Wisconsin’s offense, and Mertz, is at its best when the line and the duo of Allen and Mellusi are in a groove on early downs to keep the offense on schedule. Against an Iowa defense that gives up just 89.7 yards per game on the ground, Mertz could be asked to make some big plays on 3rd-and-7 or 3rd-and-8, or get a possession ahead of schedule with a first-down throw.

On top of that, Iowa’s defense is exceptional at turning teams over. The unit has racked up 21 turnovers, which is an area that Mertz has continued to struggle with. Through seven games, he hasn’t turned it over in just two contests.

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