Published Nov 22, 2016
Badgers want to leave no doubt about who's the best in the West
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John Veldhuis  •  BadgerBlitz
Senior Writer
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@JohnVeldhuis

MADISON, Wis. – The No. 5 Wisconsin Badgers will know if they can book a trip to Indianapolis by the time they take the field on Saturday for their rivalry game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

With the Nebraska Cornhuskers and Iowa Hawkeyes set to square off on Black Friday at 2:30 p.m., the Badgers would be guaranteed at least a share of the Big Ten West division title and a trip to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship Game the following week if Iowa beats Nebraska at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City.

But even though the Badgers will likely keep one eye on the game as it plays out, senior linebacker Vince Biegel said Monday that while they’d prefer the Hawkeyes to give them a bit of help, they won’t mind if they have to settle the division race themselves on Saturday when the Gophers come to town.

“Obviously, we’d love to see Iowa win, right?” Biegel said Monday. “But we want to take care of business on Saturday. That game doesn’t affect how we approach this week, it doesn’t affect how we conduct our business. “

And with in-state pride and a 12-game winning streak over the Gophers on the line, in addition to the right to keep Paul Bunyan’s Axe ensconced in their locker room, the Biegel said there is already enough at stake where the Badgers should keep their focus no matter what happens on Friday.

“This is the most important game of the season,” Biegel said. “If we don’t take care of our business this week, it could be said that the season was in vain. Our guys are focused, and it starts with today – the preparation, breaking down film, getting our minds right for Saturday.”

And if Nebraska keeps the pressure on UW with a win over Iowa, Biegel said there’s something to be said for having control over your own path to the post-season and beyond.

“We want to beat Minnesota. We don’t want to rely on anyone else to win a game for us,” Biegel said. “We want to put the ball in our hands – we’re in control of our own destiny, and that’s the way we want it to be. We want to take care of our business, we want to leave no questions on the table about who the Big Ten West champion is.”

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John Veldhuis covers Wisconsin football, basketball and recruiting for BadgerBlitz.com on the Rivals.com network. Follow him on Twitter at @JohnVeldhuis.