MADISON, Wis. - The Wisconsin Badgers have already sewn up a bit to the Big Ten Championship Game next week after Nebraska lost to Iowa on Friday in Iowa City, but there's still plenty on the line for UW as they play arch-rival Minnesota on Senior Day at Camp Randall.

BadgerBlitz.com senior writer John Veldhuis outlines three things to watch as the Badgers battle for Paul Bunyan's Axe below.

First Read: Who wins the trench war?

Minnesota is going to want to run the football, and Wisconsin's offense also depends on getting running backs Corey Clement and Bradrick Shaw going to open up their downfield passing game. Both teams have usually relied on their defenses to win games for them this year, and it seems like the team that has more room to run will have the upper hand on Saturday. One note to watch: UW nose tackle Olive Sagapolu was upgraded to 'questionable' instead of 'out' on the team's injury report - having him back for this game could give Wisconsin's run defense a boost. Conor Sheehy has played well at nose guard in place of Sagapolu, but it's hard to fully replace a 330-pound true nose tackle.

Second Read: Can Wisconsin's offensive line hold up against Minnesota's pass rush?

The Gophers have a very active front seven, and are third in the Big Ten in tackles for loss per game and sacks per game. The UW offensive line has been taking steps forward since the beginning of the season but still has room to grow, and they'll need to both clear the way on the ground and keep both Bart Houston and Alex Hornibrook upright and give them time to throw. The Badgers are going to need to make some plays through the air if Minnesota's run defense slows down Clement, and to do that Wisconsin's offensive line will have to weather the storm and play one of their better games.

Third Read: Are flags going to fly in a rivalry game?

The Badgers are the least penalized team in the Big Ten, averaging 3.3 penalties per game this season. Minnesota is the most penalized team in the Big Ten, averaging 6.8, and the Gophers have had quite a few targeting calls go agains them this year. Both team will need to be disciplined to keep from giving the other team free yardage, and whoever steps up and plays under control should have an edge in the game.

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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.