Will Northwestern get to .500 under Pat Fitzgerald against Wisconsin?

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Northwestern’s Justin Jackson dives in for a score during the Pinstripe Bowl against Pittsburgh at Yankee Stadium. (Adam Hunger/Getty Images)

Generally speaking, Ohio State looms above the rest of the Big Ten like the Death Star. In order to ascend in the league’s West division, though, opponents must fight through the beery, cheesy haze that is Wisconsin. The Badgers have won two of the first three West titles since the conference’s most recent realignment, and their overall record against division foes is a staunch 14-3.

Northwestern at No. 10 Wis-consin (11 a.m. Saturday, Ch. 7, 720-AM) is the Wildcats’ chance to strike an early, decisive blow to the hierarchy. Heading into the season, coach Pat Fitzgerald’s team appeared to have the makings of a legit contender. A 41-17 loss at Duke in Week 2 had to make everyone question that. Then the Wildcats (2-1) bounced back with a school-record 678 yards and a 42-point win — the largest margin in NU history — over Bowling Green before a perfectly timed bye week.

Yet the Badgers (3-0) also were off last weekend. The last we saw of them, they were driving BYU into the Provo dirt by a count of 40-6. This is a team that leads the Big Ten in rushing and pass efficiency, gives up next to nothing on the ground defensively and is allowing a scant 10 points per game.

Other than that, Wisconsin really stinks.

“Just across the board, all three phases, they’ve got a great plan,” Fitzgerald said. “You compound that with having to play up in Madison, [and] it’ll be huge for our guys.”

The Badgers have freshman running back Jonathan Taylor at the top of the Big Ten in rushing (146 yards per game) and fresh, dangerous legs behind him. They also have arguably the nation’s best tight end in Troy Fumagalli and an emerging wideout in Quintez Cephus.

The Wildcats counter with superback Garrett Dickerson, coming off a nine-catch game, and the more talented quarterback in this game in Clayton Thorson. They also have senior Justin Jackson closing in on Damien Anderson’s school rushing record of 4,485 yards; Jackson is a mere 108 yards behind.

“The minute he got on campus, I thought he had that kind of potential,” Fitzgerald said. “He wasn’t the biggest guy, but his work ethic was unbelievable.”

The point spread in this league opener for both teams: a robust 15. But Fitzgerald is an impressive 3-4 against Wisconsin, and the schools have split their last 12 meetings. Upset alert? Sorry, no. Bucky sweats it out, 27-17.

Let’s take a look at a Friday ESPN doubleheader featuring teams that are a combined 14-0: No. 14 Miami at Duke (6 p.m) and No. 5 USC at No. 16 Washington State (9:30 p.m.).

Miami has canceled one game and postponed another because of Hurricane Irma, and its routine was certainly disrupted with out-of-town practices. This could be the game in which its electric running back, Mark Walton, becomes a national story. However, the Blue Devils — 6½-point underdogs at home — are pounding at the Top 25 door and have their eyes on an ACC Coastal division crown. Duke, 37-34.

America has been waiting for Wazzu coach Mike Leach to start pulling off the sort of earth-shifting upsets that defined him at Texas Tech. Cougars quarterback Luke Falk should have a huge night against the Trojans’ shaky pass defense — unless he spends four hours running for his life, which is possible. I like USC’s running game to carry the fourth quarter. Ready to stay up all night? Trojans cover the 3½.

Back to Saturday. No.  7 Georgia at Tennessee (2:30 p.m., Ch. 2) is a huge one in the SEC East. The Bulldogs (4-0, 1-0 SEC) have gone from soft to gnarly on both lines since Kirby Smart took charge of the program. The Vols (3-1, 0-1) have been maddeningly unpredictable under Butch Jones. Oh, I want to take Rocky Top plus the 7½. Thus: Dogs by three touchdowns.

The game of the week, from the national perspective, has to be No. 2 Clemson at No.  12 Virginia Tech (7  p.m., Ch. 7). Both teams are 4-0, but the Tigers have won a pair of ACC games to the Hokies’ none. What a signature win it would be for Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente against the hottest coach in America, Dabo Swinney. The defending national champs are favored by a whopping 7½. Every time, I doubt them . . . so I won’t. Clemson by 10.

My favorite favorite: No.  15 Oklahoma State -9½ at Texas Tech (7 p.m., Fox-32). The Pokes are too loaded not to bounce back from last week’s loss to TCU.

My favorite underdog: Iowa +3½ at Michigan State (3 p.m., Fox-32). As long as the Hawkeyes aren’t cratered emotionally after last week’s last-second loss to Penn State, they assert their superiority here.

Last week: 6-3 straight up, 4-5 against the spread.

Season to date: 22-8 straight up, 15-15 against the spread.

Follow me on Twitter @SLGreenberg.

Email: sgreenberg@suntimes.com

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