Wisconsin's defense gives it the edge over Southern Cal's bigger name

The widest gap in this one sits on defense, where Wisconsin grades out at an A and ranks 20th in the Big Ten's FBS pool while Southern Cal checks in at a B and 45th, a 25 spot difference that is the largest split between these two sides. That puts real pressure on the Trojans to win this one with their offense, which is graded A- and ranked 26th, built around a unit that has carried a 6-1 record and a strength of schedule rank of 27.

Wisconsin comes in at 4-2 but has been playing its best football lately, winning four of its last five games while piling up points in the process, and three of its six wins this season have come by 21 points or more. Southern Cal still holds the higher overall standing, ranked 24th in FBS to Wisconsin's 37th, and arrives fresh off beating Penn State for the first time since January 2017.

Versus projects a tight finish, with Wisconsin favored 29-25 and given a 61 percent chance to win at home. This game counts in the Big Ten standings, and with Wisconsin's defense carrying an A grade against an offense that has to prove it can solve it, the margin may come down to whether Southern Cal's attack can match its own earlier form.