Sorry, I ALWAYS get Jon Voight and Wisconsin head basketball coach, Bo Ryan, mixed up. But seriously, does anybody blame me? They could be identical twins!
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Most sports fans would recognize Jon Voight as the villainous coach, Bud Kilmer, in the high school football movie Varsity Blues. I’m not saying Bo Ryan is as big of a jerk as Voight’s character in the film; they simply look a lot alike. (Although MSU Coach Tom Izzo might see Bo Ryan as his own personal villain, considering Izzo has never beaten Bo Ryan in Madison.)
But here it is, arguably one of the biggest games of the much-anticipated Big Ten basketball season. #11 ranked Michigan State heads to Madison, Wisconsin to take on the #19 Badgers. MSU is riding a 13-game winning streak and playing with a swagger that has surprised the college basketball nation, especially after a pouncing 15-point defeat of Indiana. But they certainly have a monkey on their back, as they’ve never beaten Bo Ryan in Madison.
Surprisingly enough, Wisconsin blew it against a lowly Iowa team on New Year’s Eve, losing 72-65. You can bet that the Badgers will get after it and will be playing a bit more aggressive against the Spartans, as no team in the Big Ten can afford to drop two in a row in conference play this year. Anything can happen in college basketball (as it always does) but be sure that you don’t miss this one.
Prediction: The Spartans win their first game in Madison, Wisconsin since 2001 just a day after the MSU football squad wins their first bowl game under Coach Mark Dantonio.
MSU 63, Wisconsin 55
The game will be televised on ESPN2 on Tuesday, January 3rd at 7pm.
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