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Wisconsin's recent film study has been light.
After upsetting then-No. 1 Ohio State 31-18 on Saturday night, coach Bret Bielema recognized that the challenge facing 13th-ranked Iowa in Iowa City next week will be just as tough.
So in practice on Sunday night, No. 10 Wisconsin (6-1, 2-1 Big Ten) spent an hour preparing for Iowa's tendencies and then practiced solely on the Hawkeyes instead of making corrections following the victory over the Buckeyes, a defining moment in Bielema's five-year tenure.
''You could tell, they played in a very emotional game, they played very well,'' Bielema said Monday. ''I'm sure guys are still getting pats on their backs as they go through their first day of class back, but we have to shift our focus immediately to Iowa.''
The realization of this stretch actually hit Bielema three years ago when he first saw the schedule. His team looked prepared to enter the national championship conversation in the offseason with high hopes, but a costly stumble at Michigan State likely means the Badgers have only an outside shot at the Rose Bowl.
The road to Pasadena clearly goes through Iowa City this year.
The Hawkeyes (5-1, 2-0) play Wisconsin this Saturday, No. 8 Michigan State (7-0, 3-0) next Saturday and No. 11 Ohio State (6-1, 2-1) on Nov. 20. All four teams are in the initial BCS standings.
Iowa has a stout defense, but Wisconsin won't deviate from its master plan of ground-and-pound yards with John Clay and freshman James White with play-action passes mixed in.
Not counting two possessions when Wisconsin took a knee to end the game, the Badgers have scored 23 straight touchdowns once they've moved in the red zone. Their TD percentage of 80.6 percent inside the 20 is the second-best in the country and better than the school record 75 percent clip set last season.
Most of that credit goes to the offensive line and the fact that Clay and White have been secure with the ball. The Badgers haven't lost a fumble in five games and when Clay scores, they're almost unstoppable.
Wisconsin is 20-3 when Clay scores a touchdown with the three losses coming by a combined five points. He got two TDs against the Buckeyes and 104 yards on 21 carries.
Clay, who had the jersey numbers of his linemen shaved into the sides of his head, credited them for his output.
''It meant a lot, more to my offensive line than to me, just because they work for me out in the front in the trenches, moving people for me so I can run the ball,'' Clay said after the game. ''I told them I would do something special for them for this game and it worked out in a good way.''
And the congratulations haven't slowed just yet from a special Saturday night.
''I heard from a lot of different people, all positive,'' Bielema said. ''Anybody that knows who you are and knows what you represent, they're happy when you have success.''
