In the past month, we have seen the University of Wisconsin football team get pasted by a pair of nationally-ranked (at the time) opponents, walk all over a glorified mid-major and completely dismantle a middle-of-the-pack Big Ten program.

So, which edition of the Badgers was for real?

The answer will probably come in six days when No. 25 (for now) Wisconsin (7-2, 3-2 Big Ten) travels to Columbus, Ohio, to take on the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, who waxed No. 24 Penn State, 37-17, Saturday in Happy Valley (the same venue that saw the Nittany Lions expose the already-maligned UW defense with a 38-7 victory).

The Badgers will have a heck of a fight on their hands, but there are a few things working in their favor:

Momentum: After suffering back-to-back defeats at Illinois and Penn State, the Badgers have rebounded with two impressive victories, even if the opposition wasn't that impressive. Wisconsin ran up a combined 77 points in its last two games, while the defense found a rhythm and held Northern Illinois and Indiana to just three points apiece.

Defensive progress: Speaking of the defense, its performance against the Hoosiers was nothing to sneeze at. Indiana came into the game averaging 35.4 points and 245.8 yards a game. Their three points were a season low, as were the 113 passing yards.

Return of the run: When Barry Alvarez won three Big Ten Championships; there was nothing to think about when it came to the Badgers' game plan. Alvarez basically gave opposing coaches his playbook during the pregame handshakes and then dared teams to stop his running attack. P.J. Hill has shown flashes of brilliance as well as lapses in ability. His early exit Saturday could prove problematic (he was hindered by injury down the stretch last season), but backup Lance Smith (15 carries for 79 yards, two touchdowns) may be coming into his own, though he won't be eligible to play on the road. An improved running game can also take the pressure of fifth-year senior quarterback Tyler Donovan, who has struggled during the last two games (23-40 for 235 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions).

History: The Badgers are 17-50-5 against the Buckeyes all-time, but have held their own in recent years. Wisconsin is riding a three-game winning streak at Ohio Stadium and has won four of its last six meetings with the Buckeyes. Streaks look good on paper and are great fodder for talk-show hosts and columnists, but when facing the No. 1 team in the land, you take all the help you can get.

There was a lot of hype surrounding the Badgers when the season gets underway. As head coach Bret Bielema will tell you, there's no point in putting any stock in the preseason polls. Wisconsin's lofty No. 7 rating was more a result of it's 12-1 performance a year ago than anything that could have been expected from a squad that lost a veteran starter at quarterback and one of the most dominant offensive linemen in the history of a program that has been built upon running behind corn-fed Wisconsin farm boys.

As has been well-documented, the 12-1 mark was complied against predominantly second-rate competition. The Buckeyes, Michigan and Penn State weren't on the schedule while games with Western Illinois and Buffalo were.

For the Badgers to make it to a New Year's Day bowl game in a tight Big Ten Conference, they will need to bring the same intensity, focus and preparation they have had the last two weeks into Columbus on Saturday.