2005, a simpler time. This was the last time ESPN's College GameDay was on campus, to cover Michigan State play #5 Penn State (spoiler alert! MSU lost AND didn't make a bowl that season). That visit was more about PSU than MSU, as the NIttany Lions had risen from two terrible seasons to the top of the Big Ten.
Six years later, ESPN College Gameday is headed back to EL:
CollegeGameDay College GameDayBrent and Kirk just announced it - We're headed to East Lansing next week to see#Wisconsin take on#MichiganSt!
WOOOO. The only other game between top 25 teams next Saturday is #24 Auburn against #1 LSU, and given that MSU-Wisconsin is a night game and is most likely Wisconsin's best chance to lose before the Big Ten Title game (like any team other than WIsconsin is winning the Leaders), the College GameDay choice was a no-brainer.
So on top of Saturday being a night game and Homecoming, it will now be featured by ESPN as the de facto game of the week. Pray that the defense doesn't commit 20 personal fouls, because that will not fly against the Badgers.