Wisconsin's Hornibrook is questionable for Big Ten title game

INDIANAPOLIS - Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst said Friday he wasn't sure if redshirt freshman Alex Hornibrook, who starred in high school at Malvern Prep, would be able to play in the Big Ten championship game against Penn State.

The Badgers have played a two-quarterback system this season with Hornibrook and senior Bart Houston, but Hornibrook was knocked out of last week's game against Minnesota with a possible concussion. Chryst said Hornibrook could play.

"We'll see where Alex kind of finishes out this week," he said. "I wouldn't hesitate [to play him] if everything goes good."

Hornibrook has passed for 1,243 yards and eight touchdowns this season, with seven interceptions.

Penn State coach James Franklin was peppered with questions during his news conference about the College Football Playoff and whether his team deserves to be in if it defeats the Badgers. As has been his custom for the last few weeks, he didn't care to go that route.

"I know you [reporters] have to ask all these questions, but our message is consistent," he said. "The same things I talk to my players about is the same thing I'm going to talk to you guys about because they read all this.

"I'm not going to sit here and make a case for us. Our focus is going to be on Wisconsin and this tremendous opportunity."

Franklin has emphasized consistency during his team's weekly preparations for the next game, saying, "if you came to our practices the last five weeks, you wouldn't know any difference between this practice and the one five weeks before."

He did concede, however, that there were a couple of changes at practice this week.

"We've been playing Wisconsin's fight song and "Jump Around" at every practice," he said, the latter reference being to the song played between the third and fourth quarters during games at the Badgers' Camp Randall Stadium.