College football: 2016 MAC Championship - December 2, 2016

Western Michigan coach P.J. Fleck celebrates after a turnover in the first quarter of their 2016 MAC Championship game against Ohio at Ford Field in Detroit, on Friday, December 2, 2016. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

(Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

A surprising turn of events during the Big Ten Championship game likely has put Wisconsin in line to take on Western Michigan in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 2, 2017.

The Badgers (10-3) squandered a 21-point halftime lead over Penn State to allow the Nittany Lions to take the game 38-31.

Penn State's win will propel them into the Rose Bowl with likely opponent Colorado while Wisconsin, the highest-ranked team left without a bowl placement, will likely grab the other at-large spot in the Cotton Bowl to face Western Michigan.

The Broncos finished their regular season 13-0 for the first time in program history and won the MAC championship game Friday night 29-23 over Ohio at Ford Field in Detroit for the first time since 1988.

Western Michigan had hopes of making the Cotton Bowl for weeks but the College Football Playoff Committee placed teams like Boise State and Houston ahead in the rankings with losses on their record, claiming a lack of strength of schedule for the Broncos.

Those issues faded over time, and with loses, to those teams that could have pushed the Broncos out of the New Year's Six bowl game.

One remaining hurdle fell Saturday as Navy lost to Temple. There was concern the committee would give more respect to the more challenging schedule of the Midshipmen, but now with a record of 9-3 the issue should be vanquished.

If the matchup happens, it will be the first time Western Michigan has faced Wisconsin since they opened their 2000 season against each other in Madison. The Badgers won that contest 19-7 and lead the lifetime matchup 3-1.

The Broncos only win against the Badgers came in 1988, their previous Mid-American Conference championship year, when they won 24-14 in Madison to start the season.

That year Western Michigan finished the season 9-3 overall and 7-1 in the MAC.