Andy Kemp has just about seen it all at Wisconsin. The guard started every game back in 2006, when only a loss to Michigan stood between them and an undefeated season. In 2007, Kemp saw his fifth-ranked Badgers lose to Illinois in Champaign. The downward spiral has continued, and in 2008, Wisconsin, once ranked as high as No. 8, is suddenly 3-4 overall and winless in conference.

As a result, the senior has seen his NFL Draft stock fall over the last few weeks but is still projected to be a fourth- or fifth-round pick come next April. He is the latest in a long line of talented Badger offensive linemen, including first-round draft picks Aaron Gibson and Joe Thomas. Kemp spoke with the Daily Illini about playing Illinois on the heels of an upset and the huge changes in the Big Ten.

Daily Illini: When you look at what happened last year against Illinois, how have you seen the Wisconsin-Illinois matchup change over the years, and what are you expecting going into this year?

Andy Kemp: You always know that the Wisconsin-Illinois game is going to be a tough game; it’s going to be an interesting and fun game. Last year, we just didn’t finish the whole game. We had a couple of guys get injured during the game, and that’s always rough. When it comes time to it, it should be a good game.

DI: How about the fact that so many of your team leaders here (including Kemp and tight end Travis Beckum) are from Wisconsin?

AK: Oh, it’s great. We realized early in the season that we were all coming back and we were all from Wisconsin. Obviously, there are some members on our team that are from out of Wisconsin, but it’s always a great honor to represent the state of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin team.

DI: What do you make of the way the Big Ten has changed since last year?

AK: I think it’s definitely just a more even playing field. You know, all teams are good, everyone’s coming ready to play, everyone’s got some good returners and have built up their programs really well. That all starts with all the great recruiting from all the coaches in the Big Ten. There’s such a level playing field these days, and there’s so much talent among all these guys from all teams. I think that just makes the games more entertaining for everyone and all the fans.