3 touchdowns or 160 yards? Who is your Ohio State commit of the Week?
Charles Doss via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Which future Buckeye will grab your vote?

Future Buckeye quarterback Tate Martell has been lighting up a lot more than the football field this season. Martell, a four-star standout from Bishop Gorman (NV) has also been dominating the Land-Grant Holy Land MVP of the Week award.

Bringing home the Player of the Week spot for once again last week, Martell locked up 53% of your votes to knock off his soon-to-be Ohio State teammates Josh Myers (25%), Antjuan Simmons (12%), Brendan White (7%), and Brian Snead (3%) to be named MVP.

Can Martell continue his dominance or will another OSU pledge snatch the award this go around? The poll is now open. Let your voice be heard and vote:

Here are your five MVP nominees:

Tate Martell


Another game, another win for Martell and Bishop Gorman (NV). Defeating Clark (NV), 58-0, Martell proved why he’s considered one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the class of 2017.

Showcasing his arm and legs, Martell connected on 8 of his 10 passing attempts for 132 yards and touchdown, while also carrying the ball six times for another 102 yards and two more Bishop Gorman scores to help pace the Gaels to the runaway victory.

Antjuan Simmons


The future Buckeye linebacker might’ve finished with numerous tackles on defense, but it was on offense where Simmons did must of his damage for Pioneer (MI) squad against Lincoln (MI).

Lining up in the backfield, Simmons carried the ball 18 times for 160 yards and a touchdown in Pioneer’s 26-12 win on Friday night.

Brian Snead


The class of 2018 running back didn’t have to touch the ball much to have his presence felt on Friday.

Toting the rock just nice times, Snead either scored a touchdown or helped Armwood (FL) pick up a first down on most of his carries. Finishing the night with 120 yards and two rushing touchdowns, the four-star prospect also hauled in a 10-yard reception for a score to help the Hawks past the Brandon High Eagles (FL), 47-7.

Shaun Wade


Wade was key in Trinity Christian’s (FL) 34-20 win over Fort Pierce Central. Playing wide receiver and cornerback, the position he will suit up at on the college level, Wade scored a pair of touchdowns in the victory.

On offense Wade’s score came on a 18-yard reception in the first half. Locking down wide outs, his defensive touchdown came soon after halftime when the four-star standout snatched up an interception and took it 32 yards to the house to push Trinity Christian out in front for good.

Chase Young


The Buckeyes have been blessed with defensive line talent for years and with prospects such as Young coming to Columbus soon, it doesn’t look like that will be changing.

On Friday, Young was a force up front for DeMatha (MD). In DeMatha’s 23-13 win over a very solid Gonzaga team, the defensive end finished the game with nine total tackles, a quarterback sack, and also recovered a fumble, per Bill Kurelic of Bucknuts.

Poll
Which future Buckeye is your MVP of the Week?

• Tate Martell
• Antjuan Simmons
• Brian Snead
• Shaun Wade
• Chase Young

0 votes | Results

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For the love of God, feed the man!

Ohio State opens as 20.5-point favorites for trip to Penn State
Luke Zimmermann via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Vegas is unconcerned with 2014’s close call.

A week ago at this time, Ohio State was pegged as nearly two score underdogs for a tough road trip to Madison, WI.

As yesterday proved, Vegas isn’t concerned with predicting games, so much as trying to establish a mark by which to mitigate their losses and get interest on both sides of the ledger. Take the following with a grain of salt, but if the smaller books that comprise the Vegas Insider Consensus Line are accurate, Urban Meyer’s Buckeyes are expected to take what they learned from a difficult overtime road win against Wisconsin and use it to really take it to James Franklin and the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Per the first reliable lines out this week, the Buckeyes are just under three-score favorites, at 20.5-points. About an hour after the line opened, OSU jumped up to an even 21-point favorite.

Penn State’s certainly been shaky, having been ravaged by injuries and massive transition amongst the coaches ranks on both sides of the ball. Even still, advanced metrics seem to love the 2016 Nittany Lions. The S&P+ Ratings currently grade PSU as the 20th best team in the country.

Will OSU take it to Penn State a la last season? Or will PSU have another shot at home to disrupt the Buckeyes’ prospective College Football Playoff run? Stay tuned.

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1. It started off a lot like 2010, it ended up a lot like 2012, and there was an unhealthy dose of 2013 thrown into the mix. Anyone who thought that this was going to be a redux of 2014 was disabused of that notion about two minutes into the game. Here, let me explain:

2. In the 2010 contest between Ohio State and Wisconsin, the Badgers opened up a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter and never looked back en route to a 31-18 upset victory over the #1 Buckeyes. This year the early script was much the same, with the Badgers scoring a touchdown with 6:17 left in the first quarter to take a 10-0 lead over the #2 ranked Buckeyes. At that point, the Badgers had run 12 plays for 147 yards (12.25 average) and 10 points, while the listless Buckeyes had run 10 plays for 22 yards (2.2 average) and zero points.

3. The Buckeyes were on the verge of a 2010-style blowout, but the offense rebounded with a much-needed scoring drive (11 plays, 67 yards for a field goal), and the defense stiffened somewhat before the half, allowing 30 plays for 156 yards (a still unacceptable 5.2 average) and 6 points on a pair of short field goals (32 yards, 22 yards). The offense was able to add another field goal to make the score 16-6 at the half, which was quite a difference from the last time the two teams met: In the 2014 Big Ten Championship Game, Ohio State led 38-0 at halftime and eventually won the game by the score of 59-0, the largest margin of victory in the series (tied with 1979, also a 59-0 rout by Ohio State).

4. In the third quarter, the Buckeye defense held Wisconsin to 11 plays for 11 yards, an interception, and no points. Meanwhile, the offense got into gear, scoring touchdowns late in the third quarter and early in the fourth quarter to build a 20-16 lead. Then the defense fell asleep once again, allowing an 11-play, 81-yard drive that was highlighted by a 36-yard pass completion on third-and-9 from Wisconsin's own 20-yard line.

5. The Buckeye offense responded with a field goal to tie the score at 23 with 3:57 left in regulation and the defense forced a punt in the final minute, and just like 2012 the teams were headed to overtime. And just 2012, the Buckeyes got the ball first and scored a touchdown to take a 7-point lead. And just like 2012, the Buckeye defense forced a turnover on downs to secure the victory for the good guys.

6. Here's where 2013 fits into the equation. In the 2013 contest between the two teams, Wisconsin wide receiver Jared Abbrederis had the game of his career, with 10 receptions for 207 yards and a touchdown. Although Abbrederis had a fine season in 2013 (78 receptions, 1,081 yards, 7 TDs), his production against Ohio State represented 12.8% of his receptions, 19.1% of his yards, and 14.3% of his touchdowns for the season.

Entering last night's game, Wisconsin wide receiver Jazz Peavy had 335 yards from scrimmage, for an average of 67.0 yards per game. Against Ohio State, Peavy more than doubled his average with 146 yards from scrimmage. Peavy had several big plays including a 24-yard touchdown reception on the Badgers' second drive of the game; a 36-yard reception to save the Badgers' final touchdown drive; and a 28-yard run.

7. Wisconsin running back Corey Clement had 25 carries for 164 yards for an average of 6.6 yards per carry. Clement gained 68 of his yards on one play, meaning that his other 24 carries netted just 96 yards, for a modest average of 4.0 yards per carry.

8. Wisconsin tight end Troy Fumagalli had 7 catches for 84 yards, including season-long receptions of 28 and 30 yards. Fumagalli entered the game averaging 3 receptions and 36 yards per game.

9. Buckeye running back Mike Weber is starting to play like a freshman. Last night he had 11 carries for 46 yards (4.2 average), no touchdowns, and one really dumb holding penalty far behind the action that negated a 25-yard run by Curtis Samuel. On the positive side of the ledger, Weber did convert a pair of fourth-and-ones on the Buckeyes' first touchdown drive.

10. After four games, Weber had 68 carries for 495 yards, for averages of 7.3 yards per carry and 123.8 yards per game. After subpar performances against Indiana in week five (15 carries, 71 yards) and Wisconsin in week six (11 carries, 46 yards), Weber now has 94 carries for 612 yards, for averages of 6.5 yards per carry and 102.0 yards per game.

11. Quarterback J.T. Barrett had 318 yards of total offense last night (92 rushing, 226 passing), which gives him 7,087 total yards for his career. With that effort, Barrett moved past Troy Smith (6,888 total yards) and into fourth place in Buckeye history. Barrett still trails Bobby Hoying (7,151 total yards), Braxton Miller (8,609 total yards), and Art Schlichter (8,850 total yards).

12. Barrett had three total touchdowns last night (2 rushing, 1 passing) to give him 89 for his career, which is a new Buckeye record (breaking Braxton Miller's total of 88).

13. H-back Dontre Wilson had 54 all-purpose yards last night, giving him 2,750 for his career. With that effort, Wilson moved from 28th place to 27th place on the Buckeyes' list of career leaders, surpassing Robert Smith. Wilson's 43-yard reception against Wisconsin was his longest play from scrimmage during his Buckeye career.

14. H-back Curtis Samuel had a relatively poor showing, with 12 rushes for 46 yards (3.8 average) and 6 receptions for 58 yards (9.7 average) and no touchdowns. He did manage to haul in a 25-yard reception, which gives him 12 plays from scrimmage of 20+ yards (5 rushes, 7 receptions) on the season.

15. After catching just 3 passes for 31 yards and no touchdowns in his past two games, wide receiver Noah Brown had 4 receptions for 48 yards and a touchdown against Wisconsin. For the season, Brown now has 16 receptions for 213 yards (13.3 average) and 6 touchdowns.

16. All three of the Buckeyes' touchdowns drives began in Wisconsin territory: 47 yards after a short punt; 38 yards after an interception; and 25 yards in overtime.

17. Despite dire pre-game predictions, weather was not a factor except for literally two minutes of action. The height of the downpour hit during the middle of the third quarter, more specifically when the Buckeyes were driving deep into Badger territory. On 2nd-and-9 from the Wisconsin 13-yard line, J.T. Barrett dropped back to pass and the wet ball slipped coming out of his hand. Unfortunately, Barrett's duck didn't take to water and the ball sailed over the head of Buckeye receiver James Clark and into the hands of Badger defensive back D'Cota Dixon in the end zone for a touchback. The rain stopped shortly thereafter and did not affect the rest of the game.

18. The official rules of the Big Ten require "indisputable video evidence" of error in order to overturn the results of a play. In practice, the Big Ten replay officials will overturn a call if there is even a shred of video evidence of error, especially if the call on the field favors Ohio State. In last night's game, Buckeye cornerback Gareon Conley lost an interception when the replay officials apparently found some phantom image to support the position that Conley dropped the ball (he did not) and they overturned the play. The call did not have much of an impact on the outcome of the game, but it certainly could have as the play occurred with under a minute left in regulation. Why have replay at all when the replay officials get things wrong more often than the officials on the field?

19. The Buckeyes came into the Wisconsin game averaging 537.6 yards and 53.2 points per game on offense. Against one of the nation's top defenses (4th scoring, 11th total), the Buckeyes put up respectable numbers: 30 points (7 in OT) and 411 yards (25 in OT).

20. On the other hand, the Buckeyes' top-5 defense had troubles containing one of the nation's worst offenses. The Badgers entered the game gaining just 360.2 yards (106th in FBS) and 26.0 points (88th), and the Buckeyes entered the game surrendering just 246.4 yards (4th) and 10.8 points (2nd). Relying on a number of big plays (runs of 20, 28, 68; passes of 24, 28, 30, 36), the Badgers put up 450 yards of offense (10 in OT), which was 90 more yards than their average and over 200 yards more than the Buckeyes had previously allowed on average.

21. With the win, the Buckeyes have now won 20 straight games on the road. Urban Meyer improved his record at Ohio State to 56-4 overall (.933 winning percentage), and 35-2 in Big Ten play (.946 winning percentage).

22. Ohio State has now won five in a row over Wisconsin (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 CCG, and 2016) and owns a record of 58-18-5 (.747 winning percentage) in the series.

Future Buckeyes in action: Snead, Wade, Simmons and others shine - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Future Buckeyes in action: Snead, Wade, Simmons and others shine
247Sports
Every Sunday during football season I wrap up the weekend that was in high school football in Ohio and elsewhere, focusing on those who will continue their careers playing for the Buckeyes. Over the weekend a number of future Buckeyes played in big ...


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Where are Big Ten teams ranked following Week 7?
BTN.com staff via Big Ten Network

The Big Ten boasts four top 10 teams in the Coaches poll, released Sunday, for the second consecutive week. The four teams, Ohio State (No. 2), Michigan (No. 4), Nebraska (No. 9) and Wisconsin (No. 10), all stay put this week, in fact. The AP poll will be released this afternoon. See the full Coaches poll below. Coaches’ Rankings Rankings as of 10/16/2016 Rank School Votes Prev 1 Alabama (7-0) 1597 (61) 1 2 Ohio State (6-0) 1524 (2) 2 3 Clemson (7-0) 1432 (1) 3 4 Michigan (6-0) 1413 4 5 Washington (6-0) 1366 5 6 Texas A&M (6-0)

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Ohio State remains ranked No. 2 in the Coaches Poll
Harry Lyles Jr. via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


New week, same ranking.

The Ohio State Buckeyes had a close call Saturday night in Madison, pulling out an overtime victory against the Wisconsin Badgers. As a result, the Buckeyes remain ranked No. 2 in this week’s Coaches Poll.

It’s never easy to go on the road against a top 10 team and get a win, but the Buckeyes did it. The win was far from pretty, but there’s no questioning the Bucks finished out the game strong, especially J.T. Barrett.

Barrett passed Braxton Miller for the most career touchdowns accounted for in Ohio State history with his 89th in overtime, with a beautiful pass to Noah Brown.

Your complete Amway Coaches Poll:

AP Coaches (prev, if diff) S&P+ Massey
1 Alabama Michigan Alabama
2 Ohio State Alabama Michigan
3 Clemson Ohio State Ohio State
4 Michigan Clemson Clemson
5 Washington Louisville Texas A&M
6 Texas A&M Washington Washington
7 Louisville LSU Louisville
8 Baylor Auburn FSU
9 Nebraska Florida Tennessee
10 Wisconsin Ole Miss Wisconsin
11 Houston (12) Texas A&M WMU
12 Florida (14) Oklahoma West Virginia
13 West Virginia (18) Wisconsin Nebraska
14 Boise State (15) Baylor Houston
15 FSU (16) FSU Boise State
16 Oklahoma (20) Virginia Tech Auburn
17 Arkansas (22) Miami Ole Miss
18 Utah (21) Houston Oklahoma
19 Tennessee (11) Colorado Stanford
20 WMU (23) Penn State Florida
21 UNC (30) Nebraska WSU
22 Ole Miss (13) Boise State Baylor
23 LSU (23) USC Miami
24 Auburn (26) West Virginia Virginia Tech
25 Navy (28) NC State Colorado

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Get Tom Dienhart’s best of Week 7 in the Big Ten
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

On a Saturday when Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan State and Maryland all had quarterbacks make starts for the first time, Ohio State needed its veteran superstar QB to pull out a huge overtime win at Wisconsin.

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Ohio State won with second-half J.T. Barrett and first-half red zone defense
Chad Peltier via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes proved they could win a close one.

The Buckeyes had to grind out a win in Madison in their first real lose-able game of the season. The Badgers were incredibly impressive, generating far more explosive plays than their offense had previously shown able to do after ranking 115th in overall IsoPPP.

But the Buckeye defense saved the game in the first half by bending but not breaking, forcing three field goals, then hardly even bending in the second half by allowing just one scoring opportunity during regulation. The Ohio State offense was sluggish through the air in the first half, but a second-half surge allowed the team to be far more effective both creating and capitalizing on scoring opportunities in the second half.

OSU 1H OSU 2H OSU Total UW Total
Rushing success rate 47% 50% 49% 52%
Rushing exp plays 2 1 3 (7%) 6 (13%)
Passing success rate 36% 60% 48% 46%
Passing exp plays 2 2 4 (14%) 5 (18%)
Red zone TDs 0% 60% 43% 33%
Scoring opps efficiency 3 4.8 4.3 3.8
Drive efficiency 33% (2) 100% (0) 64% (2) 50% (2)
Points off turnovers 0 7 7 0


In the table above, scoring opportunity efficiency looks at the average points scored per scoring opportunity -- drives with a first down past the opponents' 40 yard line Drive efficiency looks at the percentage of drives that were scoring opportunities. The number in parentheses is the number of three-and-outs the offense had. This week, because of how much better the offense performed in the second half, I broke down the OSU stats by half. The second half stats include overtime too, so each team got a free scoring opportunity in the second half.

In the advanced stats preview we noted that three advanced stats would matter most:

The defense finished drives in the first half, didn't bend in the second


The Wisconsin offense as a whole was far more effective than anyone expected them to be. Part of their success was due to the extra week of preparation and part was due to poor tackling by the Buckeye defense. But the Buckeyes defense was still able to limit the Badgers to field goals in the red zone more often than not.

The Buckeyes' first half was terrible, but the best thing that can be said is that they limited explosive plays from becoming touchdowns. On six first-half drives, the Badgers had four scoring opportunities, but were held to just 4 points per scoring opportunity due to three field goals. In the second half, the defense was much better about limiting scoring opportunities in the first place. In six second-half drives, Wisconsin was held to just two scoring opportunities for one touchdown, or 3.5 points per scoring opportunity. So the first half was bend-don't-break defense, while the second half was more or less just don't bend at all.

What was completely unexpected was how effective the Badgers were at creating explosive plays. The Ohio State defense was 20th in raw IsoPPP heading in to the game, but they allowed big plays (12+ yard runs or 20+ yard passes) on 13% of runs and 18% of passes. Wisconsin was 107th in rushing IsoPPP and 99th in passing IsoPPP. The Badgers hadn't shown much of any big-play ability against the Buckeyes, but a brilliant game plan that used multiple shifts and motions confused the Buckeyes and allowed the Badgers to get the edge on the defense.

But the big plays were fewer and farther between in the second half. For example, Wisconsin's Jazz Peavy had 93 total yards at halftime, but 55 in the second, with 36 of those coming on one play. Corey Clement had 110 rushing yards in the first half, but only 54 in the second.

This is the first game that the defensive front has been weak against the run, but the Badgers' rushing success, both between the tackles in the second half and outside them in the first, makes this an area to watch with the Buckeyes going to face Penn State's Saquon Barkley next week.

The defense can be encouraged by how much pressure they were able to get on the Badgers offense, particularly in the second half. After recording two first-half sacks, they had two more in the second half (including the game-winner) along with four tackles for loss and three for no gain.

The second half offense was far more effective


In the stats preview it seemed like standard downs success rate would determine how effective the Buckeye offense would be. While there weren't more efficient standard downs offenses in the country, the Badgers had a terrifying third down and passing downs defense, while that was the Buckeye offense's one weakness. So, it made sense that the Buckeyes would need to be as efficient as possible to avoid third downs and obvious passing situations when possible.

Overall the Buckeyes were 6/15 on third downs, but became much more efficient on standard downs in the second half. Really, the importance of the second-half offensive adjustments cannot be understated. The Buckeyes averaged 7.3 yards to go on third down in the first half but just 4.6 in the second half. Even if you take out the two highest third down distances per half, then the Buckeye offense still had an average of 2.3 fewer yards to go in the second half compared to the first.

Complimenting the increased standard downs efficiency was the Buckeyes' fourth down success twice in the second half. On Ohio State's first touchdown drive of the game, which began with almost eight minutes left in the third quarter, the Buckeyes converted two fourth-and-ones to extend the drive. Meyer trusted Mike Weber with both carries on a night when he hadn't gotten as much work as usual (those two fourth down carries were 17% of his total carries).

Barrett was more efficient throwing on second half standard downs


Besides the defense's second-half improvement and first half red zone resilience, J.T. Barrett's second half passing was really responsible for Ohio State's gritty win.

J.T. started off looking not much better than he had against Indiana. Multiple drives stalled as J.T.'s first half passing success rate was just 36%. But the passing attack was 67% more effective in the second half as J.T. had a 60% second half passing success rate. Eight different receivers caught a pass against Wisconsin, but most critically, the Buckeyes' top three receivers stepped up to lead the team in receiving: Curtis Samuel, Dontre Wilson, and Noah Brown. Barrett extended multiple drives with his feet as the more traditional passing game was still difficult, but he also faced significant pressure from defenders like Jack Cichy, who had 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack.

The big difference between the two halves seems to be in J.T.'s standard downs passing success rate. He was just 4/11 in successful passes on first or second down in the first half, but was 7/11 on second half standard downs (he was also 1/3 on third down passing in the first half and 2/3 in the second half).

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Wisconsin poked holes in Ohio State's defense, here's how the Buckeyes plan to fix them - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Wisconsin poked holes in Ohio State's defense, here's how the Buckeyes plan to fix them
cleveland.com
The Buckeyes defense, which came into the game ranked in the top 10 in the country in both points allowed and yards allowed per game, looked as vulnerable as it's ever looked under Urban Meyer for long stretches on Saturday. Wisconsin -- yes, that ...
Buckeyes' Barrett shows NFL scouts his resiliency in comeback win over BadgersCBSSports.com
Unbeaten Buckeyes pass season's toughest test in overtimeESPN (blog)
No. 2 Buckeyes claw past No. 8 Wisconsin in OT thriller (Oct 16, 2016)FOXSports.com
Columbus Dispatch -Toledo Blade
all 766 news articles »

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Big Ten Power Rankings: Surging Northwestern moves up to No. 5
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

All hail Ohio State, which showed why it is king of the Big Ten with a gutty overtime win at Wisconsin. The victory keep Urban Meyer's team atop my latest Big Ten Power Rankings, presented by ArcelorMittal.

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Arch2H said:

Kwon is really just a pretty average LB.

Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more. Throw the guy into a box with Dick Butkus, Chris Spielman, Lawrence Taylor, Jack Lambert and Ray Nitschke, and the guy just doesn't particularly separate himself.

Ohio State vs. Wisconsin | Quarter-by-quarter (plus overtime) analysis - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State vs. Wisconsin | Quarter-by-quarter (plus overtime) analysis
Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State's opening quarter of its Big Ten showdown in Madison was like an old episode of Saturday Night Live, except that the Buckeyes weren't laughing when they came out as the Not Ready For Prime Time Players. Wisconsin fairly well owned the ...

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J.T. Barrett, Ohio State flip script in second half to rally past Wisconsin
Grant Freking via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


It wasn’t pretty, but the Buckeyes adjusted at halftime and regained their mojo.

REMAIN CALM!

ALL IS WELL!

Sounds about right, eh Kevin Bacon?

Ohio State spent much of Saturday evening bumping up the blood pressure and tightening the sphincters of their loyal followers, but nonetheless emerged victorious in Madison for their second straight road overtime triumph over the Badgers.

Let’s get straight to the rankings!

1. Joe Thomas Barrett


Things looked quite dicey for Barrett early, as his struggles from the Indiana game carried over into Saturday night. The redshirt junior was 2-of-6 for 21 yards through the Buckeyes’ first four drives, and was 6-of-14 for 81 yards at half. (A called QB draw on 3rd-and-11 late in the second quarter indicated that confidence in the passing game wasn’t exactly sky-high.) But as the spotlight on him grew as the game aged, Barrett took his game—cliche alert—to another level. And then another level. And then another level.

After an overthrow resulted in a Wisconsin interception in its own end zone on Ohio State’s first second half drive, Barrett directed two successive scoring marches in response, converting short TD runs to push the visitors ahead, 20-16. On the second score, Noah Brown—who Meyer entrusted to play big snaps as a freshman in 2014 because the dude was a punishing blocker—pushed his man into the press area adjacent to the end zone.

Barrett then damn near led Ohio State to what could have been the deciding TD in regulation, but he was tripped up by the slimmest of margins and the Buckeyes settled for a field goal. In overtime, Barrett and the offense overcame a false start and a holding penalty to score via a well-executed pitch-and-catch from Barrett to Brown, a touchdown that vaulted Barrett past Braxton Miller into sole possession of Ohio State’s career touchdown record. (Barrett and Brown also connected what may have Barrett’s best toss of the year on 3rd-and-5 late in the third quarter when Barrett squeezed a 21-yard completion in to Brown around a trio of Badger defenders.)

Barrett’s final numbers: 17-of-29 for 226 yards through the air, plus a touchdown and a pick. He added 92 yards and two scores on 21 carries. It was an overall ‘gutsy’ performance reminiscent of his play late in the 2014 Penn State game.

2. Walk-off sacks


A little less than two years after Joey Bosa implanted Akeel Lynch into Christian Hackenberg and finished off Ohio State’s overtime victory at Penn State, Tyquan Lewis, Jalyn Holmes & Co. polished off the Buckeyes’ win Saturday night by leveraging the Badgers’ offensive line into QB Alex Hornibrook.

3. The best acting like it


Urban Meyer owns the best winning percentage (85.1 percent entering Saturday) of any coach in the modern era of major college football. Following Saturday’s win, Meyer has his eighth streak of at least eight consecutive wins, and his Buckeyes have now won 20 straight true road games—shoutout to da ‘U’— since he became the program’s head honcho prior to the 2012 season. The man is a damn fine coach.

So when the opponent of a team coached by an individual who is going to go down as one of the game’s greats throughly manhandles and outsmarts Meyer’s team in the first two quarters of a football game, it’s news.

Wisconsin’s first half was a master class in what a good coaching staff and good play calling can do to erase a substantial talent deficit. Wisconsin’s skill guys ran over and around their more highly-recruited counterparts, and the Badgers’ pre-snap motion had the Silver Bullets scrambling in the first half. (Playing a night game at home in one of the game’s best environments doesn’t hurt, either.) Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst doubles as the team’s offensive play-caller, and quite frankly, he was Greg Schiano and Luke Fickell’s daddy in the first half, as the hosts outgained Ohio State 313-172 and were averaging over seven yards per carry.

But Meyer and his staff regrouped, and the Buckeyes responded in kind quickly, owning the third quarter by outgaining Wisconsin 118-11. Ohio State possessed the ball for nearly 10 minutes and converted a pair of fourth downs. Once The Talent figured out what The Grit was doing, the game flipped.

4. Gareon Conley’s almost-INT

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Gareon Conley’s spectacular interception probably should’ve counted. But whatever.

This incredible one-handed interception originally stalled Wisconsin as the Badgers were driving late in regulation for the potential winning score, as the play was ruled a clean pick on the field. The replays appeared to show that the ball avoided the ground and instead bounced off Conley and into his grasp. Somehow, the officials found evidence to overturn the call.

What?

The end result was the Badgers’ drive stalling out, so the Buckeyes, who were likely to sit on the ball anyway and play for OT, lost out on a little field position and a little time.

But still. Should’ve been ruled a pick.

5. Jazz Peavy


The Wisconsin wideout owns a top-notch name and was very effective on jet sweeps to boot.

6. Windmillin’ referees


Meyer certainly should’ve been more wary of where he was on the sideline, but I think he (and likely many others) underestimated the wingspan of the Windmillin’ Ref. Lesson learned.

7. Mother Nature


The second half was forecasted to be played in biblical flood, but the only time the skies opened up was when Barrett lost his grip on the ball and his subsequent overthrow resulted in an end zone INT for Wisconsin. Not cool, Momma.

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TOP 25: No. 2 Buckeyes claw past No. 8 Wisconsin in OT thriller - Savannah Morning News
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


TOP 25: No. 2 Buckeyes claw past No. 8 Wisconsin in OT thriller
Savannah Morning News
The Buckeyes opened overtime with Barrett's touch pass to Brown in the corner of the end zone. Barrett finished 17 of 29 for 226 yards with one interception, and ran for 92 yards on 21 carries. Corey Clement ran for 164 yards on 25 carries for ...

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Buckeyes Goal-line Stance In OT Erases A Scare In Madison
jcollingsworth via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The evening in Madison began, frankly, terrifyingly. The images floating in all of our minds were that it just wasn’t going to be the Buckeye’s night.

The Badgers completely dominated the first half. The Buckeyes’ passing game was nonexistent. And, perhaps the worrisome part for all of us die-hards was that the defense, a source of excitement and optimism throughout the season, seemed to have hit a wall and knew not how to respond.

Camp Randall Stadium was filled to the brim, 81,541. They were loud and supportive of their team too.

But even when the Badgers shined, taking advantage, the Buckeyes did not wither – they fought and stayed close.

In OT Noah Brown set the evening into its rightful destination with a spectacular seven-yard reception from JT for the score. Tyquan Lewis would lift us all from our swollen seclusion as we fearfully watched what could have been …. sacking Alex Hornibrook on fourth-and-goal from the 4. The Buckeyes had a 30-23 victory.

The 2nd ranked Buckeyes (6-0, 3-0) has now won 20 straight games while on the road – currently the longest streak in the nation. It would require OT in Madison to go from 19 – to 20.

The Buckeyes overcame two crucial penalties on their touchdown drive in the OT period. Curtis “Everything” Samuel though delivered (as I feel he does more often than not) with an 11 yard reception from Barrett which would be the prelude for Noah Brown’s catch on third-and-two, which would make it 29-23 with the Buckeyes leading.

The 8th ranked Badgers (4-2, 1-2) on their possession had first and goal from the four after a 21-yard completion to Rob Wheelwright. It would be all they were allowed by the stingy Buckeyes defense.

In truth, it hardly appeared that it would be taking such a course after the performance we witnessed in the first half – trailing 16-6 at the half, and being totally dominated. But, as is the case, often, for the Buckeyes, after a “certain” Urban blistering lecture in the locker room, things were righted come the third.

Overcoming an interception in the end zone by Barrett on the first drive of the second half – right after the skies opened and the rain poured – the Buckeyes scored touchdowns on their next two drives to take a 20-16 lead.

JT scored on a 1-yard keeper to cut the deficit to 16-13. After Gareon Conley intercepted an Alex Hornibrook pass at the Wisconsin 38, Barrett would score again on an 8-yard keeper after avoiding the grasps of the pesky Badgers linebacker Jack Cichy.

Ohio State’s defense, which had been torched for 313 yards in the first half, allowed only 11 in the third quarter.

But just when it looked like Buckeye fans could relax, the Badgers shot back to life. Hornibrook connected with Jazz Peavy for a 36-yard completion on third down to start the drive and the Badgers went 81 yards to regain the lead 23-20 with 7:59 left.

Ohio State responded with a drive for a field goal set up by a broken-play 43-yard completion from Barrett to Dontre Wilson. This drive slammed in neutral at the 14 and Meyer elected to have Tyler Durbin take the matter in hand (or foot) with a 31-yard field goal as the clock showed 3:57 left in the game.

The Buckeyes appeared to have dodged a bullet when Conley was originally ruled to have intercepted a pass at the Ohio State 20 intended for Rob Wheelwright. It would be upon further review the ball was ruled to have hit the ground. The Buckeyes would force a punt anyway.

Wisconsin dominated the first half from start to finish, outgaining Ohio State 313-172. But it seemed much more than that as we witnessed the butchery in its act.

Barrett’s success was mostly derived from improvisation. Marcus Baugh and Curtis Samuel caught passes after Barrett fled pressure to remain alive during the second of the two Ohio State scoring drives.

In the first, Ohio State stayed almost entirely on the ground. But even the Buckeyes’ ground game, which has been rather successful throughout this season, withered some. The Badgers were successful in preventing the Buckeyes from getting on the perimeter.

The Badgers’ offense shined with a tremendous performance by RB Corey Clement who on 25 rushes delivered with a fantastic 164 yard game. Jazz Peavy, WR, on end-arounds would also shine on the ground that on 6 rushes had 70 yards (a 11.7 yard avg.). It seemed as if the week off prior was sitting well for Wisconsin.

Clement’s 68-yard carry down the left sideline set up Hornibrook’s 24-yard touchdown pass to Peavy that completely silenced Buckeye Nation as Wisconsin jumped to a 10-0 lead.

Perhaps the most questionable call in the evening came with a 15 yard penalty against Urban Meyer for interference on the sideline after being hit in the face by a referee …. Too close to the action (??). The issue is only being mentioned because of the likelihood of its play time it will receive across sporting broadcasts across the nation. All we know, ultimately, is Urban, took one for the team.

One of the more excitable statistics of this game was that the Captain, JT, broke Braxton Miller’s all-time school record with his 89th TD pass; Congratulations Captain!

The Buckeyes now head to Penn State on October 22 for a scheduled 8:00 p.m. kickoff.

I will see you there!

The post Buckeyes Goal-line Stance In OT Erases A Scare In Madison appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Ohio State’s young defensive front proved to be too much for Wisconsin
Chuck McKeever via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


A deep cast of characters on the front seven made all the difference for the Buckeyes on Saturday.

We were bound to get a nail-biter at least once this season.

The No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes needed overtime to down the frisky No. 8 Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday, but when it counted, the men of Scarlet and Gray showed just how much the difference in talent and coaching matters in college football.

Despite trailing most of the contest, Ohio State strung together a strong fourth quarter and a stellar overtime to put away their first top-10 opponent of the season. We are, as Kurt Vonnegut once wrote, “trapped in the amber of chaos. There is no why.” Chaos was certainly the order of the day, from near-turnovers (Chris Worley’s Herculean effort against Corey Clement) to actual turnovers (J.T. Barrett in the rain dot gif) to a walk-off sack that called eerie echoes of 2014 to mind (we see you, Tyquan Lewis). And really, there was no definitive “why.” Was it the rain? The Camp Randall atmosphere? The tyranny of heightened expectations in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year?

Whatever the reason, Ohio State has looked kinda miserable the past two weeks, except when it hasn’t. And when it hasn’t, the casual Buckeye fans and the diehards alike have seen something beautiful, something worth talking and writing and reading about. Here we go:

Blue chip stocks


Jerome Baker, LB: A certain Ohio State sports blog predicted that Baker was going to have the game of his life against the Badgers, and boy did he deliver. The substitute outside linebacker—starter Dante Booker remained frustratingly sidelined for another week— showed up in a big way, recording eight solo tackles (in on 13 total) and 1.5 tackles for loss against a Badger offense that looked far pluckier than its 100th S&P+ ranking would suggest.

Baker has all the talent in the world, and even once Booker gets healthy, it’s hard to imagine him poaching too many snaps from Baker, who has put together a pair of stud performances against good Big Ten competition. His is a name you can expect to hear more and more often as this season enters its second half.

Jalyn Holmes, DE: Holmes’ stat line wasn’t the sexiest on the Buckeye defense against Wisconsin, but he was money when it counted. Holmes harangued Badger QB Alex Hornibrook throughout the second half, and got in on several gang tackles of rejuvenated senior RB Corey Clement.

Holmes doesn’t get the shine that a lot of the Buckeye defensive linemen do, but he’s one of the most athletic guys on the unit, and when they enter the vaunted “Rushmen” package, he’s especially apt to do damage. No. 11’s name was called often in this contest, and rightly so. His sack against Hornibrook was perfectly timed, and a symbol of just how much talent and depth this line has.

Noah Brown, WR: Noah, good to see you! After entering the national conversation with one of the season’s best individual performances—a 4 TD game in the defenestration of Oklahoma—Brown had pretty much gone radio silent since. Not so on Saturday.

Brown reeled in four catches against the Badgers, none more important than his overtime touchdown grab to give the Buckeyes the lead. They didn’t give it up. Brown’s form was superb, his athleticism beyond question, as he hauled in J.T. Barrett’s throw to put Ohio State ahead. As no less a luminary than than Skip Bayless said tonight, he’s got the skills to make an NFL team very happy someday.

Solid investments


Nick Bosa, DE: Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: a No. 97 named Bosa caused real problems for a quality opponent, particularly in overtime, when his penchant for getting to the quarterback effectively ended the game.

Of course, Bosa the younger had some help on the walk-off sack in the form of Tyquan Lewis, the veteran defensive end who’s quietly putting together a remarkable season. Bosa himself was a real disruptor, and while he only finished with two tackles, it seemed like he was everywhere for four quarters. The Badgers largely abandoned the power game for a much more effective series of sweeps incorporating WR Jazz Peavy, but when they did try to go between the tackles, Bosa was there to meet them.

Curtis Samuel, H-Back: Yawn. Another game, another 100-yard performance from Brooklyn’s Finest. After getting just nine touches against Indiana last week, Samuel was a much bigger factor in this Saturday’s game plan, getting 18 touches in what was otherwise an uninspiring offensive performance from the Buckeyes. They’re better when the ball is in his hands, period.

Tyler Durbin, K: The first rule of Fight Club is that you don’t talk about Fight Club. The second rule of Fight Club is that you don’t miss kicks against a top-10 opponent, and our own Tyler Durbin certainly delivered on that promise against the Badgers. He finished the night three-for-three, hitting a season-long 40-yard try and keeping the Buckeyes’ scoring afloat while the offense was figuring out how best to attack such a quality opponent.

Gareon Conley, CB: Conley was credited with one interception and almost certainly had a second (more on the officiating in a minute), but in a season dominated by his fellows DBs Marshon Lattimore and Malik Hooker, it was nice to see Conley out getting his own on the team’s biggest stage yet. His would-be second pick came late in the fourth quarter at an incredibly opportune time; even though it was eventually overturned, the Badgers had lost whatever it was they had before and ended up giving the ball back to the Buckeyes two plays later. The Badger offense found way more space than anyone would’ve wanted in this one, but Conley should get a lot of credit for stopping the bleeding.

Junk bonds


The passing attack: Granted, it was raining hard for a good chunk of this game, and far be it from the purview of a schlubby sports blogger to say what a quarterback should and shouldn’t do. But anyone with a pair of eyes watched a Buckeye offense on Saturday that looked painfully out of sorts for the first three quarters of the game, capped by a backbreaking interception in the end zone after J.T. Barrett missed a target so badly that it wasn’t immediately clear who he was throwing to.

Wisconsin boasts an incredible defensive unit, really the only reason why the Badgers have managed a top-10 ranking after this many weeks of play, and they’re disruptive powers were on full display against Ohio State. For the second straight week, the passing game has looked completely disjointed and unsure of itself. It’s a far cry from a few short weeks ago, when J.T. Barrett and Noah Brown were hooking up from varied downs and distances to dismantle the Oklahoma Sooners. The offense isn’t irreparably broken, but an attack predicated upon J.T. Barrett carrying ~45% of the team’s rushes isn’t one built to last.

Buy/Sell:


SELL: Tonight’s officiating. Different week, same story. This go-round, the obvious deficiency was in the calls directed at both team’s offensive lines, who held so much that it felt like watching a phone call with your local Comcast rep. Conveniently, the referees decided to right this wrong in overtime, leading to more frustration and confusion while the Buckeye O-line played pretty much exactly as it had all game.

BUY: Off-ball discipline. That said...the Buckeyes finally seemed to figure out how not to get flagged in this one, getting called for just four penalties after a string of games with plenty of laundry on the field. So there’s that!

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Recap: #2 Ohio State vs #8 Wisconsin
Richard Tongohan via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

The clash in Madison, Wisconsin between #2 Ohio State traveling on the road against a #8 Wisconsin who, earlier in the season upset LSU during the season opener at Lambeau Field. Wisconsin also played valiantly against TTUN and only lost that game by the same margin of 7 points.

This game had big College Football Playoff implications and both teams looked to solidify their standing within the College Football Playoff conversation. Ohio State and Quarterback J.T. Barrett added another hard fought, but yet impressive win against a raucous Wisconsin crowd that reacted relentlessly when their home team made a play on either side of the ball. They made their presence known and through all the adversity J.T. Barrett, Pat Elflein and Billy Price, the three offensive holdovers from last seasons Ohio State Offensive team proved to be valuable just as the game looked to get out of hand. After a poor first half and with a huge discrepancy with yardage gained compared to Wisconsin, the Buckeyes looked toward the three key cogs within their offensive scheme to compile positive plays to get the offense running smoothly and to right the ship that seemed to be on the verge of sinking. Although the yardage discrepancy looked insurmountable, J.T. Barrett took over in the second half, making huge impactful plays. one after another and he willed the Buckeyes toward victory. He finished throwing 17 of 29 passes for a modest 226 yards and a key touchdown pass during the overtime period of the game. Barrett also rushed 21 times for 92 yards and two touchdowns to aid in defeating the Badgers pesky defense that shut down the Buckeyes offensive attack during the first half leaving the then defeated Buckeyes with only 6 points by the end of the first half. Once again the Buckeyes offensive playmakers failed to be less predictable and it showed. The loss of Tom Herman has left the remnants of their players with a far more conservative gameplan game after game and questions need to be answered before The Game because their passing deficiencies need to be addressed and improved because The Game could be for all the marbles this year. Although dependable playmakers such as Samuel, Wilson and Weber were “contained” they did manage to pick up key first downs and it proved that they can be depended on during big moments during a game.

J.T. Barrett wasn’t the only person who made plays when they counted the most. The entire Ohio State Defense made up for their lack of discipline and came back from the depths of oblivion. They weren’t tackling like they normally did throughout the season and they look visibly shaken for the first time and it showed. The halftime speech from Defensive Captains and the coaching staff had to be epic for the Silver Bullets to rebound the way that they did. They left the field during halftime with a 10-point deficit and they came back and allowed just 7-points during the second half which ended up as the first rushing touchdown surrendered by the Silver Bullets by way of a Fullback Dive play that caught the defense off-guard. They were ground up by Clements as he gashed the Buckeyes for huge chunks of yardage and it seemed like he would surpass the 164 yards that he ended the game with, but he looked visibly battered as he limped in-and-out of the offensive lineup. The Silver Bullets were also gashed on huge plays made by Jazz Peavy (6 rushes on the same play for 70-yards and 4 receptions for 76 and a 36-yard touchdown reception). The Badger Tight End Troy Fumgalli was also a huge part of the passing attack and he caught 7 passes for 84-yards, but he was held without a touchdown. Peavy and Fumagalli were both held in check during the entire second half because Coach Fickell and Schiano’s second half adjustments were to negate huge plays from those two Wisconsin playmakers and they succeeded. Factor that and the huge sacks during the second half and overtime victory, the young Buckeyes have grown from this near disaster. Gareon Conley also came up huge and his experience and with him being on of the three holdovers from last years squad, he was clutch for Urban Meyer and his unit. He ended with a single interception, but it should have been two. I am not an expert by any means, but I don’t understand it up to this very moment. A fumble was also not to be because Clement made contact with the ball when his elbow fell out of bounds. Again, I am not an expert but that was more plausible than the interception, but that is none of my business. There is still going to be some growing pains, but I think with these testy games against good competition against Indiana and Wisconsin, we will have to see where this leads and if they could execute better in the future.

Next week we have the same scenario laid out for us. Another away game at Penn State, after a bye-week and two weeks to prepare for a Buckeye squad who is still in the midst of regaining momentum for their offense. Oh and factor in another White Out scenario as well. The last White Out that I can remember was during the Championship run and Joey Bosa’s Walk-Off Sack of Christian Hackenberg in overtime at Happy Valley. I for one hope that the offense picks it up and the defense continues to improve and get better. Will it happen? You never know in College Football, but anything can happen.




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College football wrap: No. 2 Buckeyes claw past No. 8 Wisconsin in OT thriller - Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


College football wrap: No. 2 Buckeyes claw past No. 8 Wisconsin in OT thriller
Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia
Barrett threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to leaping receiver Noah Brown in overtime, and the second-ranked Buckeyes finished off the eighth-ranked Badgers with a sack on fourth-and-goal from the 4 for a 30-23 win on Saturday night. Barrett also ran for ...


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Buckeyes' Barrett shows NFL scouts his resiliency in comeback win over Badgers - CBSSports.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes' Barrett shows NFL scouts his resiliency in comeback win over Badgers
CBSSports.com
Wisconsin Badgers had control for most of regulation, but Ohio State Buckeyes 's J.T. Barrett proved to be the difference as he led the Buckeyes to an overtime victory over the Badgers, 30-23. Ohio State put themselves in an early hole due to ...
Ohio State vs. Wisconsin: Live Score, Highlights for Buckeyes vs. BadgersBleacher Report
Ohio State Buckeyes escape Wisconsin Badgers in overtime: Score, recap, statsOregonLive.com
No. 2 Buckeyes claw past No. 8 Wisconsin in OT thriller (Oct 16, 2016)FOXSports.com
Columbus Dispatch -cleveland.com -ESPN (blog)
all 668 news articles »

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Watch Ohio State’s game-winning sack against Wisconsin in overtime
Matt Brown via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Sacks are good. Sacks that beat top 10 teams on the road? Even better.

Was it nerve-wracking? Sure. Was it pretty? Not particularly. But was it a huge win? No matter how you want to break it down, Ohio State’s 30-23 win at No. 8 Wisconsin certainly qualifies as huge.

After getting knocked around in the first half, the Buckeyes launched a spirited comeback to take the lead, then battled hard in overtime, before finally ending the game on a 4th and goal in an especially dramatic way.

The walk-off sack.

Nick Bosa and Tyquan Lewis, who both had monster games, applied the gamewinning pressure, with Lewis finishing off Wisconsin’s Alex Hornibrook to preserve the victory.

Want to relive the moment? Don’t worry. We’ve got you covered:


Here’s a cool on-the-field alternative angle:


If you want the full multimedia experience, you can also listen to the Voice of the Buckeyes, Paul Keels, call the finale too.


Ohio State moves to an astonishing 20-0 in true road games under Urban Meyer. Here’s hoping the Buckeyes won’t need quite as epic of an ending for their next one.

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TFF: #2 Buckeyes outlast #8 Wisconsin in OT, 30-23 - ABC6OnYourSide.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


TFF: #2 Buckeyes outlast #8 Wisconsin in OT, 30-23
ABC6OnYourSide.com
MADISON, Wis. (WSYX/WTTE) -- Second-ranked Ohio State has its biggest road test of the season at fellow top ten squad Wisconsin. Below is a running update of scoring plays and statistics throughout the game: 1ST QUARTER. 9:03 WIS FG: Andrew ...

and more »

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How did we do? Week 7 Big Ten game predictions revisited
Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor via Big Ten Network

Before we turn our attention to Week 8, it's time to revisit how the BTN.com team and Big Ten fans did with their Week 7 Big Ten game predictions.

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Ohio State hockey defeats Miami (OH) in shootout, 1-0
Matt Torino via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Not quite OT in Madison but still pretty great.

On a night where the Buckeyes’ football team came back for a dramatic victory, the OSU hockey team blew a lead but still had their own theatrics in Oxford.

After finishing regulation and overtime tied at 1-1, the Ohio State men’s hockey team defeated Miami University, 1-0, in a sudden death shootout in Oxford. It wasn’t quite as dramatic as what happened in Madison or as meaningful to the end of the season’s postseason hopes as the football game, but hey, it was still pretty fun.

Matt Tomkins got the start for Ohio State after replacing an injured Christian Frey during last weekend’s game versus Air Force in the Ice Breaker tournament. He played well in relief last weekend, but couldn’t keep blanking the troops in the shootout, as OSU was upset and lost the tourney after upsetting then-No. 3 Denver in their opener.

Tomkins put together another strong effort on Saturday night, allowing only one goal and stopping the only shootout attempt against him. He needed a strong outing, as Miami kept up with the No. 15/19 Buckeyes, even outshooting OSU 10-6 in the first period.

But the only score in that period was David Gust’s first of the year, as he put in a rebound off of a Dakota Joshua shot at 14:51. Both teams would get multiple opportunities on the man advantage in the first, but Gust’s tally would be the only one that would find its way in.

In the second period, Miami wouldn’t be so unfortunate. Minnesota Wild draft pick Louie Belpedio tied it on a 5-on-3 shot from the point. The teams would again trade powerplay opportunities, with OSU outshooting Miami 7-6 in the period, but nobody else would put one home and the game would go into the second intermission tied at one apiece. Miami got one past Tomkins, but it hit the post and stayed out, keeping the game tied.

Ohio State again outshot Miami 7-6 in the third, but this time, nobody would be able to put one home to give them the regulation victory. The best opportunity would come from the Buckeyes’ John Wiitala, who sliced through the two RedHawk defenders, but was stoned by Miami goalie Ryan Larkin to again keep the game tied.

In overtime, Miami would hit a crossbar and then stop Ohio State as they returned serve on a 2-on-1 odd man rush. OSU would go on the powerplay with 1:59 left in the period, but again fail to convert, and the game would officially end in a 1-1 tie.

The two teams would then engage in a 3-on-3 overtime period, despite the game already being in the official books as a tie (college hockey is weird). Neither team would score there either, somehow, even with play going on uninterrupted for almost two and a half minutes at one point.

Off to the sudden death shootout the teams went, and heralded rookie Tanner Laczynski, the Philadelphia Flyers draft pick and underdog who may have played himself onto the U.S. World Junior U20 team, scored the winner for OSU after Tomkins made a save to start the shootout duel.

All Ohio State had to do tonight was show they belong with an in-state rival who’s consistently been better and beat OSU twice last season. They showed that, with an even shot total and the eventual win in the shootout, even with their backup goalie in.

The hockey Bucks will look to keep it going next weekend when they have a home and home with another in-state rival, No. 20 Bowling Green. They’ll open it up at Bowling Green on Friday and then in Columbus on Saturday night.

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Even when it’s not at its best, No. 2 Ohio State wins at No. 8 Wisconsin
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

Great teams find ways to win ugly. And, make no mistake about it, Ohio State is a great team and this wasn’t the prettiest game in Madison, Wisconsin. The Buckeyes weren’t at their best on this night but found a way to grind out a 30-23 overtime win at Wisconsin and remain on course for a huge season—perhaps a national championship season. Ohio State is 6-0 and ranked No. 2 in the nation for a reason, firmly in control of its destiny. The Buckeyes are a well coached team and have more talent than any team in the Big Ten.

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