Surveying the field: Who is the Big Ten’s best RB right now?
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

There are many good running backs in the Big Ten in 2016, but who is the best? Think about it for a moment, then read what a a handful of Big Ten writers said in our latest Big Ten survey.

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The last time Ohio State played Wisconsin, the Buckeyes' beatdown broke the 2014 season - SB Nation
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


The last time Ohio State played Wisconsin, the Buckeyes' beatdown broke the 2014 season
SB Nation
The Buckeyes had an outside chance at the College Football Playoff, but ranked behind TCU heading in, with Baylor close behind. The result was one of the most impressive, eye-opening, and ruthless destructions in recent memory. Ohio State absolutely ...
Ohio State vs. Wisconsin game picks: Can the Buckeyes get a top 10 road win?cleveland.com
Ohio State football | Buckeyes get back to work on passing gameColumbus Dispatch
Big, bad Buckeyes come to townThe Daily Cardinal
UPI.com -Waiting For Next Year
all 378 news articles »

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FPI projections for Week 7's best games - ESPN
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


FPI projections for Week 7's best games
ESPN
The playoff picture is beginning to take shape, but with the nation's top two teams facing tough road tests against AP top 10 opponents, things could get interesting after Week 7. With the help of ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI), we'll break down and ...


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Ohio State looks for another big time road win against Wisconsin
Colton Denning via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Special teams, and getting the damn ball to Curtis Samuel will be key.

This offseason, who would have thought that tomorrow’s game between Ohio State and Wisconsin would be one in which both were ranked in the top ten?

Sure, it makes sense that the Buckeyes are ranked 2nd nationally, even despite losing so much talent from last season. With the way they’ve recruited and developed, Ohio State seems to be a lock to be at the forefront of college football until Urban Meyer decides he wants to wash windows every weekend. But Wisconsin? That’s another story.

Coming into the season, the Badgers not only had to find a new quarterback, but also replace their star defensive coordinator, and navigate through a brutal schedule. It wasn’t inconceivable to picture Wisconsin 2-4, heading into Iowa City next week, fighting for the chance to just make a bowl. But, as things would have it, the Badgers are 4-1, with wins over LSU and Michigan State, and a 14-7 loss on the road at Michigan. So, are they primed for a big time upset this week, with College Gameday on hand?

They’re going to have to score more than 10 points, so probably not, but this should still be an excellent test for an Ohio State team that has looked great through five games, but also showed some real flaws for the first time last week against Indiana.

With that in mind, here are five things you should watch for in tomorrow night’s game:

Early and often


A major point of contention this week —including on our podcast— was Curtis Samuel’s lack of involvement against Indiana, especially early in the game. Samuel didn’t touch the ball until the 14:20 mark of the second quarter —Ohio State’s fourth possession— and for the first time all season, was held catchless.

While he did finish the day with 82 yards rushing, his nine touches were far under the 15-per game mark Meyer has mentioned all season. Against an even better defense this week, Ohio State would be wise to trust its best playmaker to open up the offense.

There’s a lot of blame to go around in regards to the Buckeye passing game last week, but one of the more baffling decisions was not making Samuel a focal point. Weather may be an issue again on Saturday, and finding creative ways to get Samuel the ball on short passes seems like a much more viable strategy then trying to launch downfield all day (again).

He’s is going to get his fair share of carries, but getting him easy touches in the pass game not only lets him do what he’s best at — I.E. DUSTING FOOLS — but could also be a nice way to get J.T. Barrett in rhythm.

Keep an eye on Samuel’s usage —especially early— and if he’s getting a chance to make plays in the open field via the short passes. If he is, it should open things up nicely for the Buckeye ground attack.

Stepping up


Also lost amid all the talk surrounding the passing game last week was the almost non-existent wide receiver play. Of J.T. Barrett’s 21 passes, only five were to true wide receivers, with those passes amounting to a pedestrian two catches for 16 yards. Needless to say, that probably won’t cut it against Wisconsin.

While the new receiving corps has had their moments this season, they’ve also been extremely inconsistent. After Noah Brown’s four touchdown day at Oklahoma, the redshirt sophomore has only two catches since. The story has been mostly the same for Terry McLaurin, Parris Campbell, and Johnnie Dixon. Each has flashed at times, but this game would be a good time to start turning their (very high) potential into production.

While it’s great that Dontre Wilson is healthy and a productive piece to the offense this season, color me skeptical that a successful passing offense includes him leading the non-Curtis Samuel division of Ohio State pass catchers in targets.

Wisconsin’s defense isn’t going to make it easy for them, (15th in Defensive Passing S&P+, 9th in Defensive back Havoc Rate) but with a crowded line of scrimmage once again likely, it’ll be up the the wideouts to make plays downfield. If they even make just a few, the offense will look less like the one dimensional version we saw against Indiana, and more like the complete version against Oklahoma.

Making noise up front


The good news is that if Ohio State’s offense struggles again, the defense should be more than capable of picking up the slack. That starts with the defensive line.

While the pass rush continues to be worrisome (101st in Adj. sack rate) the Buckeyes’ defensive line has been stellar against the run (4th in Adj. line yards) and have made a ton of plays at, or behind, the line scrimmage (4th in stuff rate, 13th in defensive line havoc rate). Doing so again on Saturday could lead to big things for the seven players behind them.

Leveraging Wisconsin into passing downs situations makes it unlikely that redshirt freshman quarterback Alex Hornibrook will have much success against this secondary. Hornibrook was forced into these situations against Michigan, and was a dismal 9 of 25, with three interceptions. If the Buckeyes control the line on first and second downs similarly, there may be a whole lot of this:


Except without the cut block, this time
3rd phase


After mostly up-and-down play through Meyer’s first four seasons, Ohio State’s special teams unit seems to have finally found their groove. The Buckeyes rank third in Special Teams S&P+, with punter Cameron Johnston being the obvious star (2nd in punt success rate). Against an equally strong Wisconsin group (6th in Special teams S&P+) hidden yards may be one of the biggest factors in the outcome of the game.

Ohio State’s special teams dominance has led to a huge field position advantage for both the offense (6th in average field position) and defense (5th). The Buckeyes have been the best in the country at finishing drives offensively, and another strong day from the return group — looking at you, Parris Campbell — will ease the tough task of scoring on the stout Badgers defense.

Wisconsin’s offense probably won’t score much anyway, but if they’re consistently put at a disadvantage by either Johnston’s punts, or strong kick coverage, it’s hard to see them moving the ball for long stretches. The Badgers aren’t explosive enough to make up for the lost yards in special teams, and dinking and dunking down the field isn’t a wise strategy against this defense.

If Ohio State is once again able to win the special teams battle, it will save the offense the trouble of having to drive the length of the field for points, and keep Wisconsin’s offense in their own end for much of the game.

The point


Top ten matchup. College Gameday on hand. Night game on the road.

You already know whose music that is:



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Week 7: What Tom Dienhart thinks he knows ahead of Saturday
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

BTN.com's Tom Dienhart doesn't know it all, but he does know what he thinks. Here's his weekly look at what he believes heading into Week 7 of the Big Ten football season.

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Heard Around the ‘Shoe – 10/14/2016
Ben van Ooyen via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Welcome to your tri-weekly look at all things Ohio State recruiting. Let’s get started!

Ohio State West Pipeline Continues?


While many pundits have all but put Jeffrey Okudah in the Buckeyes 2017 recruiting class, it still isn’t official and the Buckeyes may actually be looking to take more than one safety in this class anyways. That second name would be Bubba Bolden, 4-star safety out of Bishop Gorman HS in Las Vegas, NV. That high school sounds familiar doesn’t it? It currently is the home to three Buckeye recruiting commitments in Tate Martell, Tyjon Lindsey and Haskell Garrett. Bolden himself earned a Buckeye offer back on September 6th, and immediately they shot to the top of his list because of the connections with his teammates.

Bolden has scheduled his official visit to the Buckeyes for November 5th when the Buckeyes host Nebraska which is shaping up to be one of the biggest recruiting weekends of the year along with the Michigan game on November 26th. Bolden talked with Scout’s ($) Greg Biggins about his visit plans going forward.

“I’m going to visit Ohio State (Nov. 5),” Bolden said. “I’ll also visit UCLA and USC after the season but don’t have any other dates locked in. I’m still looking at Arizona State, Colorado and Florida as well and I’ll figure out my other trip dates later in the year.”

Bolden is shooting up recruiting board rankings nationally, and his play on the field this season is a big reason why. He had a blocked field goal against St. Thomas Aquinas that led the game to overtime in which the Gaels prevailed. He is great in pass coverage as well as in run defense and likes to make big plays along with big hits.


As the Wade Turns:


One of the reasons the Buckeyes have been going hard after Bolden might be because they don’t feel very confident where they stand with Shaun Wade. Can you really blame them? He has said he is committed, but done everything to make it look like he doesn’t want to be a part of the Buckeyes 2017 recruiting class. The most recent event was an impromptu trip to Tuscaloosa to see the campus of Alabama with his dad.



It has always seemed that Wade would end up at either Alabama or Ohio State, and the longer it goes the more I think he ends up with the Crimson Tide. His father spoke to Chris Kirchner at SEC Country and said he isn’t worried about the distance from home factor that his family would have to deal with if he chose Ohio State.

“It’s ultimately about the relationships he has with the coaches,” Randy Wade said. “It’s his decision at the end of the day, and people are going to believe what they want. I understand people are going to say (Alabama) is close, but I just think it’s crazy. His relationships with the Alabama staff is going to be what brings him over there and not just because he was born there.”

He also told Kirchner that he and his wife are closer to the Ohio State staff than the Alabama staff, but the decision is all Shaun’s.

“At the end of the day, it’s just about what he wants more,” Randy Wade said. “He knows the schools that give him the best chance for the NFL. He knows the places that have a better than average education. He just now has to pick which one he wants.

Wade will likely be back on Alabama’s campus for an official visit later on this fall and also plans to be at the Nebraska game on November 5th when the Buckeyes host the Cornhuskers for his official to Ohio State. His final decision will likely come soon after that, as Wade is going to be an early-enrollee.


Ohio Star on the Mend:


In the second game of his season, Westerville running back Jaelen Gill broke his leg, ending his junior season before it hardly started. He has since been letting the the healing process take over, and he spoke with Scout’s Bill Greene about his recovery process so far.

“Last Friday they took my cast off and the x-ray looked good, so I should be able to start my rehab in the next week or so,” Gill stated. “I broke my fibula and the back of my ankle when someone landed on me.”

“I should be fully recovered by late December or early January,” he added. “The injury was frustrating because I was so much better of a player than I was last year. I’m bigger, stronger and faster, so this really disappointing to me.”

Gill holds almost 30 offers to date, but the Buckeyes are the leader if judging by the crystal ball projections that have come in, as all favor Ohio State. Gill talked with Greene about his upcoming trip planning.

“The cast has limited me, but I was at Ohio State for a practice a few weeks ago, and I’m going to Notre Dame this weekend for their game with Stanford,” he explained. “I’m also going to go to Ohio State for their games with Nebraska and Michigan.”

“I’d also like to get to Michigan State or Penn State this year if possible, and maybe LSU or Alabama,” Gill said. “I’m still keeping my options open to see what schools might still offer. LSU is the latest offer, and I’m interested. Alabama has been talking to me and said if I visit, they will offer.”

Even with the injury Gill is still one of the highest ranked recruits for the class of 2018.


DPJ on the Road Again:


Fresh off his visit from Ohio State last week, Donovan Peoples-Jones, the #1 receiver in the country will be visiting Michigan State this weekend as they host the Northwestern Wildcats. While it is still likely that DPJ ends up with the Wolverines in the end, the Spartans still feel like they have a shot with the in-state prospect.



The Buckeyes have a few things working for them on the DPJ front, as he is former teammates with Mike Weber, Joshua Alabi and Damon Webb and the Buckeyes have recruited Michigan pretty well with Urban Meyer at the helm. The Spartans also have a few things going there way, as Peoples-Jones is close friends with Demetric Vance and Donnie Corley who will certainly try and sway the talented star to the Green and White.

In the end though, I think he ends up at Michigan giving them a huge target for whoever is playing quarterback there in the future.


Wyatt Davis Schedules Official Visit:


When the Buckeyes host Northwestern on October 29th they will have a big time visitor (and current commitment) on campus in Wyatt Davis. Davis is a 5-star offensive lineman out of Bellflower, California. He spoke with Landof10.com

“I’ll be there against Northwestern,” Davis told Landof10.com when asked about his official visit plans. “I’m going with my mom and dad.”

Emory Jones Hurt:


In last nights high school football game, Emory Jones the top dual-threat quarterback in the class of 2018 injured his throwing shoulder in the first quarter. While an immediate timetable is not known for his recovery or when he will get back on the field, he told Bill Kurlic that he thinks he will be back this season.



Even though he left the game injured it appears as though he has the leadership qualities that you want in a quarterback as he was back on the sidelines coaching his teammates.



We here at tBBC wish Emory a speedy recovery!

The post Heard Around the ‘Shoe – 10/14/2016 appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Why Alabama should be looking over its shoulder at Ohio State - ESPN
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Why Alabama should be looking over its shoulder at Ohio State
ESPN
In the span of a little more than four years, Urban Meyer has taken over a program that had a losing record in the season before he arrived and built the Buckeyes into a behemoth capable of standing toe to toe with the Crimson Tide -- and potentially ...

and more »

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Richard Sherman sits down when he pees and nobody has more tranny fans than the Seahawks.

Atlanta 57
Seattle 3

Not sure if this should be posted here OR if this post in itself is a jinx. If so, please forgive me and understandably take it down.

As a Tampa Buckeye I looked into getting tickets to the National Championship game should the Buckeyes go & I figured I'd pass along what I found.

It's possible to purchase tickets at face value ($450 & $550) without being stuck with seats for a game in Tampa (ugh) featuring two teams you don't give a shit about. It seems reasonable option verses paying a scalper double the price in December.

1. Go here... https://collegefootballplayoff.teamtix.com/content/home

2. Click on whichever game you're looking to reserve for, then the team

3. As I understand it, you pay the premium (right now it looks like around $80) and if the Buckeyes go to the big game, your card is automatically charged for either $450 or $550. If they don't, you lose your $80.


I'm guessing the fees will go up every week depending on the rankings. Unfortunately, I don't have $1000 to spend on tickets but perhaps you do. And, I hate to see anyone pay scalpers for something they should be able to enjoy without breaking the bank.

Now, the fact that it's here in Tampa baffles me, but that's a whole other posting.

1. The University of Wisconsin is located in Madison, the capital of Wisconsin, about an hour-and-a-half due west of Milwaukee. UW is the state's public flagship, and is a land-grant and sea-grant The school's motto is Numen Lumen, which is a popular line from the sit-com Seinfeld.

2. Wisconsin's colors are cardinal and white. The badger was adopted as Wisconsin's mascot in 1889. According to Wikipedia (always 100% accurate), "Wisconsin was dubbed the Badger State because of the lead miners who first settled there in the 1820s and 1830s. Without shelter in the winter, they had to live like badgers in tunnels burrowed into hillsides." That story is so hokey that it might actually be true.

3. The name of the school's mascot is Buckingham U. Badger, more commonly known as simply Bucky Badger. Wisconsin's official fight song is On, Wisconsin, but the school is more noted for playing House of Pain's Jump Around between the third and fourth quarters of every home game.

4. Wisconsin has played football since 1889, and their overall record is 678-488-53, for a .578 winning percentage.

5. Wisconsin became a charter member of the Big Ten in 1896. Wisconsin's record in Big Ten play is 342-355-36, for a .491 winning percentage. The Badgers have 14 Big Ten championships, including the conference's initial championship in 1896. The Badgers last won the conference title in 2012, which was their third in a row.

6. Wisconsin has never won a recognized national championship. The closest that the Badgers have come to a national title were in 1942 when they finished #3 in the final AP poll with a record of 8-1-1; and in 1962 when they finished #2 in both major polls with a record of 8-2-0.

Games with Ohio State played a major role in both those near-miss seasons. On October 31, 1942, the Badgers beat the top-ranked Buckeyes: Nearly half the Ohio State team suffered from an attack of dysentery that had been contracted from drinking contaminated water on the train ride to Wisconsin. Then, the Buckeyes were housed on the sixth floor of a hotel without operational elevators. Finally, Halloween revelers from the nearby Wisconsin campus held loud pep rallies until the wee hours of the morning, which prevented the Ohio State players from getting a decent night's sleep. So the stage was set for an upset and the Badgers pulled it off, outlasting the Buckeyes 17-7 in a contest that has since been dubbed "The Bad Water Game". After that huge victory Wisconsin had an inside track to a national championship, but the Badgers dropped their very next contest, 6-0, to Iowa.

In 1962, Ohio State (final record 6-3-0) gave Wisconsin their only loss of the regular season, 14-7. Wisconsin went on to win the Big Ten championship and earned a trip to the Rose Bowl to play #1 Southern Cal. In an unusually high-scoring game the Trojans prevailed, 42-37, to earn their first recognized national championship of the poll era.

7. Wisconsin has been ranked in the final polls 25 times since 1936, with thirteen top-10 finishes. Wisconsin has been ranked in ten of the past twelves seasons, including the last three in a row.

8. Wisconsin has played in 27 bowl games, with a record of 13-14-0 (.481 winning percentage). The Badgers have been to nine Rose Bowls, but have a record of just 3-6 in those games.

9. Wisconsin has two Heisman Trophy winners, Alan Ameche (1954) and Ron Dayne (1999). For his Wisconsin career, Ameche had 3,212 rushing yards (an NCAA record at that time) and 25 touchdowns. In his six-year NFL career (1955-1960), Ameche was Rookie of the Year, a two-time champion, and a four-time Pro Bowler. Dayne holds the FBS record for career rushing with 6,397 yards; career 200-yard games (11, tied with Marcus Allen and Ricky Williams); and career 1,000-yard seasons (4, tied with several others). Dayne was a first-round pick of the New York Giants but he had a disappointing pro career with just 3,722 yards and 28 touchdowns in seven seasons.

10. Wisconsin has several other major award winners including Alan Ameche (1953 Walter Camp Award); Ron Dayne (1999 Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, Doak Walker Award); offensive tackle Joe Thomas (2006 Outland Trophy); offensive tackle Gabe Carimi (2010 Outland Trophy); running back Montee Ball (2012 Doak Walker Award); running back Melvin Gordon (2014 Doak Walker Award); defensive back Jamar Fletcher (2000 Thorpe Award); defensive end J.J. Watt (2012 Lott IMPACT Trophy); punter Kevin Stemke (2000 Ray Guy Award); head coach Barry Alvarez (1993 AFCA Coach of the Year).

11. Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch began his football career at Wisconsin in 1942. That season he rushed for 786 yards and was named an All American for the #3 team in the country. Hirsch entered the Marines in 1943 and he was assigned to Ann Arbor, Michigan. Hirsch enrolled at the local diesel tech and became the only athlete in the history of that school to letter in four sports in one year - football, baseball, basketball, and track. Hirsch had a productive career in the NFL as a wide receiver, with his 1951 season being especially notable: In a 12-game season, Hirsch had 66 receptions for 1,485 yards (22.7 average) and 17 touchdowns. Hirsch is a member of several Halls of Fame, including College and Pro Football. His uniform number 40 has been retired by Wisconsin.

12. Wisconsin has 26 consensus All Americans, including 9 who were unanimous All Americans. Running back Montee Ball is only Badger to be named a consensus All American twice (2011, 2012).

13. Ohio State leads the series against Wisconsin, 57-18-5 (.744 winning percentage), and the Buckeyes have outscored the Badgers, 1,825 to 1,008 (22.8 to 12.6 on a per game basis).

14. Ohio State lost the first three games in the series (1913 to 1915), with two shutouts. The series stayed close through the first 17 contests (through 1946), with the Buckeyes holding a slight edge with a record of 9-6-2. Then the Buckeyes went on tear, winning 30 of the next 33 games (30-1-2, for a .939 winning percentage), with seven shutouts. During that streak (from 1947 to 1980), the Buckeyes outscored the Badgers, 928 to 322, or by an average of 28.1 to 9.8 points per game.

15. Wisconsin briefly owned the rivalry from 1981 to 1987, posting a record of 5-2. Ohio State regained control in 1988, and the Buckeyes have won 16 of the last 23 contests (16-6-1) including the last four in a row.

16. On October 23, 1971, Ohio State reserve running back Morris Bradshaw had an 88-yard touchdown run (the longest run in Buckeye history) and 88-yard kick-off return for a touchdown against Wisconsin. It is the only time that a Buckeye player has had two plays of 80+ yards in one game. Ohio State won the game by the score of 31 to 6.

17. The only other time that Ohio State has had two plays of 80+ yards in the same game was also against Wisconsin, on October 10, 2009. In that game, wide receiver Ray Small had a 96-yard kick-off return for a touchdown, and safety Kurt Coleman had an 89-yard interception for a touchdown. The final score was Ohio State 31, Wisconsin 13.

18. The last tie in the series came in 1993, when the two teams played to a 14-14 draw. #3 Ohio State entered the game with a perfect 8-0-0 record, while #14 Wisconsin checked in at 7-1-0. The Buckeyes outgained the Badgers, 418 yards to 332 yards, but were hampered by four turnovers (three interceptions, one fumble).

19. The 2001 contest was Jim Tressel's first in the series. The Buckeyes took an early 17-0 lead, but Wisconsin was able to score a touchdown right before halftime after a botched punt attempt. The Badgers owned the second half, outscoring the Buckeyes 13-0 to make the final score 20-17 in favor of Wisconsin. The game was an example of Tresselball gone bad - after taking the early lead, Ohio State ran 42 plays for 70 net yards (1.67 yards per play) and zero points.

20. In 2003, the #1 Buckeyes were the defending national champions and riding a 19-game winning streak. In week six of the season, in one of those typical grind-it-out Big Ten games, the two teams combined for 570 yards of offense and 550 yards of punting. Wisconsin scored the game-winning touchdown with 5:20 left on the clock on a 79-yard touchdown pass from back-up quarterback Matt Schabert to Lee Evans; that one play represented 26.4% of Wisconsin's total offense for the game.

21. In 2010, Ohio State lost only one game on the season, with that loss coming on the road at Wisconsin. The Badgers took the opening kick-off for a touchdown and never looked back, building a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter. The top-ranked Buckeyes tried to make a game of it, but eventually fell by the score of 31-18.

22. In 2011, Ohio State was in the rare position of underdog in this series and the Buckeyes pulled off the upset over #12 Wisconsin. Thanks to a 44-yard touchdown run by true freshman quarterback Braxton Miller, the Buckeyes held a 26-14 lead with 4:39 left in the fourth quarter. However, less than a minute later Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson connected with wide receiver Jared Abbrederis on a 17-yard touchdown pass. After a quick Buckeye 3-and-out, Wilson and Abbrederis connected on a 49-yard touchdown to give the Badgers a 29-26 lead with 1:18 left on the clock. With time running out, Miller scrambled around the pocket before hitting Devin Smith with a 40-yard desperation heave that turned out to be the game-winning score. Ohio State 33, Wisconsin 29.

23. The 2012 game was the only contest that went into overtime. The highlight of the game saw Buckeye linebacker Ryan Shazier force a fumble by Badger running back Montee Ball on 4th-and-1 from the Ohio State 2-yard line with 2:46 left in the game with Ohio State leading 14-7. The Badgers would eventually get the ball back and score with eight seconds left in regulation to force overtime. In the extra frame, Buckeye running back Carlos Hyde scored on a 2-yard touchdown run, and the Badgers turned the ball over on downs. Final score: Ohio State 21, Wisconsin 14. With the win, Ohio State improved to 11-0, and the Buckeyes eventually capped their perfect season with a victory over Michigan the following week.

24. Wisconsin also lost the 2013 contest, 31-24. However, Badger wide receiver Jared Abbrederis had another huge game against the Buckeyes, with 10 receptions for 207 yards and a touchdown. Four of Abbrederis's catches went for 20+ yards (23, 33, 36, 64). In three games against Ohio State, Abbrederis had 19 receptions for 360 yards (18.95 average) and 3 touchdowns.

25. Wisconsin and Ohio State did not meet during the 2014 regular season, but they did face off in the Big Ten championship game that year. The Buckeyes entered the game ranked #5 in the CFB Playoff poll, and they needed a big game against the #13 Badgers to earn a spot in the initial college football playoffs. With three-year starter Braxton Miller and his replacement J.T. Barrett both on the sidelines with season-ending injuries, the Buckeyes were forced to rely on third-string quarterback Cardale Jones, who was making the first start of his career. The game started well for the Buckeyes, as Jones hit wide receiver Devin Smith with a 39-yard touchdown pass in the first two minutes of the game. The Buckeyes struck again in the first quarter on an 81-yard touchdown run by Ezekiel Elliott, and it was off to the races. Smith finished with 4 receptions for 137 yards and TD catches of 39, 42, and 44 yards, while Elliott added 220 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the ground. The final score: Ohio State 59, Wisconsin 0, which was the largest margin of victory by either team in the series (matching Ohio State's 59-0 victory in 1979). The curb stomping was good enough to get the Buckeyes into the playoffs. And the rest, as they say, is history.

26. The Badgers are coached by Paul Chryst, who is in his second year at the helm in Wisconsin. Chryst played quarterback at Wisconsin (1986-1988) before getting into coaching. After several stops along the way, Chryst made it back to Madison, where he eventually became the Badgers' offensive co-ordinator (2006-2011). Chryst was hired to be the head coach at Pitt (2012-2014), where he enjoyed only moderate success with a three-year record of 19-19 (.500). In 2015, Chryst returned to his alma mater and led the Badgers to a 10-3 record and a win in the Holiday Bowl.

27. Wisconsin's leading rusher is Corey Clement, who entered the season as an All American candidate. Clement is having a disappointing season, with 82 carries for 319 yards (3.9 average) and 5 touchdowns. Reserve running back Dare Ogunbowale has 44 carries for 185 yards (4.2 average) and 1 touchdown.

28. After three-and-a-half years of Joel Stave behind center, Wisconsin entered the 2016 season with a quarterback controversy. The controversy has become more intense as neither candidate has done much to inspire confidence. Senior Bart Houston won the job out of training camp and he put up impressive numbers (44/71, .620, 527 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT) but didn't pass the look test. Redshirt freshman Alex Hornibrook took over the reins against Michigan State and promptly led the Badgers to a seemingly impressive 30-6 victory over the highly-regarded Spartans (who now sport a miserable 2-3 record and aren't impressing anybody anymore). Hornibrook followed that up with a dreadful effort in a 14-7 loss to Michigan (9/25, .360, 88 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT), but apparently that was good enough to keep his starting job against Ohio State this week. If things go south early for the Badgers, look for Houston to get a chance to redeem himself.

29. Wisconsin doesn't throw the ball much, and when they do they look primarily at three targets: junior wide receiver Jazz Peavy (17 receptions, 281 yards, 16.5 average, 2 TD); senior wide receiver Robert Wheelright (18 receptions, 274 yards, 15.2 average, 0 TD), who played his high school ball at Columbus Walnut Ridge; and tight end Troy Fumagalli (16 receptions, 181 yards, 11.3 average, 0 TD).

30. Wisconsin's defense is led by linebacker T.J. Watt (29 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 5.5 sacks), who is the younger brother of NFL superstar J.J. Watt. Linebacker Vince Biegel is a senior captain and the emotional leader of the defense, but he will miss the Ohio State game due to a foot injury. Cornerback Derrick Tindal leads the Badgers with three interceptions.

1. Ohio State scored 38 points and gained 383 yards against Indiana, which were far below the Buckeyes' averages in points per game (57.0) and yards per game (576.3). Indiana scored 17 points and 281 total yards, which caused the Buckeyes' defensive numbers to take a slight hit as well:

Category	OSU Statistic	-NCAA Rank-
Scoring Offense	53.2 ppg	3rd
Scoring Defense	10.8 ppg	2nd
Point Differential	42.4 ppg	1st
Total Offense	537.6 ypg	5th
Total Defense	246.4 ypg	4th
Yardage Differential	291.2 ypg	1st
Rushing Offense	323.6 ypg	3rd
Rushing Defense	97.8 ypg	9th
Passing Offense	214.0 ypg	86th
Passing Defense	148.6 ypg	5th
Pass Efficiency Offense	163.54	10th
Pass Efficiency Defense	82.64	2nd
3rd Down Offense	.529	5th
3rd Down Defense	.289	15th
Red Zone Offense	.897	38th
Red Zone Defense	.583	1st
Sacks	2.20 / game	60th
Sacks Allowed	0.60 / game	2nd
Net Punting	46.71 yds	2nd
Turnover Margin	1.60 / game	5th
Time of Possession	36:00	4th

2. Here's how Ohio State and Wisconsin stack up in the major offensive and defensive categories. The Buckeyes are top 5 in all categories, while the Badgers produce sound numbers on defense but are anemic on offense:

Team	Total Offense	NCAA Rank	Score Offense	NCAA Rank	Total Defense	NCAA Rank	Score Defense	NCAA Rank	Turnovers	NCAA Rank
Ohio State	537.6 ypg	5th	53.2 ppg	3rd	246.4 ypg	4th	10.8 ppg	2nd	+10	3rd
Wisconsin	360.2 ypg	106th	26.0 ppg	88th	291.4 ypg	11th	12.2 ppg	4th	0	56th

3. H-back Curtis Samuel is the Buckeyes' leading receiver (23 receptions, 345 yards, 3 touchdowns) and second-leading rusher (50 carries, 410 yards, 3 touchdowns). Samuel is averaging 151.0 all-purpose yards per game and 10.3 yards per touch. Samuel already has eleven plays from scrimmage of 20+ yards (5 rushes, 6 receptions).

4. Running back Mike Weber is the team's leading rusher, with 83 carries for 566 yards (6.8 average) and 4 touchdowns. At his current pace, Weber will rush for over 1,400 yards this season and easily break Ohio State's freshman rushing record (1,237 yards by Maurice Clarett in 2002).

5. In the two games after his breakout performance against Oklahoma (5 receptions, 72 yards, 4 touchdowns), wide receiver Noah Brown has only 3 catches for 31 yards and no touchdowns.

6. Quarterback J.T. Barrett has 1,323 total yards (342 rushing, 981 passing), for an average of 264.6 yards per game. He also has 19 total touchdowns (4 rushing, 15 passing) on the season.

7. Barrett is currently 10th in career passing yards at Ohio State with 4,807. He needs 283 yards to pass Jim Karsatos (5,089 yards) for 9th place. Art Schlichter is Ohio State's career leader with 7,547 passing yards.

8. Barrett is in 5th place in career total yards at Ohio State with 6,769. He needs 120 yards to pass Troy Smith (6,888 yards) for 4th place. Art Schlichter is Ohio State's career leader with 8,850 total yards.

9. Barrett is in 2nd place at Ohio State in career total touchdowns with 86. He needs three touchdowns to pass Braxton Miller (88 TDs).

10. Barrett entered the 2016 season as Ohio State's career leader in completion percentage, at 64.2%. This season, Barrett has completed 79 of 123 passes (64.2%), which is exactly equal to his career average.

11. H-back Dontre Wilson has 2,696 all-purpose yards for his career, which places him 28th at Ohio State. Wilson needs 13 yards to pass Robert Smith for 27th place; 50 yards to pass Joey Galloway for 26th place; 51 yards to pass Cris Carter for 25th place; and 52 yards to pass Devin Smith for 24th place. Ohio State's career leader in all-purpose yards is Archie Griffin with 6,559.

12. Safety Malik Hooker leads FBS with four interceptions this season (tied with five others), and the team is fourth with ten interceptions (tied with three others). Wisconsin has thrown seven interceptions in just 137 pass attempts for an interception rate of 5.1%, which is the fourth-worst in FBS.

13. Despite limited opportunities, punter Cameron Johnston is having an All American season. Johnston has 17 punts for 852 yards, for an average of 50.1 yards per punt. Eleven of Johnston's punts have been inside the 20-yard line, only two punts have been returned for a total of just 18 yards, and two punts resulted in a touchback. When return yards and touchbacks are factored into the equation, Johnston has a net average of 46.7 yards per punt, which is second in FBS.

14. Ohio State has not had a kick-off return for a touchdown since November 27, 2010 (Jordan Hall, 85 yards, vs Michigan); has not had a punt return for a touchdown since November 22, 2014 (Jalin Marshall, 54 yards, vs Indiana); and has not had a punt block for a touchdown since October 5, 2013 (Bradley Roby, 0 yards, vs Northwestern).

15. Ohio State (5-0) enters the contest as the #2 team in the country (both AP and CP), while Wisconsin (4-1) is ranked #8 in the AP and #10 in the CP. Wisconsin has knocked off a couple of teams that began the season highly-ranked (LSU #5 AP; MSU #12 AP) but are currently struggling and unranked. Wisconsin's sole loss was to #4 Michigan by the score of 14-7.

16. This year's game will be played Saturday, October 15th, at Wisconsin's Camp Randall Stadium. Kick-off is scheduled for 8:00 PM, and the game will be televised on ABC. Ohio State enters the contest as a 10-point favorite with a 70.5% chance to win the game according to ESPN's Football Power Index Matchup Predictor.

Wisconsin Hopes To Make Ohio State Wince And Weep
Chip Minnich via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Embed from Getty Images​

October 13, 2003. Undefeated Ohio State, riding a nineteen game unbeaten streak, comes into Camp Randall to battle the Wisconsin Badgers, led by Barry Alvarez. Jim Tressel’s team battles valiantly, but fall to Ohio native and Wisconsin WR Lee Evans outracing Ohio State’s Chris Gamble to the end zone, 17-10.

October 17, 2010. Undefeated and top-ranked Ohio State come into Camp Randall, eager to demonstrate to the nation and the Wisconsin Badgers, led by Bret Bielema, that the Buckeyes are truly worthy of their status as the BCS frontrunner. Jim Tressel’s team again battles valiantly, but fall to one-time Ohio State recruit and Wisconsin RB John Clay’s two touchdowns, 31-18.

What did those games from the past have in common with this upcoming contest?

• Both games were in Camp Randall Stadium
• Both games were at night

Now that I have your attention, here are three critical areas I will be keeping an eye on when this contest kicks off at 8pm EST on ABC…

1. Can Ohio State Develop Offensive Balance Against Wisconsin? ~ Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett’s passing statistics from his game against Indiana were as follows – 9/21 for 93 yards, with 1 touchdown to Dontre Wilson, and 1 interception that glanced off the hands of Marcus Baugh. Barrett was tremendously successful running the ball against Indiana, leading the Buckeyes with 137 yards on the ground. Look for Wisconsin to do everything possible to bottle up Ohio State’s running game. Will Ohio State be able to counter effectively through the air against the Badgers? Something else to be seen – how the Ohio State wide receivers respond, after this story emerged on ESPN.com earlier this week.
2. Will Curtis Samuel Be Involved Earlier In The Offensive Gameplan Against Wisconsin? ~ Curtis Samuel had a solid game against Indiana, running for 82 yards and a touchdown. The larger point is that Samuel did not actually touch the ball until the second quarter began, and Ohio State was tied 3-3 with Indiana. Will the Ohio State offensive coaches involve Samuel sooner, regardless of whether it involves running or passing?
3. How Will Ohio State Respond To The Camp Randall Challenge? ~ As stated up above, Ohio State has lost to Wisconsin at night on previous occasions. It must also be noted that Ohio State has defeated Wisconsin in Camp Randall Stadium at night, in 2008, with a true freshman quarterback in Terrelle Pryor. The larger point is Wisconsin truly revels in the night game atmosphere of Camp Randall Stadium, especially when the Buckeyes come to town. Yes, Ohio State’s young team excelled against Oklahoma at night. This is another huge test of the maturity and poise of the 2016 Buckeyes.

Prediction: The player I will keep an eye on throughout is WR Noah Brown. A physical mismatch, look for Barrett to target Brown repeatedly in this game against Wisconsin. If Brown can be a consistent possession receiver, especially in the red zone, it will open up opportunities for other offensive weapons within Ohio State’s arsenal. Look for this game to be a typical Ohio State/Wisconsin slugfest, but I see the Buckeyes pulling away in the fourth quarter, with Ohio State 31, Wisconsin 21.







The post Wisconsin Hopes To Make Ohio State Wince And Weep appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Ohio State vs. Wisconsin 2016: Game preview, prediction, and 6 things to know
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Ohio State and Wisconsin square off in a top 10 showdown under the lights at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday night.

Ohio State travels to Madison for a showdown on Saturday against Wisconsin under the lights at Camp Randall Stadium, where the Badgers always seem to give the Buckeyes a stern test. Four of the last five games between Ohio State and Wisconsin at Camp Randall have seen the final result be decided by seven points or less. The most recent meeting between the two schools in Madison came back in 2012, where Ohio State squeaked out a 21-14 victory over the Badgers in overtime.

Ohio State is coming off a win last week over Indiana, in which the Buckeyes didn’t look great, but still ended up winning by 21 points. Ohio State didn’t lean as much on J.T. Barrett’s arm against the Hoosiers, but they did rely on the redshirt junior quarterback’s legs, giving Barrett a career-high 26 carries. For many, Ohio State’s offensive output left a lot to be desired, as the Buckeyes failed to score 40 points and amass at least 400 yards of total offense for the first time since last season’s loss to Michigan State.

A lot has changed since the last time these two schools played each other in the 2014 Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis, where Ohio State shutout Wisconsin 59-0. In that blowout victory, Cardale Jones was making his first-ever start, as J.T. Barrett was injured the previous week against Michigan. The lopsided victory over the Badgers helped propel Ohio State into the College Football Playoff, which they eventually won.

When Ohio State last took on Wisconsin, current Badgers head coach Paul Chryst was still coaching at Pittsburgh. But it isn’t like Chryst is unfamiliar with what it means to play Ohio State, since not only did Chryst play for the Badgers from 1986-1988, but he also served as Wisconsin’s tight ends coach in 2002, as well as Wisconsin’s offensive coordinator from 2005-2011. This marks Chryst’s second season as the head coach of the Badgers, and so far he has posted a 14-4 record while in charge at his alma mater.

So far this year Chryst has had a lot to deal with, but he has navigated the turbulent waters rather well. Not only has Wisconsin lost linebackers Chris Orr and Vince Biegel to injuries, but they’ve also had to deal with inconsistent quarterback play. Redshirt senior Bart Houston won the starting quarterback job before the season, but was replaced by redshirt freshman Alex Hornibrook after the Georgia State game. Add in the tough schedule Wisconsin has faced to start the season, and the fact that the Badgers are sporting a 4-1 record heading into this game speaks volumes of the job Chryst is doing in just his second season.

What is carrying Wisconsin is their defense, which while not flashy, play solid, fundamental defense. What keeps Wisconsin in games is they don’t give up the big play. Through five games this year, the Badgers have only given up five plays of 20 yards or more. Something will have to give against an Ohio State team that has the ability on any given play to break off a huge gain with the athleticism they possess on offense.

Ohio State’s biggest advantages


Silver bullets reloaded. Ohio State’s defense should give redshirt freshman quarterback Alex Hornibrook plenty of problems on Saturday night. Hornibrook will be making just his third start for the Badgers, and had a pretty rough go of it last time out against Michigan, only completing nine of his 25 passes, and throwing three interceptions. The Buckeyes have intercepted 10 passes through five games this year, with four of those interceptions being made by Malik Hooker.

Ohio State was able to neutralize Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield and running backs Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine a few weeks ago in Norman, and Wisconsin doesn’t quite have the explosive talent that the Sooners do. Where Wisconsin has really been struggling of late has been with their running attack. Senior running back Corey Clement is averaging just 3.9 yards per carry this year on 82 carries. After averaging 8.2 yards per carry during his freshman year, Clement’s per carry average has gotten worse each year since. With Ohio State yielding just 97.8 yards per game on the ground to opponents, it’s hard to believe that Clement is going to find much room to run.

If Ohio State is able to bottle up the Wisconsin rushing attack, it’ll put added pressure on Hornibrook, something that he might not be ready for. If Ohio State is able to jump out to a lead, Wisconsin will be forced to do something they aren’t entirely comfortable with, and that’s throwing the football. If the Wisconsin defense isn’t able to slow down the Ohio State offense, the Badgers just aren’t dynamic enough on offense to be able to keep up with Ohio State on the scoreboard.

Keep ‘em on their heels. There’s no way to sugarcoat it, Ohio State’s performance on offense last week wasn’t all that fun to watch, yet the Buckeyes still ended up scoring 38 points. Wisconsin is by far the best defense that Ohio State has squared off against this year, but in the same respect, Ohio State has the best offense that Wisconsin has squared off against this season. The reason the Buckeye offense can have a down game and still scored 38 points is because of who they have taking the snaps for them.

J.T. Barrett commands the respect of his opponents because he can hurt them in multiple ways. Coming into last week’s game against Indiana, Barrett had thrown 14 touchdowns in the first four games of the season, so teams have to respect what he can do with his arm. If Barrett isn’t called on to pass as much, or is just ineffective throwing the football, he still has to be accounted for on the ground. Barrett is just 38 yards away from hitting 2,000 yards rushing for his Ohio State career, and with the way he has the ability to run the football, he could even get to 3,000 rushing yards by the time his career is over.

What makes this Ohio State offense so dangerous at times is that almost everybody is a threat to break a big play. Commit too many people to stopping the run and Barrett can find Noah Brown, Curtis Samuel, or a number of other receivers through the air. Try and take away the pass and the Buckeyes can run it with either the power that Mike Weber gives them, or the speed that Curtis Samuel brings to the table. Opposing defenses really have to pick their poison against the Buckeyes, and a lot of the time they end up picking wrong since Ohio State is routinely scoring at least 30 points a game.

Punt to win. In a game like this, where Wisconsin figures to get some stops on the Buckeyes, having a punter like Cameron Johnston could prove to be the difference in the game. Earlier this year when Ohio State was playing Oklahoma, Johnston proved just how valuable he is early in the game. The Sooners had just missed a field goal, and the Buckeyes had just gone three-and-out when Johnston uncorked a 68-yard punt to put Oklahoma at their own 11-yard line. Johnston flipped the field position and Ohio State responded by forcing Oklahoma to put, and the Buckeyes got the ball at Oklahoma’s 45-yard line and followed that up with a touchdown four plays later.

The punter from Australia is averaging 50.1 yards per punt so far this season, with 11 of his 17 punts coming to rest inside the 20-yard line. In a game where Wisconsin is going to be starting a young quarterback, the best offense for the Buckeyes might be to pin Wisconsin deep and try to force them into mistakes. The Badgers are going to want to keep the ball away from Ohio State in this contest, but if they can’t get any traction going because Ohio State is winning the field position battle, the outcome might just play right into Ohio State’s hands.

Wisconsin’s biggest advantages


Badger tested. In just their sixth game of the season, Wisconsin will already be playing their fourth opponent that will be ranked in the top 10. To start of the season, the Badgers played LSU at Lambeau Field, who was ranked fifth in the AP Poll at the time. The Tigers came into the game as a double-digit favorite, but the Badgers kicked a game-winning 47-yard field goal with just under four minutes to go in the game. While the Tigers hasn’t lived up to expectations this year, the win by Wisconsin still snapped LSU’s 52-game regular season winning streak against non-conference opponents.

After a win over Akron, along with a close win over Georgia State, Wisconsin again had their backs against the wall when they traveled to East Lansing to take on Michigan State, who was ranked eighth at the time. The Spartans were just coming off a big road win over Notre Dame and not many gave Wisconsin a chance to win, especially with Alex Hornibrook making his first start at quarterback. The Badgers dominated the game on their way to a 30-6 win.

Wisconsin’s luck finally ran out the next week when they lost to fourth ranked Michigan in Ann Arbor, but the Badgers gave the Wolverines all they could handle, only losing 14-7. There’s no doubt the Badgers have been tested this year, so having to go up against this Ohio State team won’t be something that scares them. If Wisconsin is able to play solid defense early on and get a couple bounces to go their way, they will give the Buckeyes all they can handle.

No swiss cheese defense here. If Wisconsin is going to win this game, there is no question it is going to be because of their defense. What jumps out the most about Wisconsin’s defense is how strong they are against the run. Eight of the last 12 opponents Wisconsin has played have failed to reach 100 yards rushing, and it’s no coincidence that Wisconsin has won all eight of those games.

The strength of the Wisconsin defense lies with their linebackers, and what makes how the Badger linebackers are playing even more impressive is knowing the unit already has lost Chris Orr and Vince Biegel for the season due to injury. Jack Cichy and T.J. Watt have really stepped up as the season has gone on, and the injuries have mounted for Wisconsin. Cichy leads Wisconsin with 35 tackles on the season, while Watt is tied for the Big Ten lead with 5.5 sacks so far this year.

If Wisconsin is going to have any chance in this game, they are going to need their run defense to set the tone early, and put the pressure on Barrett to try and beat the Badgers with his arm. The Badgers have an experienced secondary that is capable of making plays if needed. Whether it be through the air or on the ground, Wisconsin is going to make Ohio State work for every inch in this game.

Home sweet home. Ohio State may have not lost a true road game under Urban Meyer, but Camp Randall Stadium is one of the toughest venues to play at under the lights. Two of the last three times Ohio State has traveled to Wisconsin to play at night, the Buckeyes have left Madison with a loss. In 2010, Ohio State was the top ranked team in the country but Wisconsin dealt them a 31-18 loss. In 2008, Ohio State narrowly earned a 20-17 victory over the Badgers, and in 2003 Wisconsin halted Ohio State’s 19-game winning streak.

Even in Urban Meyer’s only trip to Wisconsin in 2012, the Badgers took Ohio State to the limit before the Buckeyes squeezed out a 21-14 victory in overtime. Since 2004, Wisconsin has posted a 75-9 record at Camp Randall Stadium, which is the second-best home record in the Big Ten, only trailing Ohio State’s 80-9 home record. Something about the Wisconsin crowd at night gives the Badgers a little extra energy on the field, and even though Ohio State has already traveled to Oklahoma this year, the crowd in Madison will be even more intense than what the Buckeyes saw in Norman.

Summary


F/+ Projection: Ohio State 30, Wisconsin 16

Win Probability: Ohio State 78%

Wisconsin’s defense will hold Ohio State to their lowest point output of the season, but with the inexperience of Alex Hornibrook, the Badgers just won’t be able to put enough points on the board to truly threaten the Buckeyes. Ohio State’s defense will likely bring a lot of pressure and try and force Hornibrook into interceptions like he threw against Michigan, and with how the Buckeyes are forcing turnovers so far this season, the interceptions might not stop at three.

This has the feeling like one of those games where Wisconsin comes out firing and the Ohio State offense looks pretty bad to start, but as the game goes on J.T. Barrett and company start to find their legs and eventually put a little distance on the Badgers. Turnovers and special teams will likely be the difference in this one, as it’s hard to imagine Ohio State going the length of the field very much on this stout Badger defense.

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Ohio State vs. Wisconsin game picks: Can the Buckeyes get a top 10 road win? - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State vs. Wisconsin game picks: Can the Buckeyes get a top 10 road win?
cleveland.com
Ohio State 30, Wisconsin 17: A possible blowout for the Buckeyes is on the table, but I think the Badgers defense is too good to let this get out of hand. But don't anticipate the 14-7 Michigan win over the Wisconsin. Even if Ohio State can't throw ...
Ohio State football | Buckeyes get back to work on passing gameColumbus Dispatch
Ohio State vs. Wisconsin 2016 odds: Buckeyes face Week 7 test as big favorites at the BadgersSB Nation
Football: Bumbaca breaks down No. 8 Badgers' matchup with No. 2 BuckeyesThe Badger Herald
The Daily Cardinal -UPI.com
all 338 news articles »

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What Do You Want To See? Wisconsin
Scott via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


I have to admit, I’m having trouble focusing on the OSU-Wisconsin game because my Cubbies are opening the National League Championship Series Saturday at 8 p.m.
But it’s a huge game and by kickoff I’m sure I will be able to multi-task.
Hopefully Ohio State isn’t worried about anything but the Badgers.
I would love to see OSU end all doubt early so I don’t have to watch two things at once. I can barely do one thing at a time without screwing it up.
But aside from a quick ending, what else do I, and my fellow staffers at tBBC, want to see?

Scott
A win: How about settling things in the first quarter?
No false starts: Not gonna stop this one until it happens.
No running Badgers: Let’s keep them out of the end zone and keep the streak alive.
Whatever it takes: At this point in the season it’s all about the Ws. Whether it’s 300 yards on the ground or in the air, a combination of both, whatever the Buckeyes need to do to win is fine with me.

Joe
Jump around: Getting the W in prime time has not been an issue for the Buckeyes, who are 59-13 all-time in evening games. Ohio State has won 12 consecutive games under the lights and getting a major win in the evening has never been an issue in the Urban Meyer era. But Ohio State has won just one of their last three games against Wisconsin under the lights in Camp Randall though and the 2010 game still stings for Ohio State fans.
Weber time: Yes, the Badger defense has been known in the past for its stingy run-stopping ability. This year they are holding opposing rushers to just 2.69 yards per carry in the Badger Box. The only problem is Georgia State and Akron’s rushing attack and ability up front to stop scheme defenses doesn’t come close to matching the Buckeye offensive line and its coaching staff. Look for Weber to gain more than 150 yards for the first time in his career and continue his campaign as the best running back statistically in the B1G.
Houston, we have a problem. It’s Hornibrook: A Sconny quarterback is a problem? Nah, that’s creating drama for the sake of making fun of Sconny QB. Bart Houston? Turnover town. Alex Hornibrook? A last name more arousing than his play on the field. The Ohio State defense will exact a similar performance out of the young signal caller that we saw against Michigan two weeks ago. Less than 100 yards passing and completing just 36 percent or less of his passes.


Look for a big game out of Noah Brown.


Brown Town, USA: The Lord said, “Noah, build an unstoppable performance against those stinkin’ Badgers.” Wait, did Noah even allow Badgers on the Arc? How in the heck are they in existence today? Oh, that’s right — they’re the type of rodent that can survive 40 days and 40 nights of flooding. Noah Brown is about to make the Wisconsin defensive backfield wish they had life preservers while they search for some type of Island. Here comes a touchdown of epic proportion and more than 100 yards receiving.

Ben
A win: Can it really be as simple as wanting to see a win? No, probably not. The Buckeyes performance last week did not impress me even though we won by 21. The offense was out of sync and it has me concerned especially in games like Wisconsin on the road at night.
Better offense: I want to see a fully functional offense like we saw in the first four games of the season. J.T. Barrett needs to get his wide receivers involved more into the game, and they need to help him out by creating separation and making plays down field. Until that happens I expect teams to load the box and dare us to pass.
Sixty minutes of hell: I want to see the defense make life a living hell for Alex Hornibrook and force him into bad throws causing interceptions for this defense full of ball hawks. I think they will give up some big runs to Corey Clement, but they need to keep him in check and not let him go off.
Good, solid effort: All in all I want to see a nice, complete performance and getting out of Madison with a win, no matter what it looks like will be enough for me. The Buckeyes are in a stretch of potential tough games right now, and just need to continue to play a little better every week and keep winning.

Brandon
Noodle-arm dominance: Look, I’m not saying I can throw harder than Hornibrook, but on second thought … I am. Watching this guy play against Michigan had me salivating at the thought of what the Buckeye secondary could do to this kid. He will be a great quarterback some day, but at this point in time he makes Chad Pennington’s arm look like Brett Favre’s. With all this said, I want to see at least three interceptions on Saturday.
Front seven dominance: Wisconsin’s only hope of moving the ball on the Buckeyes defense will fall solely on the Badger offensive line and Clement. So far this season, this approach has not worked as Clement has only managed 319 yards and 3.89 yards-per-carry. This is even with inflated numbers against Akron. Against his three decent defenses (LSU/MSU/UM), Clement has combined for 208 yards on 61 carries which results in a paltry 3.4 yards-per-carry. I would like to see the Buckeyes sell out against the run and hold the Badgers team to under 100 rushing yards on Saturday. As I mentioned above, Hornibrook can’t beat them by himself … force him to try.
Assert offensive force: The Wisconsin defense has carried the Badgers so far in this young football season. So far, they have only given up 90.4 rushing yards per game and 201 passing yards per game. For you non-math people (Hi Chris!) that means they are only giving up 291.4 yards per game. Their dominance has been especially evident stopping the run as they are holding opponents to only 3.1 yards-per-carry. Enter Ohio State, which averages 6.37 yards-per-carry and an amazing 323.6 rushing yards per game. Something has to give and I think it will be the Badger defense. The Buckeye offense is way to versatile. If they focus on stopping Weber … in comes Curtis Samuel. If they focus on stopping Weber and Samuel, Barrett can take over. I want to see the Buckeyes establish the run early and utilize play-action on their way to rushing for more than 300 yards and throwing for more than 200 yards.

WVa
Turn it into Kriss Kross Jump: Leave no doubt as to who is the better team. Hit them hard (and see how they fall) early and often to where all they have left for the end of the third quarter is a different jump. This will be the second week in a row the Buckeyes will be in a slobber knocker.
B1G title game revisit: Show Paul Cryst why his predecessor left in a hurry after the championship game loss. Throw the ball down field because Whisky doesn’t have anyone that can keep up with the Buckeyes wide receivers corp.
Spread the wealth, evenly: After establishing a good aerial attack, spread the wealth as evenly as possible. With the weapons the Buckeyes have, there’s no reason for one player to have more than nine or 10 touches and that includes Barrett. I know he has a chance to set a record on Saturday in half the time the current record holder did it, but that cannot be the focus for a man who doesn’t care that he’s setting the records in passing.

The post What Do You Want To See? Wisconsin appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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2018 Ohio State QB commit injured
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Emory Jones went down with a shoulder injury Thursday night.

Ohio State is on the road this weekend as they head to Madison, Wis. to take on the Badgers in another huge test for the young Buckeyes squad. While Ohio State isn't set to host any prospects this weekend due to being the "away" team, Urban Meyer and staff received some great news as they will play host to one of their remaining top targets in a couple weeks. But, with the good news, there was also some bad news.

Jones injured in Thursday night game


Class of 2018 quarterback Emory Jones (Franklin, GA / Heard County) suffered an injury during a Thursday night contest against Hogansville (Ga.) Callaway. While an AC joint (shoulder) separation appears bad, Bill Kurelic of Bucknuts reported that Jones said he would be able to come back before the end of the season.

Here’s to a speedy recovery for the No. 1 dual QB of 2018.

Bolden sets OSU official visit


It seems every day that passes another connection is being made between Ohio State and the top high school program in the country, Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas, Nevada. Yesterday, the connection was made again as Ohio State looks to try and pull another Gorman star to Columbus as a part of the 2017 recruiting class.


It was announced on Twitter that Bubba Bolden, a four-star safety, would be taking his first official visit to Ohio State on Nov. 5, when the Buckeyes host the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Bolden, offered recently by Ohio State on Sept. 6, has thought to be a Buckeye lock due to the relationship Ohio State is building with Gorman. With stars Tyjon Lindsey, Tate Martell and Haskell Garrett already committed to the Buckeyes 2017 class, Bubba Bolden might just be the fourth.

As things currently stand, the Buckeyes are the run away favorite to land Bolden according to the 247sports crystal ball predictions. The one time USC commit looks to be nearly an Ohio State lock, but a successful official visit on Nov. 5, could be the final string needing to be pulled to make it official. Time will tell, but it certainly looks good for Ohio State.

Okudah's latest rumblings


Keeping with the trend of the nation's top defensive back products in the 2017 class, Jeffrey Okudah might just be one of the best. Yesterday, Ohio State landed another infamous 247sports crystal ball prediction for Jeffrey Okudah from Bill Kurelic of Bucknuts. Thought to be a heavy Ohio State lean for sometime now, Okudah has been to Ohio State on more than one occasion, but the last time he saw Ohio State was at Oklahoma in the Buckeyes first road test of the season.

Okudah has done an excellent job at keeping his mouth quiet and not tipping his hat to where he will land, but Ohio State is once again at least at the top for another five-star prospect in the 2017 class. Okudah's recruitment could end tomorrow or very well play out towards national signing day, but Urban Meyer and his staff will certainly be near or at the top of it until the pen hits the paper.

Gill healing up just fine


The top athlete in Ohio for 2018 and the second best in the entire country is none other than Jaelen Gill. Gill, from Westerville South (OH), unfortunately had a season ending injury this fall that derailed what was sure to be another fantastic season for the Wildcats stud. While Jaelen has been recovering and thankfully recovering just fine, his visits are now the focal point of his season.

In an article with scout.com, Gill talks about his latest visits and his upcoming plans. Included in the article, Gill let the readers know that he was at an Ohio State practice just last week and plans to visit Ohio State for their games against not only Nebraska, but the season finale against Michigan.

The Buckeye State five-star currently has every 247sports crystal ball prediction in favor of the home-team Buckeyes – and that has to leave Ohio State recruiting followers excited. There's a long way to go in this recruitment, but things certainly are sitting well for Urban Meyer and his potential for keeping this athlete at home.

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Ohio State football | Buckeyes get back to work on passing game - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football | Buckeyes get back to work on passing game
Columbus Dispatch
When analyzing what goes wrong with a college football team's passing game, it is natural to start with the quarterback — in the case of Ohio State's J.T. Barrett, “the distributor.” Receivers can run poor routes, tight ends can see passes slip ...
Ohio State vs. Wisconsin 2016 odds: Buckeyes face Week 7 test as big favorites at the BadgersSB Nation
Wisconsin vs. Ohio State 2016: Preview, prediction, pick to win - Big Ten footballUPI.com
Buckeyes eyeing National ChampionshipThe Daily Cardinal
The Badger Herald -ESPN
all 317 news articles »

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Ohio State vs. Wisconsin | Wheelwright in good place with Badgers after being spurned by Buckeyes - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State vs. Wisconsin | Wheelwright in good place with Badgers after being spurned by Buckeyes
Columbus Dispatch
2 Buckeyes (5-0) in a Big Ten showdown. The 6-foot-3, 211-pound senior from Walnut Ridge is the leading receiver for eighth-ranked Wisconsin (4-1). As one might imagine, Wheelwright has looked forward to this game for some time. “I'm pretty sure I have ...


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Huskers look to avenge loss to Buckeyes - Fremont Tribune
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Huskers look to avenge loss to Buckeyes
Fremont Tribune
Ohio State defeated the Huskers in four sets on Oct. 1, and Nebraska will be playing the Buckeyes for the second time in four matches. Second-ranked Nebraska will need to limit its losses against teams in the bottom half of the league standings to have ...
Win helps Huskers prep for rematch with BuckeyesKearney Hub

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Ohio State football | Redshirt freshman Dre'Mont Jones steps into starting role - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football | Redshirt freshman Dre'Mont Jones steps into starting role
Columbus Dispatch
The three-technique is a key position for the Buckeyes because that player is expected to provide an inside pass rush as well as hold up against the run. Adolphus Washington and Michael Bennett were standouts at that position the last two years. Jones ...


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Raekwon McMillan isn’t worried about stats as long as Ohio State keeps winning
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeye defense has been playing so well they haven’t needed the linebacker to rack up as many tackles this year

“As long as we’re at the top of the Big Ten and top of the nation in run defense and not giving up any rushing touchdowns and playing great defense overall, I have no complaints.”

Ohio State linebacker Raekwon McMillan via Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch


Last year it felt like on almost every play Raekwon McMillan made a tackle. There were six games in 2015 in which McMillan made at least nine tackles in a game. So far in 2016 the most tackles McMillan has recorded in a game has been eight, which he did against both Tulsa and Oklahoma. So why the dip in production? The Buckeye defense hasn’t needed him to do nearly as much since the unit as a whole is playing at such a high level. The 33 tackles McMillan has made so far this year leads the Buckeyes, but the junior linebacker isn’t sweating the drop in his numbers.

What matters most to McMillan is how the Ohio State defense is playing, and right now they are one of the best defenses in the country. McMillan was called upon more last year to make plays since teams were trying to run up the middle on the Buckeyes. This year, teams haven’t had as much success doing so, as evidenced by Ohio State having yet to give up a rushing touchdown. While some of the other players on the defense are getting their names called more this year for the turnovers they are forcing, McMillan is still the captain of the defense. What the linebacker does might not be showing up in the stat sheet as much this year, but he is still what makes the defense tick.

“Guys who succeed at this level do it because their first passion is just being a part of the program, as opposed to guys who get here and then become obsessed with ‘OK, I have to get a scholarship’. Joe didn’t do that. Instead he took joy in the process.”

Ohio State co-defensive coordinator Luke Fickell on Joe Burger via Lindsay Schnell, Campus Rush


When three of his brothers had previously attended Notre Dame, there were many who had thought that Joe Burger would be next up to attend the prestigious Catholic university. After all, Joe did grow up rooting for the Fighting Irish, so it seemed like a given that he would follow in the footsteps of his brothers. That’s why it came as such a surprise to Joe’s father when Joe told him that he would be attending Ohio State. At least if Joe was going to be breaking one family tradition of attending Notre Dame, he would still be keeping alive another. All three of his brothers, as well as his father, all walked on at college but eventually earned a scholarship.

It’s not like Burger had much of a choice in walking on at Ohio State though, as there were already plenty of talented players ahead of him who were deserving of scholarships. Still, Joe caught the eye of the coaches with his toughness. Then again, you don’t grow up having three older brothers without having your skin thicken a little bit. The decision to attend Ohio State eventually paid off, as Burger was a key part of the special teams unit during the 2014 championship season. Now, as he is in the middle of his senior season, Burger continued the family tradition by being awarded a scholarship by Ohio State before the season, as well as being named one of the team captains. While his path may have been a little different from what his father and brothers did, in many ways it was exactly the same.

“I’ve been ready for this. It took me a couple games to get my feet under me, but I think I’m getting better every week. I’m ready to go.”

Ohio State defensive lineman Nick Bosa via Austin Ward, ESPN


No matter who was going to follow Joey Bosa on Ohio State’s defensive line, they were going to have big shoes to fill, but expectations were even higher for Bosa’s younger brother. With the pressure of being expected to come into Ohio State and contribute immediately, as well as coming off the knee injury he suffered during his senior year of high school, it would have been understandable if the younger Bosa’s numbers didn’t quite match up to his brother’s. That hasn’t been the case so far, as Nick has posted better numbers through five games than Joey did his freshman year.

After recording four tackles for loss and two sacks through his first five games, the scary thing is Nick Bosa is only going to get better as the season moves along. A big reason for Bosa’s early success has been defensive line coach Larry Johnson, who has been instrumental in bringing along Bosa at a pace that not only helps him grow, but also takes into account the ACL surgery Bosa underwent last year. It also helps that Ohio State has players like Sam Hubbard and Tyquan Lewis playing on the edge, so they don’t have to overwork Bosa early during his freshman season. Now the biggest question after seeing how Joey and Nick have played, are there any Bosa defensive linemen left for Ohio State to recruit?

“I (visited Ohio State) knowing that it was my favorite school out of any school I was talking to. It seemed like a great opportunity before I even went there, but when I went there it sealed the deal.”

Ohio State basketball commit Braxton Beverly via Bill Landis, Cleveland.com


Ohio State basketball received their latest commitment on Monday night, as Braxton Beverly became part of the 2017 recruiting class. The three-star point guard from Kentucky might be a bit of a surprise to Ohio State fans, but head coach Thad Matta really likes what he sees in terms of the leadership Beverly could bring to the Buckeyes. The point guard took his official visit to Ohio State over the weekend and saw enough to decide that Ohio State was the place for him.

Originally Beverly had signed with Miami (Ohio) in the 2016 recruiting class, but decided that Oxford wasn’t right for him, so he asked for his release before the beginning of his freshman season. After the RedHawks granted Beverly his release, he spent the year at Hargrave Military Academy. Ohio State was already recruiting 2016 recruit Derek Funderburke at Hargrave, and while doing so they became familiar with what Beverly had to offer. Once Beverly was officially released from Miami, Ohio State was free to recruit the point guard. Last year Beverly even dropped 70 points in a game, breaking Terry Rozier’s school record. While Ohio State might not need Beverly to score that much, he’ll certainly be a welcome addition next year.

STICK TO SPORTS

• Next Thursday is The Haunted Hike in Westerville.
• Amazon is hiring hundreds of seasonal workers at its two central Ohio locations.
• Bob Dylan has been awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in literature.
• Little Caesars is introducing a brisket pizza.

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Scarlet and Gray Drive Time Re-Wind: RSB and Jabril For Heisman?
WVaBuckeye via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Welcome to the daily rewind of the previous days or weekends articles here on the Buckeye Battle Cry with some commentary and links to the author’s twitter account!




Ben van Ooyen with this topic that



WVaBuckeye puts together this weeks RSB and the staff pitches in . . ,



Daily Funny


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The official Ohio State hype video for the Wisconsin game is here
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


It’s amazing.


The Ohio State Buckeyes are facing their biggest test of the college football season Saturday when they go into Madison to face the Wisconsin Badgers.

The Buckeyes are coming off of a 38-17 win over the Indiana Hoosiers, and are looking like they could make a deep run this season.

But Wisconsin is a different beast, and will be a huge road test. The Ohio State defense has undoubtedly been the strongest aspect of this year’s team, and should do some great work against the Wisconsin offense.

This hype video should have you primed and ready for Saturday. The Bucks need your support on their way to what hopefully will be a second College Football Playoff National Championship.

Go Bucks.

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Preview: #2 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. #8 Wisconsin Badgers
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



Fresh off of a poor passing performance at home against those pesky Indiana Hoosiers, the Buckeyes face a stiff test, with huge College Football Playoffs implications. The Buckeyes are traveling on the road, for just the second time this season, but this time, it will be against BIG 10 foe Wisconsin on their home turf in Madison. The battleground is set, the stakes are at an all-time high (until we play TTUN) and this showdown between two BIG 10 powerhouses will be an epic showdown and possibly one for the ages. Ohio State is coming off of a 21-point win against a Hoosier team that has exposed them a bit. They played to their Ohio State is coming off of a 21-point win against a Hoosier team that has exposed them a bit. They played to their strengths but weren’t fooled by the constant movement by the Buckeye offensive playmakers, essentially shutting off Ohio States ability to pass the football downfield.

Ohio State is coming off of a 21-point win against a Hoosier team that has exposed them a bit. They played to their strengths, which is the run to make up for their lack of an effective passing attack. The Buckeyes used a lot of eye candy to try to fool the Indiana Defense, but the were prepared. They weren’t fooled by the constant movement by the Buckeye offensive playmakers and the constant shifts along the offensive side of things and it essentially shut off Ohio States ability to pass the football downfield. Their inability to throw the ball is one of the biggest concerns for the Buckeyes and Coach Meyer and we will have to see if they can succeed against an experienced Badgers Secondary that is looking to further entrench themselves into the College Football Playoffs conversation. The Buckeyes have a tall task on their hands because this Badger Defense has a ton of talent left over from the 59-0 shellacking that started the run to becoming the Inaugural College Football Playoff Champions. Most Buckeye sites are claiming that a few still have that bad taste in their mouths and that they believe that it is their turn to embarrass the unbeaten Buckeyes squad that is young in just about every position on offense and on defense. My biggest concern is that the Buckeyes aren’t an elite passing offense and that they will be one-dimensional. The Badgers will do their best to ensure this happens to increase their chances to secure a win, but we will see what Urban Meyer will do because he is a tactician during big games like this. The Silver Bullets will be ready and luckily, they weren’t called out like the backup Oklahoma Quarterback did. The bulletin board material was provided by former Badger Defensive Back Jim Leonhard. He stated that the Buckeyes Receivers, namely Noah Brown “will not run away from you” and that no corner this season has “utlitlized the proper press technique” against him. Basically saying that they run a “simple offense”. I don’t know about you, but I see Coach Meyer mentioning this every chance he gets to J.T. Barrett and company. I would like to see some offensive fireworks just like that BIG 10 Championship Game, but it is easier said than done and we will just have to see it live this Saturday.

Wisconsin is coming off a bye week and they had two weeks to prepare for the visiting Buckeyes. They suffered their first loss of the season to TTUN in what was a hard-hitting affair with TTUN outlasting the Badgers 14-7. The revamped Badgers Defense looks like a stiff test for the Buckeyes and the crowd will look to get their team into the swing of things. Their offense looked bleh against TTUN, but that might not be the case against the Buckeyes. The Buckeyes play similar to TTUN’s Defense and they could go player for player, at just about every position because both teams recruit well enough to stay dominant. The Quarterback position is the key part and we will have to see if he can withstand the pressure from the Buckeyes Defense, the Silver Bullets. The pressure will surely be turned up because the starter looked uncomfortable for the majority of the game against our Arch Rival. The strength of this Badger team is with their Defense. They match up similarly with the Silver Bullets, but with one major difference, Wisconsin is tied for 22nd in total sacks with 15 total and they average 3 per game. The Buckeyes Defense leads in Defensive Scores, Interceptions and Turnovers Forced. The Art of Defenses. This will be a test for both teams and the chip on the remaining BIG 10 Championship Game players shoulders will play an integral role during this game because it is the first time in two years since that beat down and they will look to return the favor.

Prediction:

One more stiff road test equipped with another hostile crowd and bulletin board material for this resilient Buckeyes team. This will not be a cakewalk by any means, but the Buckeyes and the Badgers need a win to stay in Playoff contention. This will be the Buckeyes first Top-10 battle and this is the Badgers’ third. The Badgers are 1-1 with a win against LSU and a loss to TTUN. This game is valuable to both teams, but I predict that this game will be another hard-hitting clash between two BIG 10 powerhouses. Both defenses are stout and they will both come out with a vengeance. The offenses will be in the ground and pound variety and I think that it will be close for the entirety of the contest. The chess match will be filled with bold moves that will occur throughout the contest until Ohio State makes the key plays to secure the win. J.T. Barrett will lead the Buckeyes toward victory 42-35.

J.T. Barrett: 279 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and 100 yards rushing, 1 touchdown

Mike Weber: 126 yards rushing, 1 touchdown

Curtis Samuel: 170 all-purpose yards, 1 receiving touchdown, 1 rushing touchdown

Dontre Wilson: 47 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown

Noah Brown: 136 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown

Silver Bullets: 4 sacks, 2 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles/recoveries

They will come out with their heads on fire and they will double their game average for sacks (2.2). They will add 4 more turnovers to their quest for best defense with 2 interceptions and fumbles recovered, but they will fail to add another defensive score.

Final: 42-21

Recruiting Tidbit: Buckeye Running Back Antonio Williams is a wanted man in Madison. Partly because he was once a prized commit for the Badgers and that he spoke up against the future of the team when Joel Stave was the starting Quarterback. If Williams sees the field, there are a few Badgers that would love to hit him.




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Wisconsin will be the toughest defensive test for Ohio State so far
Chad Peltier via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


J.T. and the passing game have to improve this week, but that may be difficult given the weather forecast.

Ohio State enters into a difficult match up with an elite Wisconsin defense. Not only is their defense one of the best in the country, it's a night game at Camp Randall, with rain likely at night, and with Wisconsin coming off a bye week.

The Buckeyes are more talented, but this is the best defense the Buckeyes will have faced so far. The Wisconsin offense hasn't shown much, with a fairly inefficient run game and an inexperienced quarterback, but they've also had an extra week to get healthy and game plan.

Avg team talent Turnover margin Net explosiveness (10+) Net explosiveness (20+) IsoPPP
Ohio State 91.43 +8 (4th) +40 +16 1.21 (94th)
Wisconsin 84.05 0 (56th) +16 +2 1.14 (115th)


Bill C. also recently introduced team volatility -- essentially the standard deviation of opponent-adjusted game adjusted scoring margin (you can find the opponent-unadjusted scoring margins in a team's stat profile). S&P+ (margin) is essentially how well a team should perform against a theoretical average opponent. Ohio State, at third in the overall S&P+ rankings, has an S&P+ margin of 28 points. If you add in their volatility (11.1 points so far this season), then their range is from 39.1-16.9 points better than the average team. That volatility range is the 16th-most consistent of any team so far this season.

Wisconsin's S&P+ margin is 11.9, with a volatility of 17.3 (58th most consistent). So their range is from 29.2 to -5.4. The overlap between the two teams' ranges is essentially where Wisconsin can upset Ohio State -- and the size of that overlap is 12.3 points. That scenario is where Ohio State plays at their theoretical worst and Wisconsin plays at their theoretical best. This more or less suggests that the Buckeyes have to at least have a little better than average performance (28 S&P+ margin) to win against Wisconsin's best (29.2 S&P+ margin).

When Ohio State has the ball

S&P+ Rush S&P+ Rush SR Rush IsoPPP Pass S&P+ Pass SR Pass IsoPPP Avg FP Drives
Ohio State 11 3 62.2% (1) 88 46 42.6% (56) 35 35.6 (6) 6.49 (1)
Wisconsin 6 9 34.5% (22) 5 15 33.9% (20) 59 25.8 (11) 2.9 (3)

• The Ohio State offense was an unstoppable juggernaut of efficiency both through the air and on the ground until the Indiana game, where the inefficient passing game reappeared. According to CFB Film Room, J.T. was 1-7 on passes thrown 10+ yards downfield against Indiana. That kind of inefficiency would put the Buckeyes in position to lose to the Badgers (and teams like Nebraska, Penn State, and Michigan). J.T.'s passing -- primarily success rate, but also explosive plays -- will be what I watch the most (unless it's a downpour).
• If the Wisconsin defense has any weaknesses -- and they have few, ranking 9th and 15th in rushing and passing S&P+ -- then it's that the successful passes they do allow tend to be pretty explosive plays. They rank 59th in passing IsoPPP, but this isn't usually a problem considering they allow just a 34% passing success rate; however, if weather isn't a debilitating factor for the passing offense, then I can imagine Curtis Samuel breaking a few receptions for big gains. And Noah Brown won't be short on motivation.
• The Wisconsin run defense is extremely solid. At ninth overall and 22nd in success rate, they will be a challenge for the Buckeye running backs. I expect the Buckeyes to use tempo and increase Weber and especially Samuel's snaps relative to Barrett to counteract the stout run defense. Ohio State will find success running the ball -- they're top-ranked in every major run-blocking category except for stuff rate, where they're second -- but this is definitely the best run defense that Ohio State has faced this year. Oklahoma's defense will be second-best at 17th in rushing S&P+. Also look for more short-yardage, high-percentage passes and screens as an extension of the run game. This is something we haven't seen much of this year.
• The first quarter could be slow once again. Ohio State is 42nd in overall offensive S&P+ in the first quarter, while the Wisconsin defense is ninth.
• The Wisconsin defense thrives on passing downs, ranking second overall on third downs S&P+ and 11th in passing downs S&P+. Their pass rush jumps from 100th in standard downs sack rate to 19th. When the Wisconsin defense puts opposing offenses behind schedule, they are extremely effective. Ohio State's offense is worst in these situations, ranking second in standard downs S&P+ but 48th in passing downs S&P+. Further, they're top overall in first down S&P+ but 59th in third downs S&P+. That means that the Buckeyes must continue to be efficient on early downs to have shorter (and fewer) third down attempts when Wisconsin is at their best. It also means that third-and-longs will likely be rough for Ohio State without significant improvements in passing efficiency.

When Wisconsin has the ball

S&P+ Rush S&P+ Rush SR Rush IsoPPP Pass S&P+ Pass SR Pass IsoPPP Avg FP Drives
Ohio State 7 4 33.3%(16) 9 5 32.4%(11) 68 24.5(5) 3.18(9)
Wisconsin 100 43 37.6%(106) 107 13 43.2%(48) 99 31.6(42) 4.19(104)

• Quarterback Alex Hornibrook took over for original starter Bart Houston and has had mixed results depending on his opponents. Overall he's completing 56% of his passes at 6.2 yards per attempt, but he's also only played against one defense on Ohio State's level -- Michigan's. Against Michigan, he averaged 3.5 yards per attempt and threw three interceptions. The offense produced only three scoring opportunities and had just a 21% overall success rate. Michigan currently has the top-ranked S&P+ defense while Ohio State's is seventh. So overall Hornibrook has struggled against the only quality competition he's faced, but the passing offense is nevertheless ranked 13th in passing S&P+ -- how is that? I'd imagine it has to do with the at-least average success rate against two elite pass defenses in LSU and Michigan. With that level of defensive competition, the S&P+ opponent-adjusted ranking looks much more favorably on the Badgers' passing offense.
• Regardless, the Badgers aren't going to be slinging the football around the field. They typically run on standard downs (68.2% of the time) and pass on passing downs (70% of the time). In his last two starts, Hornibrook has had 26 and 25 attempts, however. They're successful throwing on passing downs, however, ranking 18th in passing downs S&P+ despite being dead-last in passing downs line yards per carry. That means that the Badgers really struggle to run on passing downs, but still manage to convert a decent amount of third downs given their defensive competition (41.6%) due to their passing game.
• There are three Badger receivers to know. Their big-play, low-percentage guy is Jazzy Peavy. Peavy is targeted the most of any receiver (nearly 30%), but has under a 45% catch rate. Robert Wheelwright has been nearly as explosive but much more consistent (64% catch rate). And tight end Troy Fumagalli is third-most targeted on the team, but has the highest receiving success rate. No other receivers have more than ten total targets. The biggest matchup issue for Ohio State is likely the tight end, who has the size (6'6) to go over most defensive backs.
• The Badgers rushing offense hasn't recovered from losing Melvin Gordon. Corey Clement has struggled with injuries and has just a 25.6% opportunity rate this year. That's well below the three other backs in the committee, who are at 31.8%, 54.2%, and 45%. Overall, the offensive line has been effective preventing negative plays (27th in stuff rate), but they and the backs haven't found much success creating efficient runs over 5+ yards (110th in opportunity rate). I'd be surprised if the running backs find a ton of running room against the Ohio State defense, which is fourth in defensive rushing S&P+ thanks to the stellar play of the front seven. That front seven has a 98.9% tackle success rate according to CFB Film Room.
• Like last week, unless the Badgers catch some field position breaks from special teams or turnovers, there's not much to suggest that they can move the ball very effectively on the Ohio State defense, but the biggest advantage Ohio State has in finishing drives. Here Wisconsin is 104th, averaging just 4.19 points per scoring opportunity, while the Ohio State defense clamps down, averaging just over a field goal allowed when opponents drive past the Buckeye 40-yard line.

The 3 most important stats

• Defensive finishing drives. One of Ohio State's biggest defensive advantages is in points allowed per scoring opportunity, where the Buckeyes average a full point less per scoring opportunity than the Wisconsin offense typically scores. If the Badgers put a drive together, look for more field goals from Wisconsin than touchdowns.
• Standard downs success rate. Ohio State has been the best in the country at efficient standard downs, but has been poor on passing downs. Wisconsin has been elite on passing downs, creating sacks and generating havoc. The Buckeyes must avoid passing downs when possible and not get behind schedule.
• Passing success rate. The passing game is back to being the biggest concern for this Ohio State team, and Ohio State must be efficient through the air to keep pressure off of the run game. The weather might make this difficult.

Picks


S&P+: Ohio State 30, Wisconsin 16, 78% win probability

My pick: Ohio State 31, Wisconsin 13

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