Big 10 Championship - Ohio State vs. THE Wisconsin Badgers - 7:17 PM - Fox

[MickeyDavis]

From the JS

WISCONSIN (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten) vs. OHIO STATE (10-2, 8-1)

When: 7:17 p.m. Saturday.

Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis.

TV: Fox with Gus Johnson (play-by-play), Joel Klatt (analysis) and Jenny Taft (sideline).

Radio: AM-920 in Milwaukee and a state network with Matt Lepay (play-by-play) and Mike Lucas (analysis).

Tickets: Sold out.

Line: Ohio State by 6 1/2.

Series: Ohio State has won the last five meetings and leads overall, 58-18-5.

Coaches: Wisconsin’s Paul Chryst (33-6, third season; 51-25 sixth overall); vs. Ohio State’s Urban Meyer (71-8, sixth season; 175-31, 16th season overall).


POUND THE ROCK: Despite fielding a makeshift offensive line when the teams met last season in Madison, UW rushed for 236 yards in a 30-23 overtime loss. UW’s line is better overall this season and the Buckeyes’ linebackers struggled against Iowa’s scheme, which is similar to UW’s. The Hawkeyes rushed 38 times for 243 yards in a 55-24 victory, Ohio State’s worst performance of the season. If UW can establish the run early, stay out of third-and-long situations and mix in timely play-action passes, it should be able to negate Ohio State’s pass rush. Ohio State sacked UW quarterback Alex Hornibrook four times last season and has 34 sacks this season, the No. 4 total in the Big Ten. UW has allowed just 17 sacks, the fewest in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes have struggled against play-action passes and pass-catching tight ends. UW has both.

MAKE BARRETT PASS: Ohio State’s offense is at its best when tailbacks J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber are getting the football consistently. Ohio State rushed for 335 yards against Michigan State, 325 against Illinois and 226 last week against Michigan. Weber rushed 32 times for 327 yards in those games and Dobbins added 276 yards on 45 carries. Quarterback J.T. Barrett is the No. 2 rusher on the team with 672 yards and nine touchdowns. He underwent arthroscopic surgery Sunday on his gimpy right knee. UW’s front must control the line of scrimmage to help slow Dobbins and Weber and make Barrett throw to win. He looked unsettled in losses to Oklahoma and Iowa and UW’s defense has the potential to do the same to the senior. Redshirt freshman Dwayne Haskins replaced Barrett in the victory over Michigan and is a more accurate passer and an adequate runner. "To me, a credit to the backup quarterback is when the offense doesn’t change," UW defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard said of Haskins. "He is a dual-threat guy who can throw it and run it. When he went in the game I didn’t see much of a change."

MAXIMIZE SCORING CHANCES: UW is eighth in the Big Ten in red-zone scoring with a success rate of 85.2% (46 of 54). UW has scored 36 touchdowns, the No. 4 mark in the league. If the Badgers move the ball deep into Ohio State territory they must get touchdowns instead of settling for field goals. UW moved the ball inside the Ohio State 25-yard line six times in the teams’ meeting last season but came away with only two touchdowns and three field goals. The Badgers' last chance came in overtime, when Hornibrook was sacked on fourth down.

TAKE YOUR SHOTS: The receiving trio of Danny Davis, A.J. Taylor and Kendric Pryor has been magnificent since Quintez Cephus suffered a season-ending leg injury at Indiana. In the three games without Cephus, that trio has combined for 400 yards and three touchdowns on 25 touches. They combined for 11 catches for 131 yards and a touchdown in the victory over Minnesota and they’re good enough to give Ohio State’s revamped secondary problems. If UW can protect Hornibrook, the Badgers should be able to get some big hits down the field.
HISTORY LESSON

Ohio State has reeled off five consecutive victories over UW since the Badgers pulled off a 31-18 upset over the No. 1-ranked Buckeyes in 2010 in Madison. Four of the five games have been decided by single digits and a combined 25 points. Two of the games went into overtime – in 2012 and last season.

Yet the result that jumps off the page remains the 2014 title game.

UW fans might want to stop reading, but here is a recap of the Buckeyes' 59-0 victory.

Ohio State scored on five of its first six possessions to build a 31-0 lead and added a defensive touchdown on Joey Bosa’s 4-yard run after a fumble recovery for a 38-0 halftime lead.

Third-string quarterback Cardale Jones lit up UW’s secondary all night and completed 12 of 17 attempts for 257 yards and three touchdowns. Tailback Ezekiel Elliott averaged 11.0 yards per carry and finished with 220 yards and two touchdowns.

The Buckeyes rolled up 558 yards on just 56 plays, an average of 10.0 yards per play. UW finished with 258 yards on 80 plays, an average of 3.2 yards per play.
DID YOU KNOW?

UW has held 10 of its 12 opponents to less than 300 yards of offense this season. The only teams to break the 300-yard mark were Utah State with 304 in the opener and Nebraska with 381 in the second Big Ten game. Three foes have failed to hit the 200-yard mark. BYU managed 192 yards, Iowa was held to 66 and Minnesota last week was held to 133. Ohio State finished the regular season No. 1 in the Big Ten in total offense (529.8) – 250.3 rushing and 279.5 passing.
JEFF POTRYKUS’ PREDICTION

Ohio State coach Urban Meyer has talked during the week of the importance of his players being laser-focused on defeating UW. When the Buckeyes are locked in mentally they can compete with any team in the country. When they’re not, they lose by 31 points at Iowa. UW’s players haven’t had a problem maintaining focus this season. They have the talent on offense, defense and special teams to compete with Ohio State. UW will remain unbeaten and advance to the playoff. Wisconsin 24, Ohio State 17.

[HKPackFan]

Eat a dick Gus

[RiotPunch]

God damn it, why does it have to be Goo Guzzlin' Gus again?

Gehm dey. LET'S GET IT.

Watch on YouTube

[MickeyDavis]

Line down to 3.5.

Also **** Tebow

[chuckleslove]

Wow, that's a huge move of the line

[jakecronus8]

Gus is the worst ever. Luckily I'll be at a party so hopefully the sound is all the way down. He's just excruciating to listen to. Anyways

Watch on YouTube

[rilamann]

The one time I watch a Badger game over a Bucks game I still have to listen to Gus Johnson, he's like an annoying relative you can't rid of, or like a woman that won't leave in the morning.

[MartyConlonOnTheRun]

It's obviously a big game but I feel like fans are hoping it more than what it is. I basically view it as the first round of a playoff and we barely made it in as division champs if we compared this to the NFL.

[ReginaldDwight]

Line down to 3.5.

Also **** Tebow

Tebow needs to crawl back in his hole and go back to A ball baseball.

[MikeIsGood]

Okay, let's win the important O$U game today.

[MickeyDavis]

I'll have to check if radio is on sync with TV for me tonight. Much rather listen to Lepay

[chuckleslove]

These SEC announcers on CBS are annoying as ****. They have said multiple times that the community needs to put Alabama in the playoffs over OSU because the precedent was set last year when OSU jumped in over PSU. I hope the Badgers can fuel all this media bull in to a win tonight. Prove all these arrogant **** wrong.

[Turk Nowitzki]

I have no idea what to expect in this one to be honest. I haven't seen Ohio St. play much at all this season.

[BUCKnation]

I have no idea what to expect in this one to be honest. I haven't seen Ohio St. play much at all this season.

They're such a mixed bag. I don't think even Meyer knows what his team is going to play like tonight.

[Mags FTW]

I think it all comes down to whether or not this D is better than the one that collapsed against PSU last year.

[humanrefutation]

I expect that backup QB to come in and run some read-option against us.

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[Matches Malone]

I'm turning off the sound. **** Gus.

[ReasonablySober]

LEEEETTTTTTTTTT'SSSSSSS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[Aaron It Out]

JAY TEEEE BARRETT! OUT OF NOORTH TEXAS!! WOOOO!!!!

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[humanrefutation]

I wanna see some option plays with multiple running backs on the field.

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