The Wisconsin Badgers take on the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes at Camp Randall Stadium this Saturday. Kickoff is at 2:30 p.m. on CBS, and the Buckeyes are 25.5-point favorites.
Last week’s 37-0 loss to
Iowa was a historic moment for Wisconsin, for all the wrong reasons. For the first time since 2002-2005, the Badgers lost four straight games to Iowa. It was Wisconsin’s first home shutout loss since 1980 and the first time the Hawkeyes shut out the Badgers in Camp Randall Stadium since 1929.
Just pitiful stuff we are seeing from Wisconsin football.
So, that said, what should Badgers fans know about the Ohio State Buckeyes?
Opponent Preview
The defending national champions look poised to repeat. Ryan Day’s Buckeyes got off to a great start with a 14-7 win in Columbus over preseason No. 1 Texas and have run the table so far this season. The Buckeyes are coming off an impressive 34-16 victory over 17th-ranked Illinois in Champaign, where Ohio State forced three turnovers to come away with the win.
Starting quarterback Julian Sayin has thrown for 1,479 yards, 15 touchdowns, and three interceptions. However, Sayin leads all of college football with a 78.4% completion rate and holds the Big Ten’s highest quarterback rating with an 188.1 RTG. Last week, Sayin ranked as Pro Football Focus’ top-rated quarterback with a grade of 91.4.
True freshman Bo Jackson leads the Buckeyes with 407 rushing yards, but he got banged up in the second half against Illinois. Jackson should play against Wisconsin, but Ohio State will also feature running backs CJ Donaldson and James Peoples. Donaldson, a transfer from West Virginia, leads Buckeye running backs with six touchdowns.
At wide receiver, the Buckeyes possess arguably the best athlete in college football in Jeremiah Smith. Smith leads Ohio State with 505 receiving yards and seven touchdown catches this season. Right behind Smith in wide receiver stats is Carnell Tate, who has 476 receiving yards and four touchdown catches.
When Jim Knowles left Ohio State to become Penn State’s defensive coordinator, Day hired former NFL head coach Matt Patricia as his replacement. So far, the Patricia experiment has been an astounding success. The Buckeye defense is first in the nation, allowing a minuscule 6.8 points per game. Ohio State is ninth in college football with 84 rushing yards allowed per game, and seventh with 145 passing yards allowed per game.
Arvell Reese, a potential 2026 first-round draft pick, leads the Buckeyes with 38 total tackles, while Caden Curry leads the Big Ten with six sacks.
Score Prediction
This is a matchup of two teams heading in opposite directions. Ohio State looks every part of being the #1 team in the country, while the Badgers look ready for the season to end right now.
The matchup that scares me the most is the Buckeyes’ outstanding defense going against a Badger team, most likely, led by a third-string quarterback. Hunter Simmons had a rough night last week against Iowa, and I fear it’s going to get worse.
Prediction: 52-7 Ohio State
