Wisconsin is 2nd nationally in total defense. No question, they've played very well, despite coming into the season with a mostly young, inexperienced corps. However, because Wisconsin has played a relatively weak slate of offenses, their defensive numbers are probably a bit favorably skewed. According to FEI's adjusted metrics, Wisconsin ranks 13th in total defensive efficiency after facing the following offenses:
| Team | NCAA OFF RANK | FEI OFF RANK |
|---|---|---|
| LSU | 78 | 52 |
| W ILL | 43rd in FCS | -- |
| BG | 38 | 91 |
| S FLA | 118 | 121 |
| NW | 107 | 58 |
| ILL | 102 | 72 |
| Mary | 108 | 56 |
| Rutgers | 82 | 79 |
| Purdue | 110 | 74 |
| Neb | 33 | 36 |
| Iowa | 65 | 47 |
| Minn | 105 | 39 |
Ohio State is 19th in total defense (and 27th according to FEI) after playing against the following offenses:
| Team | NCAA off rank | fei off rank |
|---|---|---|
| Navy | 34 | 10 |
| VT | 94 | 99 |
| Kent | 116 | 117 |
| Cincy | 28 | 38 |
| Mary | 108 | 56 |
| Rutgers | 82 | 79 |
| PSU | 114 | 105 |
| ILL | 102 | 72 |
| MSU | 14 | 28 |
| Minn | 105 | 39 |
| Ind | 61 | 85 |
| Mich | 111 | 90 |
As we can see, Ohio State also played a relatively weak slate of offenses, but these offenses were somewhat stronger overall compared to Wisconsin's opponents.
