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Wisconsin
Badgers
Ohio State’s regular season can be effectively sliced into three segments by its two bye weeks. On Saturday, segment two comes to a close.
It’s not the most climactic conclusion. Wisconsin, the Buckeyes’ opponent this weekend, might be the worst team in the Big Ten. The Badgers have lost four consecutive games, including their first three in conference play. Middling Maryland beat them 27-10, Michigan knocked them off 24-10 and Iowa dominated them 37-0 in the battle for the Heartland Trophy last week.
There are a few positive qualities of the Wisconsin defense, but its offense is anemic as can be conceived for a Power 4 team. Camp Randall Stadium always offers a tough environment for visitors, but on the whole, Saturday should be a chance to get starters out early and get backups experience while No. 1 Ohio State fills in some of the few cracks that have appeared in its armor midway through the regular season. Then the Buckeyes can enjoy a well-earned off week.
The Headlines
Old Familiar Faces
A lot’s happened in nine years since Luke Fickell left the Buckeyes’ coaching staff. Even more has happened in the 14 years since his one season as Ohio State’s interim head coach.
Ironically, Fickell left at the same time Ryan Day arrived at Ohio State. Fickell went from co-defensive coordinator in Columbus to head coach of the Cincinnati Bearcats in 2017, the same year that Day became co-offensive coordinator of the Buckeyes. Both men’s careers rose over the next five years. Fickell took Cincinnati to the new heights of a College Football Playoff berth while Day became Ohio State’s head coach in 2019 and led the Buckeyes to the CFP in three of his first four seasons.
Then, in 2023, Fickell became Wisconsin’s head coach, which he remains for the time being. The Badgers repeated their previous year’s record that season at 7-6, while frustrations with Day grew in segments of the Buckeye fanbase after they closed their 2023 campaign with back-to-back losses, including a loss to Michigan, for the second year in a row.
Their careers have taken opposite trajectories since. Fickell’s Wisconsin went 5-7 in 2024 during Ohio State and Day’s national championship season and the Badgers’ bad start to 2025 has Fickell feeling like a dead man walking. He spoke like it after the embarrassment Iowa handed his team.
“That’s as low as it can be,” Fickell said afterward. “I apologize. I apologize to our guys, to not be ready, to not have them ready, I’m dumbfounded in a lot of ways. But that’s my job. And this is a game we’ve been talking about since January. And I’ve been doing a lot of things to make sure we were ready and prepared, and obviously, we were not. ... It is a challenge right now. This is no place I’ve ever been (as a coach). I don’t know where else there is to go.”
Flipping to the more positive side of familiarity, Wisconsin native and Ohio State center Carson Hinzman returns to play his home state team for the second time in his Buckeye career. The first time, in 2023, he was the critiqued redshirt freshman center of a much-maligned front five. Now, he’s a great stalwart on the front five. Many family and friends will be in attendance to watch him play in Madison.
“I already got about like 30 tickets, I think I need another 40, so I'm trying to kind of scrounge the guys for a couple,” Hinzman said on Wednesday. “But no, I'm super pumped to go back and play over there. I'm 1-1 there right now from high school, we lost our state championship my freshman year. So, got to beat .500 (as my record).”
Run Game Renovations
| Ohio State | Pos | Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|
| OFFENSE | ||
| JULIAN SAYIN | QB | DANNY O'NEIL |
| CJ DONALDSON | RB | DILIN JONES |
| JEREMIAH SMITH | WR | VINNY ANTHONY II |
| CARNELL TATE | WR | CHRIS BROOKS JR. |
| BRANDON INNISS | WR | TRECH KEKAHUNA |
| MAX KLARE | TE | LANCE MASON |
| AUSTIN SIEREVELD | LT | RILEY MAHLMAN |
| LUKE MONTGOMERY | LG | JOE BRUNNER |
| CARSON HINZMAN | C | DAVIS HEINZEN |
| TEGRA TSHABOLA | RG | KERRY KODANKO |
| PHILLIP DANIELS | RT | EMMERSON MANDELL |
| DEFENSE | ||
| KENYATTA JACKSON JR. | DE/OLB | SEBASTIAN CHEEKS |
| TYWONE MALONE JR. | DT | BEN BARTEN |
| KAYDEN MCDONALD | DT | JAY'VIAR SUGGS |
| CADEN CURRY | DE/OLB | DARRYL PETERSON III |
| SONNY STYLES | WLB | TACKETT CURTIS |
| ARVELL REESE | MLB | CHRISTIAN ALLIEGRO |
| LORENZO STYLES JR. | NB | GEIMERE LATIMER II |
| DAVISON IGBINOSUN | CB | RICARDO HALLMAN |
| JERMAINE MATHEWS JR. | CB | D'YONI HIILL |
| CALEB DOWNS | FS | MATTHEW JUNG |
| JAYLEN MCCLAIN | SS | AUSTIN BROWN |
The one strength Wisconsin has as a team is its run defense. The Badgers rank 19th in the country with 97.5 rushing yards allowed per game, though they have surrendered 3.6 yards per carry, which is only 41st.
That’s good news for Ohio State – in a game that should be another comfortable victory, at least. Running the football is the biggest thing the Buckeyes need to work on six games into their season. The Buckeyes are 46th nationally in yards per carry (4.7) and 62nd in rushing yards per game (160.7). They’re coming off one of their worst rushing outings of the season, gaining just 2.9 yards per attempt against Illinois, though Day said at his press conference Tuesday he thought the Buckeyes executed well situationally in short-yardage and the red zone.
Still, there are a lot of tweaks to be made. Getting featured freshman Bo Jackson back at running back after he missed most of the second half against the Fighting Illini with an ankle injury should be a boost.
“We're always looking to get better,” Day said or the run game overall. “There's been some positive things across the board and then some things we need to get better at, but I think the guys are playing physical and I think that there's been some really positive things that we've done this year. But as we know we want to perfect it. And I think once you get halfway through the season you recognize the things that your guys can do well and I think we have to continually work on the things that we think fit our guys the best.”
Goal is A Goose Egg
Kayden McDonald was none too happy that Ohio State gave up 16 points, its highest total of the season, to Illinois. And the 326-pound nose guard is someone you want to keep happy.
“Definitely bothers me,” McDonald said after the game. “We want to be the best defense in the country. We can't let people score, so we've got to get back to work tomorrow. We've got to just keep going.”
Wisconsin is last in the Big Ten and 131st nationally with 15.5 points per game. The Badgers are also last in the Big Ten 130th nationally, with 292.5 yards of total offense per game. The Buckeyes are still the No. 1 scoring defense in the country at 6.8 points per game.
Combine that with Wisconsin’s quarterback questions – starter Billy Edwards Jr. is still injured, and backups Danny O’Neil and Hunter Simmons are battling to see who will start this week – and perhaps McDonald and company can pitch their second shutout.
Watch Out for These Guys
Wisconsin LB Christian Alliegro
Gary Cosby/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.
Alliegro has easily been the highlight of the Badgers’ season so far. He leads the team with 42 tackles, 16 more than the second-most on the squad. He’s added four tackles for loss and a team-high two sacks with a pass breakup. It’s his second year as a starter in Madison.
Wisconsin S Austin Brown
Both Badger standouts here are from the defensive side of the ball, for obvious reasons. Brown is third on Wisconsin with 23 tackles, adding one TFL. He has two PBUs in pass coverage.
Ohio State S Caleb Downs
O’Neill and Simmons have thrown a combined eight interceptions in their six appearances for Wisconsin this year. In the Big Ten, only Purdue has thrown more picks this year, with nine. Downs will get plenty of opportunities for his second interception of the season. Even if he doesn’t, Wisconsin’s anemic passing attack will allow him to play more aggressively and make plays in the box.
Game Week Talk
“Luke Fickell's a very good coach. He knows winning football, and his team plays hard. They play sound football. Now, I know the season hasn't gone the way that they've expected it to go. But at the same time, put the film on, they're one of the better defenses in the country.”– Ohio State HC Ryan Day on Wisconsin
Day, as always, is taking his opponent seriously regardless of record. There’s obvious mutual respect between he and Fickell, and he feels Wisconsin’s defense is of a good enough caliber that the team can be a threat if they get a few big plays on offense. That’s what he said publicly, at least.
“We’ve just got to treat it like we do each and every other game we do on this schedule. Prepare for them like they’re a top talent, because we know, like Coach Day says, teams like that are desperate. They’re desperate for a win. They’ll do anything to go out there and win.”– Ohio State WR Carnell Tate on his message to his teammates
The calls for focus from Day have been owned and embraced by his roster. That’s the true reason Ohio State has handled business each of its weeks that it’s played inferior competition thus far this year, because the team leaders are ensuring no one on the roster is slacking. The goal will be more of the same in Madison.
“There’s nothing to lose. And I think that sometimes some of the things that hold us back is just our own selves in a way that, we’re trying to be perfect. And the recognition that, if you’re going to go out there and you’re gonna do anything against the No. 1 team in the country, you can’t be held back by being perfect.”– Wisconsin HC Luke Fickell on what gives him optimism about his team going into the Ohio State game
As Tate put it, the Badgers will be entering desperate with nothing to lose on Saturday. Their head coach, especially. Time will tell if it matters with the talent discrepancy between the squads.
Get Smart
- Ohio State has a 63-18-5 all-time record vs. Wisconsin with 10 straight wins.
- Wisconsin’s roster features seven players from Ohio, including starting outside linebacker Darryl Peterson II (Akron), starting kicker Nathanial Vakos (Avon), former Ohio State wide receiver Jayden Ballard (Massillon) and cornerback Nyzier Fourqurean (Mentor), who’s unlikely to play as he continues to fight the NCAA for another year of eligibility.
- Carson Hinzman is the Buckeyes’ lone player from Wisconsin.
- Wisconsin’s coaching staff includes four former Ohio State players: Head coach Luke Fickell, quarterbacks coach Kenny Guiton, assistant linebackers coach Tuf Borland and assistant special teams coordinator Michael Cibene. Former Ohio State linebacker Chris Worley is also on Wisconsin’s staff as its director of player development and engagement.
- The game will be Ohio State’s second appearance on CBS this season along with its September road game at Washington.
How It Plays Out
More Ohio State vs. Wisconsin Coverage
Line: Ohio State -25.5, O/U 41.5
Not much else to say about this one. Wisconsin has been a very bad team this season. Ohio State has been a very good team this season.
The smallest margin of victory predicted by Eleven Warriors staff is 28 points, with four of us predicting a 40-point-plus win for the Buckeyes. Wisconsin’s defense could provide some challenges if it's playing at its best, but it won’t be enough to keep the Badgers’ offense in the game.
| Eleven Warriors Staff Prediction | ||||
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41 | 3 |
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