Ohio State Shows Resolve, Comes Together to Escape Wisconsin 30-23 in Overtime

Still getting situated in his seat in the postgame interview room, Urban Meyer took a deep breath and muttered that word, a smile crinkling across his face as he peered into the lights and television cameras.

It wasn't pretty, but his team remains unbeaten.

“That's a top-fiver. Very proud of our guys. And when I say it, I mean really proud,” Meyer said. “We did not play well in certain areas but man did they play hard.”

The No. 2 Buckeyes escaped the sticky clutches of Camp Randall Stadium with a 30-23 overtime victory against No. 8 Wisconsin, a game that brought out Ohio State's worst defensive performance of the season and a continued struggle with J.T. Barrett and the passing attack. It didn't matter when all the chips were down, however, as Barrett continued to bring his team back either with his legs or arm.

It was that arm that threw for just 81 yards in the first half as Ohio State trailed 16-6 at intermission. But that same arm tossed the eventual game-winning touchdown pass to Noah Brown on a fade in overtime, the same one that lobbed a beautiful ball to Dontre Wilson for 43 yards to an extend a drive that ended with a game-tying field goal with 3:57 left.

“J.T. Barrett was not outstanding but he's one of the toughest cats I've ever been around and I know who I want behind center and those kind of environments is J.T. Barrett,” Meyer said.

The Badgers totaled 450 yards, including 236 on the ground. Jet sweeps to Jazz Peavy roasted the Buckeyes on the edge in the first 30 minutes, while Corey Clement ripped off a 68-yard run and broke the century mark before the break. But Luke Fickell's defense stood tall when it mattered most, forcing three field goals in the first half to keep Ohio State—and Barrett—in the game.

“Nobody does a better job of putting these guys in tough situations, whether it's in winter, in fall camp. But you can't be put in this type of situation, on the road in a hostile environment when you're not playing well,” Fickell said. “You've just gotta find a way and this is one of those things, it's a growing moment for us. We'll get a lot better because of this, we'll get a lot closer because of this.”

“This is what we train for,” Barrett added. “Places like this, a great place in Wisconsin, training all winter workouts, spring ball, summer workouts. All the hard stuff Coach Mick put us through which at the time we didn't like him for it. When it comes up this is when it shows.”

“You've just gotta find a way and this is one of those things, it's a growing moment for us. We'll get a lot better because of this, we'll get a lot closer because of this.”– Luke Fickell

It showed after a ball slipped out of Barrett's hand and sailed over James Clark's head and into the arms of D'Cota Dixon, negating a chance for the Buckeyes to cut the lead to one possession. Rain poured exactly for that one play and a few minutes after, when Ohio State's defense turned away Wisconsin's best chance to break the game open by forcing a quick three-and-out.

Barrett capped the 16-play, 47-yard ensuing drive that included two 4th-and-1 conversions with a 1-yard plunge into the end zone to push his team back into the thick of things. His second touchdown run put the Buckeyes out front for the first time, before Wisconsin countered with its own long scoring drive, as Paul Chryst dialed up a shovel and screen pass to move the chains and then gave it to relatively underused Austin Ramesh at fullback to put the Badgers back out front.

Tyler Durbin's 31-yard field goal after Wilson's huge catch on the sideline tied it, then Ohio State's defense forced overtime. Barrett connected with Noah Brown on a fade to the right side of the end zone to put the Buckeyes ahead for good, a play that made the quarterback Ohio State's all-time leader in touchdowns responsible for with 89.

“Really thinking about the situation, I think that's what I try to do when we got out in the summer,” Barrett said. “Just don't go out there and throw routes. Play the situation, play the coverage. I understand that's when it's going to come up and that's what came up today. I just put it up there to his back shoulder and he did a great job adjusting, made the play.”

Wisconsin's failed attempt at tying the game came at the hands of the Ohio State defensive line. With only 4 yards needed to get even, quarterback Alex Hornibrook didn't have a prayer to do anything on 4th down, chased down by Tyquan Lewis, Jalyn Holmes, Sam Hubbard and Nick Bosa.

All four of those defensive linemen sprinted to the sideline in jubilation to celebrate with their teammates, as the play sealed Wisconsin's fate and kept Meyer's perfect 20-0 mark in true road games at Ohio State alive. For a team expected to perform at a high-level each week and ranked second in the country for a reason, leaving Madison with an overtime victory in comeback fashion wouldn't have happened had it not come together.

“Something that stuck with me was after the game when Pat Elflein stood up and said he's played in a lot of big games, he's been a part of a lot of teams and he's never really felt a feeling quite like this,” Hubbard said. “With the brotherhood and how much we care about each other.”

Neither side of the football played to its potential. Barrett did not play as efficient as he could, finishing 17-of-29 but still racking up 226 yards and the game-winning scoring toss while also leading the team with 92 yards on the ground. His carries (21) nearly matched Curtis Samuel and Mike Weber's combined total (23 for 92 yards) like it did a week earlier in a three-touchdown win over Indiana.

The Buckeyes at times looked unprepared and out of position defensively. But that unit stepped up and made the plays it needed to. Barrett kept coming, at times willing his still extremely inexperienced offense to a first down and eventually enough points to win.

Ohio State has resolve where it matters most. It showed on Saturday night, where Wisconsin owned the Buckeyes in most phases, except on the scoreboard.

“We've just got guys that love each other. All the things that we went through in the offseason, there was a time that we were the youngest team in the nation,” Barrett said. “People say that they love you, it was real and it shows through our play.”

“We’re going to punch, scratch, claw, until the clock hits zero,” center Pat Elflein added. “We’re going to fight until the end.”

And with yet another Big Ten road trip looming next week at Penn State for his team's second night game in as many weeks against a team that will have two weeks to prepare for the Buckeyes, Meyer tried to feel frustration from his group on the sideline when it trailed by 10 in the first half. It wasn't there—the talent just had to keep playing.

There is a reason he couldn't stop smiling in his postgame interview on ESPN while standing next to Barrett and why he dropped a subtle exasperation before even sitting down to meet with reporters. He likes what he sees in his team and how his players stayed together through adversity.

“It's just what you would do,” Meyer said. “Just what good, close football teams do. Hang in there and keep swinging.”