Before each Ohio State game, Eleven Warriors catches up with a media member who covers the opposing team to get his or her perspective on the Buckeyes' upcoming opponent.
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This week, Ohio State travels to Madison, Wisconsin for a showdown with old friend Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin Badgers.
The Buckeyes are coming off a top-10 win against Penn State last week, and have won nine in a row over Wisconsin. While they haven't lost to their Big Ten West foe since 2010, they'll be hoping to avoid a letdown in a hostile environment at Camp Randall Stadium.
To help break down the matchup, we're joined by Colten Bartholomew of the Wisconsin State Journal and Badger Extra, who discusses Fickell's first year in Madison, the Badgers' quarterback situation, Braelon Allen and more.
After a disappointing loss to Iowa, the Badgers rebounded with a win over Illinois with a game-winning touchdown pass in the final seconds on a creative play. What was the postgame reaction around the play and how crucial was that victory?
Colten Bartholomew: Luke Fickell was adamant he hadn’t seen that level of toughness and will to win from the Badgers before that fourth quarter against Illinois. He believed the players had it in them, but they finally showed it late in a tight game. The victory was crucial for a number of reasons, most of all because it keeps Wisconsin’s path to the Big Ten title game simple. Regardless of the outcome against OSU, the Badgers need to win their games in November and get one more Iowa loss to be atop the West.
What has been your impression of Luke Fickell so far in his first season with the Badgers?
Bartholomew: He’s made an immediate impact on special teams, running the punt and kickoff units, and he’s injected some much-needed life into the program in terms of recruiting. The transitions he and his coaching staff asked for on both sides of the ball are taking a bit longer than many hoped and they’ve had to adjust some things, but he seems like he believes Wisconsin can be competing in the new-look Big Ten once things truly find a groove.
With quarterback Tanner Mordecai injured, how did Wisconsin’s offense change against Illinois? What was your assessment of how Braedyn Locke played?
Bartholomew: The biggest change with Locke under center was the lack of quarterback running. Mordecai had been very effective on zone reads and scrambling, which Locke was reluctant to do. However, Locke delivers a faster, more accurate ball over the middle and seems to be willing to take a few more risks than Mordecai was from the pocket. Locke played well, but Illinois made it fairly easy for him to read the coverage by playing so much man-to-man.
Regardless of who’s at quarterback, Wisconsin’s offense seemingly runs through Braelon Allen. How much of a workload do you expect him to have this week against Ohio State?
Bartholomew: As much as the game allows. Wisconsin was quickly run off the field by the Buckeyes last year, so Allen didn’t get to have many opportunities. If Wisconsin can keep the score within reason, Allen will get 25-30 touches. Given the QB and RB injuries, Allen and his coaches know he’s got to be the focal point.
It’s obviously tough with the head-to-head loss already to Iowa, but do you think the Badgers are capable of winning the Big Ten West this season?
Bartholomew: Very much so. Iowa’s already-thin margin for error is down to a razor’s edge with the way their quarterback and offense are playing. I think Rutgers, Illinois and Nebraska are all tough games remaining for Iowa. On the flip side, Wisconsin needs to beat Indiana, Northwestern, Nebraska and rival Minnesota. Not a small feat, but certainly on the table.
Wisconsin’s defense seems solid enough as the No. 40 total defense nationally, but the Badgers aren’t that far removed from having the No. 1 total defense a few seasons ago. How much of a difference maker has safety Hunter Wohler been?
Bartholomew: Wohler is the best all-around player on the defense and coordinator Mike Tressel does everything he can to ensure Wohler will be around the ball. Wisconsin’s only pathway to a victory Saturday involves creating turnovers, and if it happens, expect Wohler to be involved. One note on the total defense: that metric has been helped by the lack of good QBs the Badgers have faced the past month.
Who are some players on both sides of the ball we haven’t mentioned worth paying attention on to Saturday?
Bartholomew: Slot receivers Will Pauling and Skyler Bell have added more speed and explosiveness to the offense, and have proven they’re the best Wisconsin’s got in terms of getting open. Wisconsin needs both of them to factor into the decision Saturday. Defensively, end James Thompson Jr. is having his best season from a production standpoint, and has shown more range in terms of where he’ll align up front.
Obviously, Ohio State is the better team on paper, but as we’ve seen from Washington and North Carolina recently, letdowns after a big win can happen occasionally. How do you see this game going and do you have a score prediction?
Bartholomew: Wisconsin isn’t on the same level with OSU talent-wise or depth-wise yet. I think the Camp Randall Stadium crowd will make things hard for the Buckeyes’ offense early, and maybe help keep the Badgers in it at halftime. But the bow will break eventually. Score: Ohio State 31, Wisconsin 16
