Wisconsin vs. Ohio State Football 2009
Badgers, Buckeyes Fight for 1st Place in Big Ten
Ohio State (4-1) and Wisconsin (5-0) are two of just three teams who have yet to lose a Big Ten matchup, and the winner of the 3:30 p.m. EST contest will have sole possession of the conference lead. The Buckeyes and Badgers are 2-0 in the Big Ten. Iowa is 1-0.
Wisconsin is looking to go 6-0 for the first time since 2004, when the Badgers won their first nine games. Standing in the way will be an Ohio State team that’s been surging since losing 18-15 to Southern Cal the second week of the season. Coach Jim Tressel’s Buckeyes won handily at Indiana 33-14 in a Big Ten game last Saturday.
Bret Bielema’s Badgers prevailed in their first road game of the season last week, holding on for a 31-28 Big Ten win over Minnesota. That enabled Wisconsin to gain a No. 25 ranking in the USA Today coaches poll this week, but the Badgers ended up one position short of the Top 25 in AP voting.
Although the Badgers are unbeaten, they’ve defeated only one team – Wofford – by more than eight points. And they have yet to meet a ranked opponent.
That’ll change in Saturday’s game, which will be telecast by ABC.
Badgers Winning the Close Ones
Wisconsin hardly raised eyebrows by beating Northern Illinois 28-20 in its opener, and needed an overtime interception to top Fresno State 34-31. Nor were the Badgers overpowering in beating Michigan State 38-30 in their Big Ten opener, nor by edging out Minnesota.
But Wisconsin’s winning, and a solid balanced offense is paving the way. The Badgers are putting up 35 points per game, and averaging 433.2 yards.
And they’ve almost been almost perfectly split between the pass and run, as they’re running for 218 yards a contest and throwing for 216. One problem they’ve had is with fumbles. They’ve lost seven this season.
But quarterback Scott Tolzien has thrown just three picks while completing 82 of 125 passes for 1,043 yards and nine touchdowns. And the junior has been sacked just twice.
Clay Carries Wisconsin Ground Game
Tolzien has standout receivers in tight end Garrett Graham and sophomore Nick Toon. Graham’s made a team-high 23 catches for 268 yards and Toon has hauled in 22 passes for 269 yards and two TDs.
Isaac Anderson, meanwhile, has 12 catches for 255 yards and a TD, and tight end Lance Kendricks has added 12 receptions for 135 yards and two TDs.
But the Badgers’ biggest weapon on offense is John Clay, a 6-foot-1, 248-pound sophomore who’s rushed for 590 yards on 112 carries. Clay, averaging 116.4 yards per game, has scored a team-high seven TDs.
Wisconsin also has another capable runner in Zach Brown, who has 211 yards and three touchdowns on 51 carries.
Badgers Defense Forcing 3 Turnovers Per Game
The Badgers certainly haven’t been an air-tight defense, as they’ve been giving up 24.6 points and 363 yards per game. But they’ve forced 15 turnovers.
One reason for that is safety Chris Maragos, who’s made three of Wisconsin’s eight interceptions in addition to recording 26 tackles.
But the most disruptive force has been defensive lineman O’Brien Schofield, who’s come up with 11 tackles for losses – including 4.5 of his team’s 14 sacks. The senior has 26 tackles overall, as well as two forced fumbles and four quarterback hurries.
Linebackers Mike Taylor, Jaevery McFadden and Culmer St. Jean pace Wisconsin in tackles. Redshirt freshman Taylor has 35, including five for losses. McFadden’s contributed 32 and St. Jean has 31. Jay Valai leads the DBs with 23 stops.
Saine Steps Up for OhioState
Ohio State’s offense is recording 29.4 points and 369.2 yards per game, and Terrelle Pryor is the team’s leading passer and rusher. The 6-foot-6, 235-pund sophomore has run 55 times for 298 yards and three touchdowns.
But Pryor is certainly not the Buckeyes’ only rushing threat. Tailback Dan Herron sat out the Indiana game because of an ankle injury, but Brandon Saine stepped in and ran for 113 yards.
Saine, a junior, has run 49 times for 294 yards in 2009. Sophomore Herron has served as the workhorse, running 64 times for 233 yards and five touchdowns.
Pryor is 66-for-114 passing for 854 yards, with eight TDs and five interceptions. He has a particularly lethal receiver in Dane Sanzebacher, who’s collected 302 yards and four TDs on just 14 catches. But the receptions leader is 6-3 sophomore Devier Posey, who has 19 catches for yards and two touchdowns.
Buckeyes Sparkle Without Star Safety Coleman
Star safety Kurt Coleman was suspended by the Big Ten for delivering a helmet-to-helmet hit in a 30-0 shutout of Illinois, and was forced to sit out the Indiana game. But the Buckeyes defense was still dominant, giving up just 229 yards.
Ohio State has been surrendering only 11.8 points per game to rank eighth in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision. They’re also ninth in yards allowed with 252.6.
Despite missing a game, Coleman is still second on the team with 29 tackles, and the senior has forced three fumbles. Linebacker Brian Rolle paces the Buckeyes with 37 tackles and Ross Holman, another member of the linebacking corps, has 27.
The Buckeyes will again have to play without one of their standouts, as Dexter Larimore is out with a strained knee. The 6-2, 300-pound tackle leads OSU lineman with 17 tackles.
But Ohio State has another good one in 6-6, 285-pound Cameron Heyward, who's posted 16 tackles and two sacks. End Thaddeus Gibson has five tackles for losses and two forced fumbles, and Todd Denlinger – a potential replacement for Larimore – has four tackles for losses, including two sacks. The Buckeyes have registered 12 sacks this season.
Buckeyes Hold Large Lead in Series
Ohio State holds a 52-17-5 lead in the series that’s become more competitive in recent years. The Buckeyes have won the last two matchups, and seven of the last 11. They took a 20-18 decision last year in Madison.
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