Camp Randall Stadium – Madison, WI
Kickoff: Saturday, 8:00 p.m. ET
Line: Ohio State -10.0, Total: 44.0

#8 Wisconsin will be looking to make a statement with a home victory over undefeated #2 Ohio State on Saturday.

Ohio State looks the part of a national champion, as the team has won its five games by 42.4 PPG. The Buckeyes’ most impressive victory on the young season was a 45-24 victory as one-point road favorites against the Sooners. This meeting with Wisconsin is, however, the biggest test for Ohio State thus far. Wisconsin has wins over LSU and Michigan State this season and the team also came close to beating the Wolverines in Ann Arbor. The Badgers lost that game 14-7 as 11.5-point road underdogs and had a bye week to recover and prepare for this one. They’ll need that extra week of preparation, as the Buckeyes have won each of the past four games against the Badgers and have covered in three of those games. Both teams have some trends working in their favor, as Ohio State is 8-1 ATS versus teams that outscore their opponents by 10+ PPG over the past three seasons and Wisconsin is 30-11 ATS versus teams that average 450 or more yards per game since 1992. The Badgers are dealing with significant injuries, though, as LB Vince Biegel (Foot) is out for another week or two and K Rafael Gaglianone (Back) is out for the season.

QB J.T. Barrett (981 yards, 15 TD, 3 INT) has had better days than the one he had against Indiana last week. In that game, Barrett was just 9-for-21 with 93 yards, a touchdown and an interception through the air. He did add 137 yards and a score on the ground, but there is some concern over the way he is throwing and he’ll need to be better against Wisconsin. The Badgers have a stifling defense and they’ll find a way to stop the run on Saturday. That means that Barrett will need to make some plays over the top or Ohio State could suffer its first loss of the season. Defensively, if the Buckeyes can stop the Badgers’ running game then they should find a way to blow them out in this one. CB Marshon Lattimore (15 tackles, 3 INT) and S Malik Hooker (23 tackles, 4 INT) will both be threats to make big plays in this one. This Ohio State secondary is relentless and gets to face an inexperienced quarterback in Alex Hornibrook. Hornibrook also happens to lack arm strength, so his slow passes will give Lattimore and Hooker plenty of time to track down balls in this one.

Wisconsin’s defense is elite once again, as the team is allowing just 291.0 YPG (11th in NCAA) and 12.2 PPG (4th in NCAA). One of the reasons this unit is so good is because of the play of LB T.J. Watt (29 tackles, 5.5 sacks). Watt is one of the most talented players in the country and has been a nightmare for opposing offenses this season. He can make tackles all over the field, but he is also a truly gifted pass rusher. Look for him to be a difference maker in this game, as he’ll be tasked with keeping an eye on the versatile J.T. Barrett throughout the entirety of this contest. Offensively, RB Corey Clement (319 yards, 5 TD) is going to need to have a good game on Saturday. Clement rushed for just 68 yards on 17 carries against Michigan, but Wisconsin will need more out of him in this one. The Badgers are a ground-and-pound team and they’ll lose this game if they are not successful running the ball. If they can find a way to gain some good yardage on the ground then that will really help freshman QB Alex Hornibrook (466 yards, 4 TD, 5 INT). Hornibrook is an accurate passer, but he has a very weak arm and that has led to some mistakes this season. He was just 9-for-25 with 88 yards, a touchdown and three picks against Michigan last game and will need to be better on Saturday. If he turns the ball over more than once in this game then it’ll be very difficult for Wisconsin to keep this game close.