Ohio St Buckeyes at Wisconsin Badgers, Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI
Saturday, October 16, 2010, 7:00 pm Eastern, TV: ESPN
Opening Line: Ohio St -6
Current Line: Ohio St -4
Opening Total: 53 1/2
Current Total: 49
Money Line: Ohio St -180 / Wisconsin +160
Ohio St is 6-0 and is outscoring its opponents by an average score of 43-14. Though the Buckeyes have played one road game, a narrow 24-13 victory at Illinois. The Buckeyes will have a very difficult task as they come into Madison to take on the #18 Badgers. Wisconsin is 40-4 straight up at Camp Randall Stadium in recent years. This will definitely be the toughest test of the year so far for the Buckeyes. Ohio St is 15-4 ATS in the last 2 years including 12-4 ATS as a favorite. Ohio St is 85-60 ATS vs conference opponents since 1992 and 41-23 ATS as a road favorite in the same time period.
As dominant as Terrelle Pryor and the Buckeye offense have been, the defense might be even more so. They are giving up only 237 yards a game and have forced 17 turnovers, including 11 interceptions. The Buckeyes are giving up on 78 yards a game rushing and 158 yards passing. If there is a weakness for the Buckeyes, it is protecting the quarterback, as the Buckeyes have allowed 13 sacks so far this season. The offense is led by Heisman trophy contending quarterback Terrelle Pryor. Pryor is a dual threat quarterback who has passed for 1,349 yards, 15 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions. He has rushed for 354 yards and three touchdowns. Dan Herron is the teams leading rusher by a yard over Pryor, and Herron has 20 more carries than Pryor. Herron does have 7 rushing touchdowns. The Buckeyes have three receivers that do most of the damage, Dane Sanzenbacher, DeVier Posey and Brandon Saine. Sanzenbacher has 27 catches for 411 yards and 7 touchdowns. Posey has 26 catches, 364 yards and three touchdowns. Running back Saine has only 13 catches but does have 4 touchdown catches to go with 2 rushing touchdowns. The Badgers would be wise to not forget about Saine as he is a dangerous weapon.
Wisconsin is 5-1 with the only loss coming to Michigan St two weeks ago 34-24. They are outscoring their opponents 37-19 and are outgaining them 450-308. They have forced 12 sacks and 6 turnovers. The strength of the Badgers attack is the running game as they are running for more than 240 yards a game. John Clay (115 carries, 692 yards, and 9 touchdowns) is the team’s leading rusher but James White (63 carries, 485 yards, 8 touchdowns) and Montee Ball (46 carries, 201 yards, 3 touchdowns) both get significant carries as well. Quarterback Scott Tolzien doesn’t have to much with strong running game, but he still throws for 200 yards a game with 7 total touchdown passes and only 2 interceptions. Tolzien’s top target is receiver Lance Kendricks who has 25 catches, 391 yards and 3 touchdown catches.
You can bet that Jim Tressell reminded his Buckeyes that last week’s number one ranked team had a road game at the #18 ranked team in the country and wasn’t number one after that game. Alabama was considered to be almost invincible before losing to South Carolina last week 35-21. Now the Buckeyes have the target on their chest that comes with being the number 1 team in the country. Make no mistake Wisconsin is a very dangerous team and also plays in one of the loudest stadiums in the country. Pryor took the Buckeyes into Madison when he a freshman in 2008. He said that you could feel the stadium and the firld vibrating when the crowd would jump up and down. This game could help determine the Big Ten conference champion and it should be a great game.
