Looks like my belief is solo this weekend.. even the Madison writers are failing to give much to Bucky this weekend.. alas.. I march on
TCT's Inside Take: Wisconsin at Ohio State
The Capital Times — 11/02/2007 9:53 am
Members of The Capital Times staff forecast Saturday's Big Ten Conference game between Wisconsin (7-2, 3-2 Big Ten) and top-ranked Ohio State (9-0, 5-0) at Columbus, Ohio.
Mike Lucas: UW coach Bret Bielema was shocked when he saw the taped highlight of Ohio State offensive tackle Alex Boone leaping over wide receiver Brian Hartline as part of a touchdown celebration at Penn State. At 6-foot-8, 325-pounds, Boone is not exactly built like a gymnast. But he was able to vault the 6-3 Hartline. In awe of such athleticism, Bielema acknowledged, "Our guys can't do that." What the Badgers have done, though, is throw a scare into the Buckeyes before ever stepping on their turf. That's because Jim Tressel, who's 71-14 at Ohio State, is only 1-3 against Wisconsin. Moreover, the Badgers have won three straight in Columbus, negating perhaps any potential emotional letdown for the top-ranked Buckeyes.
Pick: Ohio State 24, Wisconsin 3
Season record: 8-1
Jim Polzin: About the only thing the suddenly dominant UW defense didn't do last week against Indiana was turn one of its five forced turnovers into a touchdown. The last defensive touchdown for the Badgers came last season, when Jack Ikegwuonu returned an fumble 50 yards for a score against Minnesota.
A defensive TD would be huge for UW on Saturday. Considering the mismatch between the UW offense and Ohio State defense, it might be the only way the Badgers find the end zone. Failing a score of its own, the other way the UW defense could help the team record what would be a major upset would be to do something else it has come close to doing the last two weeks -- post a shutout. I don't see that happening, either.
Pick: Ohio State 27, Wisconsin 3
Season record: 9-0
Adam Mertz: Zach Brown isn't Matt Schabert, the third-string quarterback whose improbable 79-yard touchdown pass to Lee Evans felled No. 3 Ohio State in 2003. Nor is he Josh Hunt, the walk-on whose kick returns salvaged an ugly win over Western Michigan just hours after the suspensions were doled out for the Shoe Box scandal. He's more like Carlos Daniels, a backup running back who powered the Badgers to a win at San Diego State in the season opener in 1998, a triumph that kicked off an 11-1 season and a Rose Bowl berth. Can Brown, the best option for UW should P.J. Hill either be unable to play or ineffective, channel the spirit of unexpected heroes past? Or will the Big Ten's best defense stifle the running game and force Tyler Donovan to be flawless?
Pick: Ohio State 24, Wisconsin 13
Season record: 9-0
Joe Hart: Even if P.J. Hill were healthy, which he isn't, it would make no sense to pick the Badgers in this one. Forget all the Xs and Os, forget about UW's domination of Northern Illinois and Indiana the last two weeks, and forget about UW's recent success against the Buckeyes. All you need to know is this: the Badgers gave up 437 yards in a 38-7 loss at Penn State, and Ohio State gave up only 263 in a 37-17 win at Penn State. The Buckeyes never punted last Saturday night. They've won 19 straight Big Ten games, tying Michigan's record set in 1990-92. If you're among the vast majority of UW fans who won't get to see this one on TV, count your blessings. It could get ugly.
Pick: Ohio State 31, Wisconsin 10
Season record: 9-0
Todd Finkelmeyer: From Sept. 29 through Oct. 13, in games played against Michigan State, Illinois and Penn State, the UW defense gave up a whopping 103 points. But since that stretch, the Badgers' defense has looked like a completely different unit en route to holding Northern Illinois and Indiana to a combined six points the past two weeks. Is the Wisconsin defense evolving into the dominating unit many thought it could be when the 2007 season kicked off? Wisconsin's best chance at pulling off the major upset is for its defense to suffocate Ohio State, because it's tough to envision the UW offense putting up many points against a Buckeyes defense that ranks first in the nation in both points (8.9) and yards (214.6) allowed per game.
Pick: Ohio State 24, Wisconsin 10
Season record: 8-1