A conference championship is on the line when the No. 11 Wisconsin Badgers (10-2) take on the No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes (11-1) Saturday in the Big Ten Championship. Both Ohio State (11-1) and Wisconsin (10-2) hope to continue their winning ways this week. The game will begin Saturday at 8:17 p.m. ET and can be seen on true.
The Big Ten rivals meet again with the Buckeyes having won three in a row over the Badgers, including a 31-24 victory the last time they played. Corey Brown had an outstanding performance the last time they played, catching eight passes for 85 yards and two TDs. Braxton Miller added 198 yards and four TDs through the air. Jared Abbrederis had a huge outing for Wisconsin in that game, grabbing 10 balls for 207 yards and one TD.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the Buckeyes-Badgers game this week is sitting at 55 points and Wisconsin is a small three-point favorite. The Buckeyes enter the game with records of 11-1 Straight Up (SU) and 7-5 Against The Spread (ATS) this season. Over their last five games, the Buckeyes have records of 5-0 SU and 2-3 ATS. Wisconsin’s defense better be ready for a battle this week. Its facing off against the red-hot Buckeyes offense, which has averaged 509.0 total yards during their last five games. Transitioning to the Ohio State defense, there are a few things to keep in mind when it is on the field. Expect the Buckeyes defense to really restrict Wisconsin’s aerial assault. The Buckeyes have the 17th-ranked pass defense in the land and give up only 188.2 passing yards per game. It is critical for the Badgers to prepare for Ohio State’s big-play defense, which ranks 19th in the nation with 2.3 turnovers per home game. The Buckeyes make it hard on their opponents right from the first whistle, averaging 12.3 points in the first 15 minutes.
Across the field, the Badgers have a record of 5-7 ATS and 10-2 SU. Over their last five games, the Badgers have a SU record of 5-0 and a 3-2 record ATS for those betting with them. The defensive front seven better be ready for Wisconsin’s bruising rushing attack which has averaged 328.4 yards on the ground over its past five games. Switching gears to the Wisconsin defense, there are certain areas where it measures up well against the Buckeyes. Wisconsin’s second-ranked pass defense has given its competition fits. Opponents have only thrown for 156.6 yards per game against this horrifying group. The Buckeyes need to recognize the importance of keeping the quarterback off the ground against the sack-happy Badgers. The defense ranks 16th in the country in sacks with 2.9 per game.
Predictions: SU Winner – OHST, ATS Winner – OHST, O/U – Over
Notes
Wisconsin is 5-10 ATS in its last 15 games.
Ohio State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games.
Wisconsin is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games.
Ohio State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games.
Wisconsin is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Ohio State.
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Ohio State’s last 11 games.
Wisconsin is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Ohio State.
Ohio State is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Wisconsin.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Wisconsin’s last 6 games when playing Ohio State.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Ohio State’s last 6 games when playing Wisconsin.
Wisconsin is 8-1 SU when leading at the half this season. Ohio State is 9-0 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
Wisconsin is 10-1 SU when leading at the start of the 4th quarter this season. Ohio State is 11-0 SU when carrying a lead into the fourth quarter.
Ohio State is undefeated (3-0 SU) in games where it wins the turnover battle, and 5-1 SU in games where it loses the turnover battle.
Since the start of last year, Ohio State is 14-1 SU against Big Ten opponents, while Wisconsin is 11-3 SU against conference foes.
The Ohio State passing attack is ranked only 51st in the nation, while the Wisconsin pass defense is ranked second. The Badgers passing game is ranked just 119th, compared to the 17th-ranked pass defense of the Buckeyes.
The Ohio State passing attack is ranked only second in the Big Ten, while the Wisconsin pass defense is ranked first. The Badgers passing game is ranked just 10th, compared to the fourth-ranked pass defense of the Buckeyes.
According to overall FBS team rankings, Wisconsin is rated higher in the ground game on both sides of the ball. Its third-ranked rushing attack will face the 39th-ranked run defense of Ohio State, while its eighth-ranked rush defense will look to contain the 12th-ranked running game of the Buckeyes.
The Wisconsin rushing attack is ranked first in the Big Ten this year, compared to the fifth-ranked run defense of Ohio State.
