Game Prediction: No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Wisconsin Badgers

Big Ten football is back in Columbus. Could this be a potential Big Ten Championship preview on Saturday night?

Author:
Brendan Gulick
Sep 23, 2022 2:55 AM EDT

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Since the Big Ten began playing a conference championship game, no team has won their respective divisions more often than the Ohio State Buckeyes and Wisconsin Badgers.

But that doesn't lend appropriate credence to how well Ohio State has played against their cross-division rivals from Madison. The Buckeyes haven't lost to Bucky Badger since 2010, nor have they lost a home game since 2004.

Could this Wisconsin team be the ones to knock them off and pull off the latest major upset in college football?

Here's what our lead staff writers at BuckeyesNow think about Saturday's primetime kick.

What's the betting line for Ohio State vs. Wisconsin?

WISCONSIN at OHIO STATE – Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Spread: Ohio State (-19) on SI Sportsbook
O/U Total: 57

Ohio State vs. Wisconsin Predictions

Brendan Gulick: Ohio State 38, Wisconsin 20

I tend to think the spread is a good one. Wisconsin has to try and make that clock run fast, don't they? The Badgers have to know they can't win in a shoot out. Ohio State is capable of a defensive touchdown, but we haven't seen one yet this year so it's hard to feel like they're on the precipice of scoring one.

I think Wisconsin's defense struggles to cover Ohio State's wideouts and I think Marvin Harrison Jr. is going to start getting some serious run in the Biletnikoff conversations.

Graham Mertz, Braelon Allen and the Badgers O-Line have a chance to keep this thing interesting for a little bit. But ultimately, I think the Buckeyes make quite a statement to open league play with a resounding win.

Andrew Lind: Ohio State 49, Wisconsin 17

This game will give us a true indication of where Ohio State stands defensively, as Wisconsin has the running game to control the tempo and time of possession. But if the Buckeyes are able to force some turnovers or force the Badgers to play catch up, that will throw off their entire game plan.

Wisconsin turned the ball over three times and committed 11 penalties in the loss to Washington State two weeks ago, so the blueprint is there for Ohio State. The raucous environment combined with the Buckeyes’ fast-strike offense will make this one ugly pretty quick.

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