Ten B1G Things

1. It was a tale of two halves! -Every sportswriter on earth
2. This game marked the first time all season Ohio State has trailed at the end of the first quarter
3. This was the first game in which OSU failed to score in the first quarter since...the last time they played Wisconsin
4. Ohio State never trailed by more than 6 in any of its 12 regular season wins
5. This was a very different Wisconsin team than the one that mustered 7 points in Columbus
6. Taylor made the most of his do-over against OSU, tallying 148 yards
7. 89 of his yards came on two big plays, with OSU bottling him up for 3.2 ypc on his 18 other carries
8. Dobbins once again carried the day for the Buckeyes with 172 yards
9. Fields played what was arguably his worst game of the year, and still mustered 3 TDs and key runs
10. He also coughed up the ball on a drive that looked sure to knot the game
11. Coan did his very best Fields impression, throwing 17 completions for 232 and rushing for TDs
12. Wisconsin rushed for 194 first-half yards and 6 second-half yards
13. Fields (40) surpassed Drew Brees (39) in TDs and the once-maligned K.J. Hill surpassed David Boston to become OSU’s all-time leading receiver
14. Chase Young, on a night of bear hugs and consistent double-teams, finished with 4 solo tackles, 6 total, and a drive-ending blowup of an end-around.

The End

They had us in the first half, as the meme says. Wisconsin came out with a solid gameplan and near-flawless execution. Like Michigan last week, the Badgers marched down the field for a score. OSU started the game in a 4-LB set, and quickly transitioned out of it when Coan picked the pass coverage apart.

Without belabouring the point, Ohio State’s second half adjustments completely stymied Wisconsin. From the start of the third quarter through OSU’s final field goal, the Buckeyes outgained the Badgers 256-23. Jack Coan was 13/25 for 201 in the first half, but the Buckeyes held him to 4/8 for 31 in the final two quarters.

Was the victory enough for a top seeding in the CFP? Probably not. LSU will get credit for beating a Georgia team whose offense resembles electric tabletop football. But the case could be made for the Buckeyes. None of the contenders had a final run that equaled that of the Buckeyes. OSU faced three top 15 opponents in the last three weeks and won each game by two scores or more. LSU, by comparison, has faced one ranked team in that time. Nonetheless, the SEC “gauntlet” billing will likely result in OSU falling to the second spot.