Buckeyes Haven’t Lost To Badgers Since 2010

The No. 1-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes can complete an immaculate season and enter the College Football Playoff undefeated, but first they have to face a familiar foe in the No. 12-ranked Wisconsin Badgers for the Big Ten Conference championship.

The Buckeyes trounced the Badgers 38-7 when they played in Week 9 and have won seven straight games vs Wisconsin dating back to 2010.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

It shouldn’t be a shock to bettors to see the Ohio State Buckeyes open as overwhelming 16.5-point favorites in the Big Ten championship, regardless of opponent. The Buckeyes are one of two undefeated teams in the NCAA, have won all 12 of their games by double digits and own an average win margin of 38.1 points per game.

That’s why it’s confusing that Ohio State has dropped to -15.5 at some books with nearly 67 percent of the bets on the Badgers as of this writing.

Ohio State News & Notes

Having the No. 1-ranked offense to go with the No. 4 defense in the country, it’s pretty hard to deny the Ohio State Buckeyes their due. They have smashed teams all year in a high-end Big Ten Conference, taking down four ranked teams in Penn State, Michigan State, Wisconsin and, of course, Michigan, putting a beating on the Wolverines in Ann Arbor.

But as explosive as the Buckeyes offense has been, the pass rush has been nearly unstoppable. It’s led by DE Chase Young, the potential No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, who had four sacks vs Wisconsin earlier this season. The Buckeyes are only allowing 11.8 points per game (ranked fourth in the NCAA) and when they faced Wisconsin’s high-powered running attack in Week 9, they limited the Badgers to seven points and RB Jonathan Taylor to 52 yards rushing.

Wisconsin News & Notes

The Wisconsin Badgers may be a bit of a one-tricky pony but that one trick – running the ball – could be the key to slowing down the potent Buckeyes offense. The Badgers have an All-American running back in Jonathan Taylor and they need to keep the Buckeyes off the field and control the clock if they want to stay in this game.

The Badgers still have a top-10 defense that yielded only 14.5 points per game this season, but they got exposed when they faced the Buckeyes in Week 9, marking the only time this season they allowed an opponent to score 30 or more points.

Wisconsin has two impressive wins this season, knocking off Michigan 35-14 in Week 4 and then going into Minnesota and running it down the Gophers’ throats for a 38-17 victory in the final game of the season. It will be an uphill battle for the Badgers to get the momentum vs Ohio State but if QB Jack Coan limits the mistakes and Taylor can get the run game going, they’ve got a shot at the upset.

Betting Pick: Ohio State -15.5

As much as Wisconsin can pose a threat to teams in the Big Ten, Ohio State is manufactured to be a national title contender and has routinely beat up on the Badgers in this spot. With an average win margin of 38.1 points per game this season, the Buckeyes should win this game easily.