Short of a visit from the nation's commander-in-chief, the buzz surrounding Saturday's match between the No. 18 Wisconsin Badgers (1-1 Big Ten, 5-5 overall) and the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes 2-0, 6-0) is as palpable as any campus event this year. With an evening start, a national television audience and a top-ranked opponent in the house, the atmosphere is sure to be electric from sun-up to well past dark.
Inside the Wisconsin locker room, however, the focus is on putting together 60 consecutive minutes of quality football.
Over the course of six games this season, Wisconsin has at times been border-line dominant. At other moments, dormant seems to be more applicable. The Badgers will have to make a big leap forward in consistency to top the Buckeyes.
""You just have to be really detailed, make sure you have every assignment right on every play and just go out and have fun,"" said redshirt freshman wide receiver Jared Abbrederis.
Abbrederis is in the midst of establishing himself as a legitimate option for senior quarterback Scott Tolzien. While the Badger passing attack usually leans heavily on play-action, Abbrederis has displayed a knack for taking slants and wide receiver screens and getting up the field in a hurry.
""I love getting the ball and those screens, the Wautoma, Wis. native said. ""I like having the ball in my hands quick so I can make a move and go.""
Any offense is better off when it is capable of producing yards and scoring in a variety of ways, but against the Buckeyes' defense, multiplicity is necessary. To say the five-time defending conference champion is the measuring stick in the league may be understating things.
""I think teams around the nation try to stack up against a program like Ohio State,"" Badger defensive backs coach Chris Ash said. ""Year after year after year they're at or near the top of the rankings and everybody in the nation is gunning for programs like that.""
Ash's secondary, along with the rest of UW's defense, will have its hands full with the Buckeyes' offense, led by junior quarterback and Heisman trophy candidate Terrelle Pryor. The dual-threat quarterback has already thrown for 15 touchdowns and run for more than 350 yards this year.
""The whole defense has to change what they do,"" Ash said. ""We have to have discipline to stay in coverage because he makes most of his plays when he's outside scrambling … we have to do a good job when he does scramble to stay with our guys and not let him complete balls down the field.""
The last time Ohio State came to Madison, Pryor was a freshman but engineered an 82-yard fourth quarter drive and scored the game-winning touchdown with 1:08 remaining to secure a 20-17 win. The last three games between these two teams at Camp Randall have been decided by a combined 15 points. If that is any indication, Saturday night could very well live up to all the hype.
""This is what you dream for right here,"" Abbrederis said.
