The Ohio State Buckeyes will come into Camp Randall riding a wave of six straight wins, with the hopes of adding another against a Wisconsin Badgers team that has lost four in a row.
Ohio State has emerged as one of the few teams in college football who were ranked highly to begin the year and stayed there, proving that they belong.
Ranked No. 3 at the start of the year, they’ve maintained a grip on the top spot of the AP poll ever since Week 2. The two teams ranked above them in Week 1, Texas and Penn State, have struggled to live up to their championship aspirations.
Penn State has been absent from the top 25 since Week 6, following a disastrous three-game losing streak and the firing of longtime head coach James Franklin. Texas haven’t faltered as much as the Nittylions, but still are far from College Football Playoff contention at No. 21 in the country.
To gain the No. 1 position, Ohio State beat those same Texas Longhorns in a highly-anticipated Week 1 matchup. Rarely do you see two top-end teams duel it out in the first game of the season in the modern college football landscape, where many Power Four schools tend to schedule these games against inferior competition.
While the game didn’t live up to the heavyweight expectations, one thing became certain for the Buckeyes in their 14-7 win: the defense could keep their team in any game. The defensive unit gave sophomore quarterback Archie Manning fits all day long, limiting him to 170 passing yards and forcing a crucial third quarter interception.
The Buckeyes defense would carry that momentum into Week 2, in their 70-0 rout of Grambling State. Ohio State’s defense was all over the field and would collect three turnovers in the game, holding the Tigers to 166 total yards in a dominant showing.
Despite the defensive shoutout, the biggest story of the day was the breakout of sophomore quarterback Julian Sayin. After backing up Will Howard all throughout his freshman year, Sayin showcased the skillset that earned him his five-star rating in the 2024 recruiting class.
In his second career collegiate start, Sayin threw for four touchdowns and only had one incompletion — an interception in the second quarter. By halftime, Ohio State was enjoying a comfortable 35-0 lead, deciding to rest Sayin the remainder of the game.
Alongside Sayin, the entire Buckeyes offense was dialed in after being held to 14 points the week before. Sophomore wide receiver Jeremiah Smith hauled in two touchdowns and 119 yards, including an electric 87-yard touchdown in the first quarter. The ground game was potent as well, with freshman running back Bo Jackson rushing for 108 yards and a touchdown.
In Week 3, Ohio State took on their in-state rival Ohio Bobcats. Ohio State’s defense once again proved to be one of the best in the nation, holding Ohio to one touchdown in the 37-9 win.
Despite some struggles in ball security with two interceptions, Sayin was able to will his offense past the Bobcats with 347 passing yards and three touchdowns. Alongside Smith, junior wide receiver Carnell Tate broke over the 100 receiving yards mark, catching a touchdown in the process.
Following a bye week and in their first major test since Week 1, Ohio State went on the road to face the Washington Huskies in Week 5. Despite the hostile environment inside Husky Stadium, the Buckeyes once again silenced their opponents on offense, cruising to a 24-6 victory.
Despite forcing no turnovers for the first time all season, Ohio State’s pass rush was crucial in keeping Washington out of the end zone. Senior defensive end Caden Curry was commanding on the edge, securing three of the game’s six total sacks.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Buckeyes offense slowly found its way. Sayin found Smith in the end zone in the second quarter, capping off a 10-play, 73-yard drive to take the lead. Coming out of halftime up 7-3, Ohio State once again drove down the field, and this time, senior CJ Donaldson forced his way into the end zone with a 1-yard goal-line rush. Donaldson would also catch a touchdown later in the game, putting away any hope of a Huskie comeback.
Coming back to Columbus, the Buckeyes faced Wisconsin’s biggest rival in Week 6: the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
Even with Minnesota taking the early 3-0 lead in the first quarter and a missed Ohio State field goal, the Gophers failed to get any offensive rhythm against the Buckeye defense. Minnesota only converted one of their 11 third down attempts, being forced to punt seven times throughout the game.
Sayin and his offense continued to shine, with 326 yards through the air for Sayin and 126 rushing yards split between Ohio State’s running backs. Tate was dynamic in the receiving game, catching nine passes for 183 yards and a touchdown. Ohio State would claim the 42-3 victory, their fifth straight win holding opponents to under 10 points.
Most recently, Ohio State took on the Illinois Fighting Illini in Week 7. The defense caused chaos once again, forcing three turnovers in the 34-16 win.
In part to his defense giving him quality field position to start the game, Sayin would lead his unit to a 20-3 lead after one half of play. Donaldson showed up in the end zone, rushing and receiving for a touchdown just like he did against Washington. While the offense wasn’t as efficient as previous games, their 17 point lead out of the half gave them enough cushion to cruise throughout the rest of the game.
Wisconsin will have to find a way to stop an Ohio State offense that has evolved throughout the year. Sayin has become more secure with the football and makes the right plays to keep drives alive. Having not thrown an interception in his last three games, Sayin is maturing into the quarterback that Ohio State needs in order to make a championship push. With serious receiving threats in Smith and Tate and a more than capable rushing attack, Wisconsin’s defense will have their hands full in keeping the Buckeyes out of the end zone.
On the other side of the ball, Ohio State’s defense has proven all year to be the driving force behind their success. Whether that be adjusting mid-game to limit offenses or completely dominating from the kickoff, Wisconsin needs to find scoring opportunities with an offense that was just shut out against Iowa.
Ohio State has been trending upward since Week 1, with visible improvements to an already expected championship contender. Against a Wisconsin team that hasn’t won in over a month, let alone beaten Ohio State in over a decade, the Buckeyes will travel to Madison determined to use the Badgers as a stepping stone for playoff success.
