Wisconsin Ohio State Betting: Wisconsin Encounters A True Gut-Check Moment In Ohio

The Wisconsin Badgers slipped up last weekend at Michigan State. If they want to win the Big Ten Leaders Division, they have to come through this Saturday night in Columbus, Ohio.
Wisconsin Badgers @ Ohio State Buckeyes - Saturday, October 29

Sports betting line: Wisconsin -7

Why Wisconsin Will Win

The college football betting  experts who look at the Big Ten Conference have seen roughly two full months of football from Wisconsin and Ohio State, and while they might not be fully sold on the Badgers, they’re definitely not convinced by anything the Buckeyes have done so far this season. Ohio State’s 2011 campaign has been one long train-wreck, briefly stopped by an Oct. 15 win at Illinois that was still anything but impressive. To realize how far Ohio State has fallen, simply realize that the Buckeyes did not throw one pass in the final 20 minutes of their game at Illinois. This team is that poor in the passing game; first-year head coach Luke Fickell has been placed in a near-impossible situation after the forced resignation (technically a retirement, but savvy people know otherwise…) of Jim Tressel, the coach who turned Ohio State into a top-level superpower in the sport, but the point still remains that OSU’s offense has bottomed out this season. The Buckeyes almost got shut out at home on Oct. 1 against Michigan State, scoring with just 10 seconds left when trailing by two scores. Ohio State’s defense has been by far the anchor of the team, but even that side of the ball wilted on Oct. 8 at Nebraska. Ohio State owned a 27-6 lead and complete control of the proceedings, only to somehow allow four Cornhusker touchdowns in a quarter and a half. Nebraska plucked a 34-27 win from the improbable depths of a 21-point deficit. This is simply not the Ohio State team any seasoned college football fan recognizes, and Wisconsin – for all of its own weaknesses – is simply a much more complete and competent team than the Buckeyes are.

Why Ohio State Will Win

When you do your homework and assess your sports bet on this game, you do need to realize that Ohio State is getting better. It’s not all the way there, but with Braxton Miller now the clear choice at quarterback instead of a painfully errant Joe Bauserman, the Buckeyes are beginning to cultivate an identity. Miller can’t throw all that well, but he can run the ball either on planned plays or when the flow of action breaks down. With Dan “Boom” Herron back in the OSU running-game equation, the Buckeyes can flex their muscles a little bit and use power-football schemes to get the blood flowing on the offensive line. If Ohio State’s offense can score 17 points in this game, the defense is good enough to get multiple turnovers from inconsistent Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson, who struggled in his first road game of 2011 last weekend at Michigan State. A win for OSU isn’t likely, but it’s a lot more possible than anyone could have imagined three weeks ago.

Who Will Win

It’s tempting to go with the Ohio State upset, but there’s just too much of a gap in offensive capability and competence between these two teams. Even if Wisconsin plays an average game on offense, the Badgers should win as long as they don’t commit huge turnovers. Ohio State’s offense just doesn’t have anything that can hurt Wisconsin, and that will be the difference.

College Football Betting Pick: Wisconsin