Friday, October 28, 2011

The Board Breakdown - Wisconsin@ Ohio State

The Buckeyes have had a chance to study Wisconsin for two weeks and got to see how the Badgers win and lose games. With Saturday quickly approaching, the Buckeyes are in their final preparation steps; and everyone is wondering what's going to happen.  Will the Badgers make more special team's errors?  Will the Buckeyes have an effective passing offense?  Who will win the battle in the trenches?  All of that will be answered this weekend, but until then we can only make predictions.

Bad news first...

Wisconsin O vs Ohio State D

The Bucks MUST avoid a slow start if they want to win this game, and avoiding the slow start will keep the Scarlet Storm loud since they've had a chance to tailgate for hours before the game. This will be a hard hitting game.

Wisconsin's huge offensive line caused problems for the Buckeyes last year as they pounded the ball down their throats after getting up early. The bad news is that this O-Line is still huge, but the Buckeyes have some interior size of their own in Big Hank who weighs around 335 lbs. The weakness of this big Badger line is quickness. They have the mean streak and strength to drive opponents off the ball, so the key to stopping this offense starts with containing Montee Ball. The guy is a great RB, but he took a pop last week that kept him out for a multiple series. The Bucks need to come out hitting hard and show their toughness. The focus of stopping the running game is steady gap control by the whole defense. Everyone must play their assignments and make tackles. The Buckeyes have to play fast to get penetration and pressure the QB.

Wilson is a good QB, but he's not Superman. Yes, he's having a good season, but the guy DOES NOT want to be hit; and he likes to run the ball on occassion. Getting pressure on Wilson makes the difference in his game. The Badgers have good WR's, so you can't allow him to pick you apart.
Wilson can be a difference maker in the game if he's connecting with his receivers and picking up yards on scrambles.  With OSU's athletes on defense, I wouldn't expect him to take off on any big runs because he will  scramble to the sidelines or look to slide.  He, like Ball, doesn't want to get his bell rung.
The Buckeyes need to be flying to the ball, and everyone needs to be ready to hit. Who is tougher?

Now, the good news...

Ohio State O vs. Wisconsin D

This aspect of the game is strength-on-strength and weakness-on-weakness. This bodes well for the Buckeyes who have a steady ground attack. The Badgers D plays sound defense. They don't have a J.J. Watt this year, but they still play tough up front. The big issue with this defense is pursuit to the ball and speed. Boom Herron and Carlos Hyde have running styles that are well-suited for a defense like this, and the Buckeyes will surely rely heavily on the three-headed monster that is Herron, Hyde, and Jordan Hall.  It'll be interesting to see how many carries each back gets, but could this be the game where Hall catches the ball more or even lines up in the slot? Coach Fickell said he had a plan for all three backs this week, so I wouldn't expect any negative tweets after the game from these guys. Braxton should be back running full force with having a little break from play, and his speed could be dangerous against this Wisconsin D.  All three backs and Braxton have the ability to take one to the house if given the room, so big plays in the running game are a definite possibility.The running game will make the game shorter and keep the Badger offense off the field.
This Wisconsin secondary can be exploited with speed, so Philly Brown could potentially have a huge game if Braxton is ready. This should be the coming out party of the OSU passing game which will help the running game be more successful. There is no excuse for not being able to score some points in this game. Jake Stoneburner's presence could be huge as the Buckeyes nickle and dime their way down the field. Wisconsin's defense is not a push-over, but OSU has the athletes to be effective. 

The Conclusion...

Special teams was bad last week for Wisconsin. This could potentially be one of the most important aspects of the game. Plus, Jordan Hall is due for a big return.

Offensively, Ohio State needs to eat up the clock; but the passing game must show up if the Bucks want a shot at Indy. Run the ball, don't commit turnovers, and capitalize on mistakes. This is the style OSU wants to play, and it should work in this game.

Defensively, the Buckeyes need to play with attitude. They need to hit hard and win the battle in the trenches. We'll see what they're made of this week.

It'll be a chilly night in Columbus, but a Buckeye victory would bring new life to Buckeye Nation. Buckeye fans need to be loud. We all want this one.