“Jump Around” The Badgers and The Buckeyes!

The stage is Camp Randall with its 80,000 fans jumping around, and two of the most respected coaches in the Big Ten, Senator Tressel and Bret Bielema, face off. Bielema has never beaten Tressel in his short tenure coaching Bucky. This week is a perfect time to start, the atmosphere is almost too perfect to knock off the #14 Buckeyes. #18 Wisconsin comes off of a devastating two point loss to an unranked Michigan after leading 19-0 at half, the Badgers are ready to return the favor to Ohio State and hand the Bucks their first Big Ten season loss. Tressel has a less than stellar record against Wisconsin, 2-3 and the last two times the Bucks visited Camp Randall they came away with there stem between their “Buckeyes”. That being the said the Bucks know not to take the wounded Badgers lightly ”Wisconsin is a challenge. It’s a huge game,” linebacker James Laurinaitis said. “They deserve every bit of respect we can give them.” 

Game-plan to winning the game for Wisconsin:

Defense:

Make the freshmen Terrelle Pryor beat you: Wisconsin won’t get to him every time he’s just to good, but stopping the run and making the new guy beat you away from his comfort zone may be too much for even the most veteran quarterback to handle.

Blitz Blitz Blitz: Blitz 70% of the time and allow the defensive ends to keep contain on Pryor and load the box with eight or nine guys to nullify the run. Complicated blitz packages do just that, they frazzle the quarterback forcing bad decisions and if I were Dave Doeren, Defensive Co-ordinator, I put my best linebacker to spy on Pryor and let the Blitz do its job.

Offense: Ohio State is susceptible to the pass and Wisconsin needs to stretch the defense to hit the underneath passes, screens, and draws to nickel and dime the Bucks to death. The run will be hard to establish against the front seven of Ohio State they’re just too good and too fast.

Game-plan for Ohio State:

Defense:

Time to wake up: This year has been a strange one for the Bucks they have allowed far less superior  teams, aside from the USC, to put up points against what was suppose to be one of the stingiest Defensive units in College football. The Bucks need to get pressure from the front four and rush Allan Everidge into making bad decisions. He was nearly perfect up till last week when he was pressured into tossing two interceptions in Bucky’s week 4 loss to Michigan. P.J. hill is a load, and will be tough to stop when he runs with a head of steam. The Bucks should be able to put seven or eight guys in the box and effectively stop the big back.

Offense:

Establish the run: Allow Chris “Beanie” Wells to set the tone and allow Pryor to make the easy throws to gain confidence. Will Beanies foot hold up for the pounding he will take against a much more aggressive and athletic team than Minnesota fielded? I hope so. 

Field Goals: Its tough to score away from home and against a hostile crowd in the cold Midwest. Look for Ryan Pretorius to have more than three attempts this game.

Prediction: It pains me to say this, but the realist in me see’s this one going to Wisconsin there are too many variables working against Ohio State. Final score 28-19 Badgers win this one.

J.N.