Wisconsin Badgers vs. No. 3 Ohio State game recap: Everything we know
Wisconsin Badgers vs. No. 3 Ohio State game recap:
Head coach Paul Chryst and the Wisconsin Badgers (2-2, 0-1 Big Ten), 18.5-point underdogs, walked out of the Horseshoe on Saturday night with their second loss of the season after a lopsided 52-21 defeat in the Big Ten opener.
For No. 3 Ohio State (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten), Saturday's victory marked the 26th straight home victory over a Big Ten opponent, to add some context to the blowout loss.
The Buckeye's top-ranked offense, led by Heisman hopeful C.J. Stroud, looked the part against UW, totaling 539 yards of offense on 7.7 yards per play. In short, Jim Leonhard's defense didn't have any answers.
Ohio State's 539 yards were the most allowed by the Badgers since OSU totaled 558 against UW in the 2014 Big Ten title game.
On offense, Wisconsin mustered up 296 yards of offense, most of which came in the second half when the game was well out of reach, looking like a shell of themselves against one of the nation's best programs.
Coach Chryst is now 12-18 against teams ranked in the top 15, including 5-10 against programs ranked inside the top 10.
Here's a recap of Wisconsin's road loss to the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes.
Key to the game: Obvious talent gap
Nobody expected Wisconsin to beat Ohio State on the road, but it would have been encouraging to see the Badgers play them tough. That wasn't the case on Saturday night.
At the end of the first quarter, the Badgers had just two more yards (23) than the Buckeyes had points (21) - not exactly ideal.
UW will never recruit at the level OSU does, but the gap in talent between the two schools seems...significant, to say the least.
It's reasonable to believe Wisconsin can compete with OSU in a given year, but when the Badgers don't dominate in the trenches, take care of the football, and control the clock - they simply cannot overcome the talent disparity.
It was over when...
Immediately after the Buckeyes walked down the field in six plays on the opening drive to score a touchdown, Graham Mertz handed it right back.
The Kansas native threw an interception on a pass intended for Chimere Dike. Not sure if there was a miscommunication between the two, but the throw wasn’t even close.
OSU scored again off the turnover, putting the Buckeyes up 14-0 with 8:54 remaining in the first quarter.
Standout performer: Braelon Allen
RB Braelon Allen: Braelon Allen was one of the lone players worth mentioning, carrying the ball 23 times for 165 yards and a touchdown.
In an otherwise embarrassing outing, he was one of the lone bright spots for the Badgers. Allen’s effort never waivered, and he played hard until the clock struck zero. Tip of the cap.
What's next
The Wisconsin Badgers (2-2) will return home next weekend, playing Bret Bielema and the Illinois Fighting Illini (3-1) at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday, October 1.