After 14 weeks of intense football action, the Big Ten Championship game is finally here and it is only fitting that two of the hottest teams in the FBS today will contest the top prize. Ohio State enter the final with a 10-game winning streak but their run is in serious jeopardy of being halted after their star quarterback J.T. Barrett fractured his ankle in their last game against Michigan.
They will have their work cut out for them this coming Saturday as they face a Wisconsin side that is on a seven-game winning tear and will have Melvin Gordon, who will look to improve his candidacy for the Heisman Trophy.
Can the Buckeyes survive the loss of its second Heisman Trophy candidate this season? Or will the Badgers foil the Buckeyes’ dream of reaching the first-ever College Football Playoff? Read on for a preview of this Big Ten championship showdown and while you’re at it, you can check out our previews of Florida State vs. Georgia Tech and Arizona vs. Oregon.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]Wisconsin Badgers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Betting Preview
Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
When: Saturday, December 6, 2014, 8:17 PM ET
Line: Wisconsin Badgers (-4) vs. Ohio State Buckeyes (+4) – view all NCAA Football lines
Betting on the Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin will enter the Big Ten Championship match against Ohio State with all the momentum on their side after beating 18th-ranked Minnesota 34-24 last Sunday to extend their winning streak to seven games. Melvin Gordon was the star of the show for the Badgers once again as he ran for 151 yards and two touchdowns to send Wisconsin to their third Big Ten final in the event’s four-year history.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]It has been a stellar year for Gordon who has cemented his place as one of the Heisman Trophy candidates this season with his outstanding play. Gordon already has 2,260 rushing yards and 29 total touchdowns this season. He has been consistent all season long as he has topped the 100-rushing yard mark in every single game this year except against Western Illinois in early September. If that wasn’t enough, he has surpassed the 200-rushing-yard mark five times this season, including that mammoth 408-yard performance against Nebraska
Gordon will fancy his chances of doing some damage against Ohio State’s defensive line that is 40th in the FBS in rushing defense this season, allowing 145.6 YPG. The Buckeyes have particularly struggled with their rushing defense the past three games, allowing Tevin Coleman (Indiana) and David Cobb (Minnesota) to run for 228 and 145 yards respectively.
The Badgers will also rely on their defense, which has been one of the best this season. They are fourth in the nation in scoring defense allowing just 16.8 points per game and second in total defense surrendering just 260.3 YPG. They will need to pressure the Ohio State offense right from the get-go especially with the Buckeyes parading an untested quarterback in Cardale Jones.
The Badgers are 7-0 in their last seven games.
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Betting on the Ohio State Buckeyes
It isn’t a complete surprise that Ohio State will face a major injury crisis ahead of their Big Ten Championship match with Wisconsin this coming Saturday. It has just been that kind of year for the Buckeyes. First, they lost Braxton Miller to a right shoulder injury before the start of the season.
This was a guy who threw for 2,094 yards and 24 touchdowns and ran for 12 more scores last season for Ohio State. Such a loss would have been crippling for any team but not these Buckeyes. They buckled down and persevered under the leadership of freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett. Not only did Barrett meet expectations, he surpassed them.
He led the Buckeyes to a perfect 8-0 record in the Big Ten as he ranked ninth among starting quarterbacks in total offense with an average of 314.3 yards per game. Unfortunately, the injury bug struck once more as Barrett suffered a broken ankle in the win over Michigan last Saturday ruling him out for their championship match against Wisconsin.
With Barrett out, the Buckeyes will pin their hopes on third-string quarterback Cardale Jones. He has thrown just 17 passes this season, completing 10 of them for 118 yards and two touchdowns. The onus is on senior wide out Devin Smith (662 yards, 8 touchdowns) and sophomore Michael Thomas (639 yards, 8 touchdowns) to be active immediately on the passing routes so Jones can have a feel for his passing game right at the start.
He will have a fight on his hands, though, as the Badgers have the second-best passing defense in the nation today, allowing just 156.6 yards per game via the aerial route this season. The good thing with Jones, though, is that he has proven to be a good dual-threat quarterback just like Barrett. Jones has averaged 7.9 yards per carry in limited touches this year.
Supporting him in the ground attack is Ezekiel Elliot who has racked up 1,182 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Buckeyes this season. They will look to pounce on a Wisconsin defensive line that is eighth-best in the FBS in rushing defense, allowing an average of 103.8 YPG this season.
The Buckeyes are 10-0 in their last 10 games.
Writer’s Prediction
Wisconsin’s (-4) ground game will be too much for a depleted Ohio State. The Badgers win, 34-24.
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