Wisconsin Football: 5 Keys to upsetting Ohio State

If the Wisconsin football team is going to come away with the upset this weekend over Ohio State, these will be the five keys to doing so.

Through five of the first six games of this season, the Wisconsin football team had cruised to easy wins and climbed all the way up to number six in the country. Unfortunately, a road loss in Champaign, Illinois would bring the Badgers’ 6-0 campaign to a screeching halt.

Now Wisconsin has dropped to 13th in the rankings and instead of everyone talking about the playoff implications of their game against Ohio State this Saturday, everyone is wondering how this Wisconsin football team will respond after being punched in the mouth.

Their loss to the Illini was due to a number of self-inflicted wounds which is certainly not something that can happen again this Saturday if they hope to come away with a win. A road game at the Horseshoe against a loaded Ohio State team won’t be easy, but if Wisconsin hopes to pull off the upset, these will be the five keys to doing so.

Slow down Justin Fields

Based on what we’ve seen I’m not sure that defenses can truly stop the Ohio State quarterback, but Wisconsin will have to do everything in their power to slow him down. Whether it’s passing from the pocket or on the move with his legs, Justin Fields has been nearly unstoppable this season.

Through seven games, Fields is completing 70 percent of his passes for 1,492 yards and an incredible 22 touchdown passes to just one interception. On the ground, he is averaging 4.6 yards per carry and has another eight touchdowns.

Behind a stout Ohio State offensive line, Fields has been able to pick defenses apart with his deep receiving core and if the Badgers are able to create some pressure, he is still difficult to bring down. Slowing Fields is going to be a tall task but it is a must.

The Badger run defense

The Wisconsin run defense is still ranked as the best in the country but they did allow 141 rushing yards last week to Illinois. We just touched on what Fields can do with his legs but the Badger run defense will also have to worry about Junior running back, J.K. Dobbins.

Dobbins has already rushed for 947 yards this season – just 10 less than Jonathan Taylor – and is averaging a whopping 7.1 yards per carry with seven touchdowns. As a team, the Buckeyes rank third nationally with 287.1 rushing yards per game.

The recipe for success will be to slow Dobbins, while hopefully getting after Fields and forcing a mistake or two.

Limit the big plays

Last week Wisconsin converted 9 out of 17 of their third-down chances, out-gained Illinois and dominated the time of possession. But they still lost and big reason was because of the big plays that the defense gave up. Illinois’ three touchdowns came on scoring plays of 48 yards, 43 yards, and 29 yards.

This is an explosive Ohio State offense that averages 6.34 yards per rush (4th nationally) and nearly 13 yards a completion. With multiple playmakers at each position, if the Badger defense gives up easy touchdowns to the Buckeyes, it is going to be a long day.

Wisconsin can’t turn the ball over

In a hostile environment against a loaded Buckeye team, even one turnover could be the difference between winning and losing, so the Badgers must take better care of the ball. Prior to the Illinois game, Wisconsin had turned the ball over five times in six games. However, against the Illini, they would turn it over three times including a Jonathan Taylor fumble and a Jack Coan interception.

Against an Illinois squad that is far less talented than Ohio State, we saw what happened when Wisconsin gave them extra possessions. If the Badgers lose the turnover battle once again, they’ll have almost no chance of winning.

Jonathan Taylor

When you’re facing a difficult opponent, especially on the road, teams need their best player to take over and produce. Clearly for the Wisconsin Badgers that player is Jonathan Taylor. This season Taylor has 957 rushing yards on 6.1 yards per carry with 15 touchdowns. He’s also become a weapon in the passing game, having already totaled 16 receptions for 138 yards and four touchdowns.

The Buckeyes are certainly going to provide a difficult challenge for Taylor as they too have one of the best run defenses in the country, allowing only 92.7 rushing yards per game. Even so, it is going to be vital that Taylor gets going which will also help Jack Coan in the passing game.

When Wisconsin faced Northwestern and Illinois, we saw how tough it was for this offense to move the ball when Taylor wasn’t putting up his usual production. So a big game from him this Saturday is going to be crucial.