WOW! Out Badgering the Badgers!!

Braxton Miller's 40 yard touchdown pass to Devin Smith with twenty seconds to go capped one of the most exciting five minutes of football that I have seen in quite a while to lift Ohio State to a 33-29 win over the visiting Wisconsin Badgers.
Miller completed seven of twelve passes for 89 yards,meaning that almost half his yards came on the game winner as well as rushing for 99 yards with two touchdowns on the ground.
Dan Herron was the other star with 160 yards on the ground.
Ohio State improves to 5-3 with the victory and hosts struggling Indiana next week.......

Buckeye Leaves

1) This game came down to one thing-Ohio State out Badgered the Badgers.
Through the years,Wisconsin has been the team in the Big Ten to give OSU the most problems because their massive offensive line just slammed the ball down the field with the running game and wore the defense down.
On this day,Ohio State was the physical bully and it was the Badgers paying the price.
Ohio State outrushed the kings of the ground game 268-89.
Wisconsin got away from the basis of their program and paid the price.

2) Braxton Miller's game winner was especially nice because he had a lane to run in,but showed the confidence to throw the ball when he saw Devin Smith wide open.
Despite Smith being so open,it was still a tough throw because Miller had to slam on the brakes in order to not go past the line of scrimmage.
Miller has had his share of issues in the passing game,but that throw could be the beginning of the maturation process for the freshman....

3) I have been critical of Dan "Boom" Herron through his years at Ohio State,but his play against Illinois and Wisconsin has been top notch.
How much of that is not having six previous games of wear and tear?
One cannot say for sure,but that has to be somewhat of a factor,however,I must concede that Herron has been the difference in the teams running game.
Only with the type of numbers that Herron has put up can a team win with such a one dimensional attack..

4) Ohio Stadium was rocking until the Jordan Hall fumble of a punt with game at 17-7.
Wisconsin quickly scored a TD with the great field position and the crowd quieted just as quickly.
Hall might have to be removed from punt duty as he was really struggling with fielding them last night,but his kick return for the final drive gave excellent field position when it was needed most.

5) Didn't mind the 1961 helmets,but the uniforms were not great.
Not all throwbacks are great,but I do need to get that mini helmet for the OSU collection....

6) The front four might have had a less than solid final few drives,but the previous three plus quarters were well played.
Russell Wilson was rushed constantly and was often unable to set himself in the pocket due to the excellent pass rush and the linemen did not allow Wisconsin's traditionally strong offensive line to tire them out either....\

7) Christian Bryant gambled on a pick in the first quarter and missed,which allowed Montee Ball to easily grab the ball and almost strut into the end zone.
I know the OSU secondary is young,but these mistakes seem to happen to someone each week...

8) C.J. Barnett was the best of the defensive backs as he made several big plays with key tackles.
Barnett might even be better in the box as a hybrid linebacker/DB and that is a look that makes sense for next season..

9) Ryan Shazier's punt block was a huge play in the game,but I wish that someone would have tried to scoop the ball instead of fall on it.
When you consider the lack of Badgers around the ball and the struggles of the offense scoring points at times,the need for easy scores becomes paramount....

10) The win puts Ohio State in control of their own destiny for a division (Bleh) title.
Win out and someone else beats Penn State (Bet on Wisconsin waxing them) and the Nebraska rematch is there for the taking....

11) This is the type of win that give Luke Fickel a chance to keep the head coaching position.
IF OSU wins out,I would bet Fickel stays on,Is that possible?
Yes,considering the schedule shows OSU being heavy favorites against Indiana and Purdue,getting the worst 8-1 team ever in Penn State in Columbus and michigan-this is possible.
I would not bet on it,but possible

Photo Credits
Celebration-Getty Images
Smith-Neal Lauron-Columbus Dispatch