Ohio St. 38 - 7 Wisconsin (Final)

The Buckeyes continue to roll through the Big 10 like a runaway freight train, with no one able to give them a competitive game.  Wisconsin had completely dominated Michigan and Michigan State, and appeared to be the second-best team in the conference.  Maybe they are.  And for a quarter and a half, they seemed to meet OSU on fairly level ground.  But then the Buckeyes smashed them about as easily as they hammered Cincinnati, Nebraska, or any of the other over-matched opponents on their schedule.  OSU isn't out of the woods yet -- they still have to play Penn State, Michigan, and the Big 10 title game.  But you have to think that they are now a heavy favorite to reach the National Championship Playoff.

In the meantime, we did this blog from 2010 through 2016, and we never saw any team dominate the UCFC the way OSU is doing.  They aren't just winning -- they are crushing every team they play.

Ohio St. 24 - 7 Wisconsin (6:28 left in 3d Quarter)

The Wisconsin defense -- and, for that matter, the Wisconsin team -- look exhausted.  Fields got banged up scoring the last touchdown, and he is still in pain.  Nevertheless, OSU rolled down the field with very little difficulty.  The Buckeyes went 53 yards in only four plays.  The last play was a 9-yard run by J.K. Dobbins of LaGrange H.S. in LaGrange, Tex.

OSU has 300 yards of total offense, to only 107 for Wisconsin.  ESPN now gives OSU a 97.3 percent chance of victory.  Unless that number falls below 95 percent, I'm done with this game.

Ohio St. 17 - 7 Wisconsin (8:15 left in 3d Quarter)

Wisconsin is forced to punt, and OSU returns the punt to the OSU 47.  Now the Buckeyes can really put the hammer down.

ESPN gives OSU a 92.8 percent chance of victory.

Ohio St. 17 - 7 Wisconsin (9:34 left in 3d Quarter)

OSU took my advice.  They hammered the Wisconsin defense, going 75 yards in only eight plays.  Fields topped off the drive with a 10 yard scamper through a scattered Badger defense, and the Buckeyes have regained control of the game.

ESPN gives OSU an 89.4 percent chance of victory.

Ohio St. 10 - 7 Wisconsin (12:08 left in 3d Quarter)

It looked like OSU might dodge a bullet.  They had Wisconsin third and 6 at the OSU 26.  But then Wisconsin QB Jack Coan (of Sayville H.S. in Sayville, N.Y.) lobbed a pass through the rain toward A.J. Taylor (of Rockhurst H.S. in Kansas City).  Taylor made a great, leaping catch between two Buckeyes and fell into the end zone.  Wisconsin is on the board!

Kentucky fans could also tell OSU that if you're in a revenge game with the Badgers, they will never give up.  You have to beat them.

Ohio St. 10 - 0 Wisconsin (13:36 left in 3d Quarter)

Here come the Badgers.  First, the rejuvenated Badger defense forces a three-and-out.  And then the Badgers get their hands on the OSU punt.  The punt squibbed out of bounds at the Buckeye 30, and the Badgers will start from there.

Ohio St. 10 - 0 Wisconsin (Halftime)

Wisconsin gained a total of only 72 yards in the first half, with only four first downs.  The Badger offense has been completely dominated.  If they don't figure out something different, and figure it out soon, OSU fans should have a reasonably pleasant second half.

Ohio St. 10 - 0 Wisconsin (0:43 left in 2d Quarter)

Throughout the second quarter, OSU has slowly been gaining control of this game -- just as the stronger arm wrestler finally starts to push the other guy back.  OSU took the ball and went 58 yards on seven plays, putting themselves on the Wisconsin 27.  At this point, OSU finally threw deep.  Justin Fields (of Harrison H.S. in Kennsaw, Ga.) found Chris Olave (of Mission Hills H.S. in San Marcos, Calif.) all alone in the end zone, and the Buckeyes had their first touchdown of the game.

Ohio St. 3 - 0 Wisconsin (2:37 left in 2d Quarter)

For the fifth time in the first half, Wisconsin punts the ball.  OSU takes over on its own 15.

Gus Johnson says that we have a "classic Big Ten game."  I agree with him there.

Ohio St. 3 - 0 Wisconsin (6:52 left in 2d Quarter)

Finally, someone puts together something that's sort of a drive.  OSU goes 41 yards in 12 plays, which is not exactly the 1981 Chargers, but it gets them to the Wisconsin 32.  From there, Blake Haubeil (from Canisius H.S. in Buffalo) boots a 49-yard field goal through the driving rain to put OSU on the board.

Ohio St. 0 - 0 Wisconsin (11:27 left in 2d Quarter)

Another punt from Wisconsin.  OSU starts from its own 27.

Yes, it's really this exciting.  Gus Johnson is the high point so far.

Ohio St. 0 - 0 Wisconsin (14:08 left in 2d Quarter)

Another punt for Ohio State.  Wisconsin starts from its own 26.

Ohio St. 0 - 0 Wisconsin (1:12 left in 1st Quarter)

Another punt from Wisconsin.  OSU starts from its own 10.

Gus Johnson just read a promo for the World Series, and it was the best baseball commentary I've ever heard on FOX.

Ohio St. 0 - 0 Wisconsin (3:54 left in 1st Quarter)

Another punt by Ohio State.  Wisconsin will start from its own 19.

Ohio St. 0 - 0 Wisconsin (7:33 left in 1st Quarter)

Another punt by Wisconsin.  The Buckeyes will start from their own 13.

Ohio St. 0 - 0 Wisconsin (10:56 left in 1st Quarter)

The Bucks go nowhere, and punt back to Wisconsin.  After a penalty, the Badgers will start from their 19.

Meanwhile, the rain is pouring down, and Gus Johnson is talking about how we have "perfect playing conditions for this Great American Game called Football."  Gus Johnson is a treasure.

Ohio St. 0 - 0 Wisconsin (12:53 left in 1st Quarter)

Wisconsin takes the opening kickoff, doesn't do much with it, and punts to the OSU 30.

Ohio St. 0 - 0 Wisconsin (Pregame)

We have a noon kickoff, in Columbus, in the rain, on FOX, with Gus Johnson on the mike, and both the Buckeyes and Wisconsin wearing their real uniforms, as opposed to some weird alternate.  You can't ask fairer than that.

Ohio St. v. Wisconsin

OK, so let's review what Ohio State has done so far in its first year under coach Ryan Day (home teams listed first):

08/31/19:  Ohio St. 45 - 21 Florida Atlantic
09/07/19:  Ohio St. 42 - 0 Cincinnati
09/14/19:  Indiana 10 - 51 Ohio St.
09/21/19:  Ohio St. 76 - 5 Miami (Ohio)
09/28/19:  Nebraska 7 - 48 Ohio St.
10/05/19:  Ohio St. 34 - 10 Michigan St.
10/18/19:  Northwestern 3 - 52 Ohio St.

Very impressive.  OSU is number 3 in the country, trailing only Alabama and LSU.  They are 7-0, and they have yet to play a competitive fourth quarter.  But check out Wisconsin's record:

08/30/19:  S. Florida 0 - 49 Wisconsin
09/07/19:  Wisconsin 61 - 0 Cent. Michigan
09/21/19:  Wisconsin 35 - 14 Michigan
09/28/19:  Wisconsin 24 - 15 Northwestern
10/05/19:  Wisconsin 48 - 0 Kent St.
10/12/19:  Wisconsin 38 - 0 Michigan St.
10/19/19:  Illinois 24 - 23 Wisconsin

Until their trip to Champaign-Urbana last week, the Badgers were playing extraordinarily well.  They were caught napping at the end of the Illinois game and it cost them.  So today's game -- which should have been the Game of the Year in the Big 10 with two top-six teams -- features the number-3 Buckeyes against the number-13 Badgers.  Now it's not even the biggest game of the day; that honor goes to LSU v. Auburn.

But Kentucky fans know that Wisconsin is not the sort of team you want to play when they are the underdogs.  It is very difficult for the Badgers to maintain the type of discipline and focus that you need to go all the way -- they will often lose just when you start to believe in them.  But what they love to do more than anything is to beat heavy favorites.  And like Taylor Swift, there is nothing that they do better than revenge.  Now that the Badgers have probably thrown away their own chance at reaching the College Football Playoff, they would love to spoil Ohio State's chances.  The Buckeyes will not see the team that threw away a pretty easy win against a mediocre Illinois team.  Instead, they will host the guys who blew out Michigan and Michigan State.

Of course, the Buckeyes may turn out to be so good that they can beat Wisconsin even when the Badgers are going all out.  That's what Vegas thinks.  The folks out there have installed OSU as a 14 point favorite in a game where 49 points are expected.  That would work out to something like a 31-17 win for the Buckeyes -- and a very impressive win it would be.

Northwestern 3 - 52 Ohio St. (Final)

I don't cover college football games on Friday night, unless it's a bowl game.

Ohio St. 34 - 10 Michigan St. (Final)

Nothing much happened in the second half, as OSU used its defense to maintain its stranglehold on the Spartans.  For the game, the Buckeyes outgained MSU by 529 yards to only 285.  OSU took a solid, well-coached team -- the type of team you're likely to see in one of the better bowl games -- and crushed them.  OSU is now 3-0 in the Big 10, and 6-0 overall, and no one has been able to challenge them.

They get next week off, and the rest of their schedule looks like this:

10/18:  at Northwestern (1-4)
10/26:  WISCONSIN (5-0)
11/9:  MARYLAND (3-2)
11/16:  at Rutgers (1-4)
11/23:  PENN ST. (5-0)
11/30:  at Michigan (4-1)

After that would come the Big 10 title game, which would probably be a rematch with Wisconsin.  And then the Playoff.  It is a favorable schedule -- they get Wisconsin and Penn State at home, and Michigan is not as good as either of those teams.  If I were forced to guess, I would guess that the Buckeyes will run the table.  We'll know more about how good they are if they ever have to compete in the second half.  But so far, no one has been able to make them do that.

Ohio St. 27 - 10 Michigan St. (Halftime)

Ohio State tacks on a 43-yard field goal to end the first half, and ESPN now gives them a 97.4 percent chance of victory.  Unless something extraordinary happens, we won't be doing a lot more blogging on this game.

I am very impressed with the Buckeyes.  They are a spectacular team, and they have a very good chance to add the National Championship to the Big Gold Trophy.

Ohio St. 24 - 10 Michigan St. (1:46 left in 2d Quarter)

MSU goes three and out, and OSU will take over at its own 30.

Ohio St. 24 - 10 Michigan St. (2:24 left in 2d Quarter)

Well, that didn't take long.  On 3d and 2 from his own 33, J.K. Dobbins (of LaGrange H.S. in LaGrange, Tex.) bursts into the open field and dashes 67 yards for a touchdown.  The Buckeyes have suddenly scored 21 points in the second quarter, and the pressure increases on MSU.

Ohio St. 17 - 10 Michigan St. (3:36 left in 2d Quarter)

Michigan State never says die.  The Spartans grind their way down to the OSU 21 -- and had what appeared to be a wide-open touchdown pass, but the ball was overthrown.  So Matt Coghlin (of Archbishop Moeller H.S. in Cincinnati, Ohio) boots a 39-yard field goal, and Sparty is back within seven.  Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit are very concerned that MSU will regret missing that touchdown pass.

Ohio St. 17 - 7 Michigan St. (8:09 left in 2d Quarter)

Back and forth we go.  The Buckeyes are rolling now.  They go 75 yards in 7 plays, largely on the strength of Justin Fields's running.  Finally, Fields hurled a 21-yard touchdown pass to Luke Farrell, a real life Ohioan (he went to Perry H.S. in Perry, Ohio).  The Blackout crowd thinks this may lead to a blowout, and certainly the MSU offense is under pressure.

Ohio St. 10 - 7 Michigan St. (10:36 left in 2d Quarter)

Well, I didn't expect that.  The Spartans go 75 yards in five plays against the normally stout Buckeye defense.  The scoring play is a 25-yard pass from Brian Lewerke (of Pinnacle H.S. in Phoenix, Ariz.) to Darrell Stewart, Jr. (of Nimitz H.S. in Houston, Tex.)  (It's very interesting to see how few Midwesterners appear to be taking the field in this game, at least at the skill positions).  Anyway, the points still count, and MSU has clawed its way back into the game.

Ohio St. 10 - 0 Michigan St. (12:12 left in 2d Quarter)

Well, here we go.  From his own 40, OSU quarterback Justin Fields (of Harrison H.S. in Kennesaw, Ga.) hits Binjimen Victor (of Coconut Creek H.S. in Pompano Beach, Fla.) at about the MSU 25.  Victor goes racing down the sidelines and dives into a corner of the end zone.  After the usual litigation, the officials tell us that the call of a touchdown -- stands.  OSU adds the conversion, and the Buckeyes -- thanks to two big stars from SEC country -- have a 10-point lead.

Ohio St. 3 - 0 Michigan St. (14:09 left in 2d Quarter)

The Spartans move out to their own 39, can't move any further, and punt down to the OSU 14.

Ohio St. 3 - 0 Michigan St. (1:52 left in 1st Quarter)

Ohio State gets the ball out to its own 30, but can't get much further.  They punt to the MSU 24.

Very good defense from MSU so far.

Ohio St. 3 - 0 Michigan St. (4:49 left in 1st Quarter)

The Spartans make a few first down, but their drive stalls at midfield.  They punt down to the OSU 4.

Ohio St. 3 - 0 Michigan St. (9 minutes left in 1st Quarter)

For the third time tonight, OSU is held without a first down.  Once again, Blake Haubeil (of Canisius H.S. in Buffalo, N.Y.) comes on to try a field goal.  This time it's good, and the Buckeyes lead 3-0.

Ohio St. 0 - 0 Michigan St. (9:58 left in 1st Quarter)

So the Michigan State defense holds, and Ohio State MISSES a field goal.

The Spartans take over at their own 20.  But on their second play, they FUMBLE again.

That's four plays for MSU, and two lost fumbles.  Team Blackout will start from the MSU 22.

Ohio St. 0 - 0 Michigan St. (12:40 left in 1st Quarter)

But on Michigan State's second play from scrimmage, a Spartan receiver FUMBLES THE BALL at the 50.  Malik Harrison, a senior linebacker from Walnut Ridge H.S. in Columbus, Ohio, scoops up the ball, and returns it to the MSU 26.

Ohio St. 0 - 0 Michigan St. (13:30 left in 1st quarter)

The Spartans immediately show their intention to give OSU an actual contest -- as opposed to the walkovers the Bucks have enjoyed so far.  On the first possession of the game, MSU forces a three-and-out.  The Buckeyes punt, and MSU will start from its own 38.

Ohio St. 0 - 0 Michigan St. (Pre-Game)

Oh, I get it.  It's a whole blackout thing in Columbus tonight.  Everyone's in black -- the team, the cheerleaders, the band, even the fans.  To me, a "blackout" game is the sort of thing that a mediocre program -- Indiana, say -- should do once every decade or so when it plays a really big game.  Ohio State should play blackout games about as often as its fans should rush the field -- which is to say, never.

Michigan State is wearing white jerseys, green numerals, white pants, and white helmets with the traditional Spartan logo.  They look fine, although I like the green helmet better.

We are the 8 o'clock game on ABC tonight -- the second week in a row that OSU has appeared in prime time.  Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit are on the mikes.  For now, I'm listening to Pandora.  If things get close, I may go with Chris and Kirk.

Ohio St. 0 - 0 Michigan St. (Pre-game)

This game is already off to a bad start.  OSU is wearing black jerseys and black helmets with red trim.

Ohio St. v. Michigan St.

Michigan State did not join the Big 10 until 1949, and didn't become a regular part of Ohio State's schedule until the mid-1960's.  The Buckeyes have generally been the better team, and lead the all-time series 32-15.  But the Spartans have had their moments -- perhaps most famously in 1974 when they upset an undefeated Ohio State team 16-13 in a wild game at Spartan Stadium.  OSU thought it had scored the game-winning touchdown on the last play of the game -- but the officials ruled that the play did not count because the game ended before the ball was snapped.  Madness in Spartyland.  Woody Hayes went berserk, pushing a Michigan State fan who tried to get onto the field, and keeping his players in readiness for a final down that he thought should have been played.  MSU's coach said that the officials had declared the game over, and his team was done playing.  The Big 10 Commissioner of the time was at the game, and spent 46 minutes trying to figure out what had happened, while the players and fans waited.  Finally, he told Hayes that the game was well and truly over, and the Bucks had lost.  For me, an eight-year-old watching on ABC who had never seen OSU lose -- or even be challenged -- by a Big 10 opponent, the whole thing was a great thrill.  And a few years later, when Hayes's career ended with an attack on a Clemson player who had intercepted an OSU pass, I remembered how he had acted in defeat at East Lansing.

I don't expect that type of drama today.  This game is in Columbus, Ohio, for one thing -- and for another thing, Woody Hayes isn't there.  Michigan State is a good team -- they are 4-1 on the year, with their only defeat coming at home against Arizona State.  They are well-coached, and they play hard.  But they are not Ohio State.  The oddsmakers say that OSU will win by 20, and that the total number of points scored will be 50.  That would work out to a 35-15 win for the Buckeyes, which would be the closest game they've played all year.

Nebraska 7 - 48 Ohio St. (Final)

Last Saturday night, in Lincoln, Nebraska, the Cornhuskers had a chance to re-introduce themselves to the nation after a long period of mediocrity.  They had second-year coach and local legend Scott Frost.  They had a vociferous hometown crowd.  They had a night game that was also the featured game on ESPN Gameday.  They had lots of things going for them -- and they were absolutely crushed.  The Buckeyes rolled by 41 points -- the largest margin in history for a visiting team at ESPN Gameday -- and it wasn't that close.

Let's review the bidding on this OSU team.  Here's what they've done so far (home teams listed first):

08/31:  Ohio St. 45 - 21 Florida Atlantic
09/07:  Ohio St. 42 - 0 Cincinnati
09/14:  Indiana 10 - 51 Ohio St.
09/21:  Ohio St. 76 - 5 Miami (Ohio)
09/28:  Nebraska 7 - 48 Ohio St.

For those of you keeping track at home, OSU has outscored its five opponents by a total score of 262-43.  Even this figure doesn't really capture OSU's dominance, as I think they could have scored even more points in several of those games if they had really wanted.

So Nebraska will have to wait for a return to national prominence, and the Bucks keep the Big Gold Trophy.