No. 9 Ohio State Favored By 16 Over Wisonsin

NFL News - October 8th, 2009 - Written by Scott

The only two undefeated teams in the Big Ten will square off on Saturday night as Wisconsin will travel to play No. 9 Ohio State. Ohio State has won the past two meetings with Wisconsin, as the Badgers have let second half leads get away. The Ohio State Buckeyes defeated Indiana last week 33-14. Wisconsin is coming off of a close game with Minnesota in which they won 31-28. A win for Wisconsin will springboard them into the Top 25, despite already being 5-0. Wins in close games could be what has kept them out, as four of their five wins have been by less than eight points.

Ohio State will brings a very balanced offense against Wisconsin. Their offense is lead by duel-threat quarterback Terrelle Pryor. Pryor has lit up defenses both through the air and on the ground, accounting for 11 touchdowns. He has passed for 854 yards and 8 touchdowns and also has a team best 298 yards rushing. The Buckeyes boast two running backs who have surpassed the 200 yard mark. Brandon Saine has rushed for 294 yards and Daniel Herron, who missed last week's game with an ankle injury, is expected to play and has 233 yards rushing. The Buckeyes' defense has been solid in their past two contests and have held their opponents scoreless. They are ranked 10th nationally in rushing defense and are only giving up 83 yards per game on the ground. They will be tested this week against a strong Wisconsin rushing attack.

Wisconsin leads the Big Ten in scoring this year and is averaging 35 points per game. Like Ohio State, they have a very balanced offense as well. Quarterback Scott Tolzien has passed for 1,043 yards and 9 touchdowns this season. Running back John Clay has led a strong Badger running attack that ranks 14th in the country. He has rushed for 582 yards and 7 touchdowns. Tolzien has three wide outs who have over 250 yards receiving. Defensively, the Wisconsin Badgers this year have committed to playing more players on the defensive line and at linebacker. This has proven to be effective as they are able to continue to force pressure late in the game with fresh legs. They have already recorded 14 sacks and 34 tackles for a loss this year. They will look to continue this against the Buckeyes to contain Pryor. Their defense has also forced 15 turnovers this season.

Ohio State will be favored by 16 against Wisconsin on Saturday according to Bodog sportsbook. The Buckeyes won their meeting last year 20-17, but Wisconsin is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Ohio State.

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