Ohio State Football: Buckeyes will make CFB history in Indy
The Ohio State football team has the chance to do something special this season and the road begins in Indy where they’ll make CFB history.
Ohio State has rewritten the record books for most of this season, but they’ll have a chance to add a brand new chapter in Indianapolis on Saturday night as they take on Wisconsin in a rematch. The Buckeyes have run right through their seemingly difficult schedule with ease and have earned a 10th conference game.
The significance of a tenth conference game is more than playing for conference championship rings. A victory in Indy will make Ohio State the first team in college football history to go 10-0 in a single season against their conference opponents.
Since the change in format to playing nine conference games instead of eight for the Big Ten, Pac-12 and Big 12 no team has accomplished this feat. Many of come close going 9-1, but a 10-0 champion has yet to emerge.
That will change on Saturday in Lucas Oil Stadium when Ohio State gets Wisconsin again. Beating a team twice in a single season is one of the toughest asks of a football team, especially when the games are within six weeks of each other.
Last time these two teams met was in Columbus on a dreary day. The Buckeyes and Badgers gave us a tight, defensive battle in the first half before Ohio State opened it up in the second half en route to a 38-7 blowout.
Judging the box score the game was never in doubt, but on paper the Badgers played well and will undoubtedly have a better scheme this time around. However, so will Ohio State and neither team will have to deal with weather which the Buckeyes have over the past couple of weeks.
Lucas Oil Stadium is an indoor, climate controlled facility where the Buckeyes will be able to showcase their elite speed on the edge and play the Badgers in space. I don’t see how Wisconsin will be able to keep up, despite it being a rematch.
This game will shape up to be an Ohio State track meet featuring Justin Fields and JK Dobbins having their way through the air and on the ground. Some say Dobbins was snubbed for Big Ten Running Back of the Year as Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor was awarded the honor.
This game will feature the two best running backs in the sport, but the advantage goes to Dobbins. Taylor will have to deal with a motivated Chase Young who was arguably held most of The Game last Saturday as he finished with zero tackles.
His impact was felt on the game and schematically the Wolverines did a good job, but Young felt like calls were missed so I expect a big game from him as well.
Ohio State will make another statement to solidify their No. 1 ranking heading into their third College Football Playoff berth. The Buckeyes clinching a berth will be drama free for the first time in the playoff era which will be a refreshing change from being on pins and needles all morning in years past.
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The trio of Buckeyes will all strengthen their Heisman campaigns as well as earn invites to New York as Ohio State will finish 13-0 (10-0) and win the Big Ten Championship for the third straight season. In the process they’ll become college football’s first team to finish 10-0 in conference play which is a well-deserved feat for this special football team.