Ohio State football: Confidence level against Wisconsin

By Eric Boggs | Oct 27, 2023

Sep 24, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Jack Sawyer (33) wraps up Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Graham Mertz (5) during first half action of the NCAA Division I football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Wisconsin Badgers at Ohio Stadium. Helping on the play is Ohio State Buckeyes defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr. (51) and Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Steele Chambers (22). Mandatory Credit: Doral Chenoweth/The Columbus DispatchNcaa Football Wisconsin Badgers At Ohio State Buckeyes /

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The Ohio State Football team must be ready to play in a tough environment. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) /

The X Factor Confidence Level – 7

As I mentioned earlier, playing a Big Ten West Division foe on the road at night hasn’t always gone well for the Buckeyes. Camp Randall Stadium hasn’t always been kind to Ohio State. Since the year 2000, Ohio State has made seven trips to Madison, winning five of those games and losing two. Those five wins have been by an average of only 7.6 points.

The Camp Randall crowd is going to be hostile. Former Buckeyes will tell you, outside of playing in a “white out,” at Penn State, playing against Wisconsin in their house at night, this is the next most difficult venue in the Big Ten.

If this game was being played at home in the friendly confines of Ohio Stadium, I believe Ohio State would win comfortably, much like what we witnessed last season. But given the recent history of games at Camp Randall for the Buckeyes, and given the fact that Fickell will want to win this game more than any other on his schedule, I foresee another close affair for the Buckeyes in Madison. I am on record saying that Ohio State will win 28-20, so I have a confidence level of 7 for the X Factor this week.

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