Ohio State at Wisconsin: What to know about Saturday night’s game

Where: Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisc.

TV/Radio: NBC/1410

Series history: Ohio State leads 62-18-5. The Buckeyes have won nine in a row since an upset loss at Wisconsin in 2010, and they are 27-11-2 in Madison.

Last meeting: The Buckeyes got out to a quick 21-0 lead and never looked back en route to a 52-21 victory last season at Ohio Stadium. C.J. Stroud threw for 281 yards and five touchdowns.

Coaches: Ohio State’s Ryan Day is 52-6 in five seasons, including 35–2 in the Big Ten and 3-0 against Wisconsin. Ohio State grad Luke Fickell is 6-2 in his first season at Wisconsin and 69-27 overall in nine seasons as a head coach. He is 0-1 against Ohio State with a 42-0 loss during his tenure at Cincinnati in 2019.

Ohio State notes: Ohio State has not played at Wisconsin since 2016… Marvin Harrison Jr. leads the nation yards per catch (18.2)… The Buckeyes are fourth in the nation in total defense (260.2 yards per game) and third in scoring (10.0 points per game)… Ohio State is 79-29 in night games, including 37-11 on the road… The Buckeyes have won 15 regular season night games in a row… According to research by bucknuts.com, Fickell is one of three former OSU head coaches to face Ohio State since 1923. Ohio State beat Sam Willaman’s Western Reserve squad 76-0 in 1934 and Paul Brown’s Great Lakes Naval Training Station team 26-6 at Ohio Stadium in 1944… Starting center Carson Hinzman (St. Croix Central) is the only Wisconsin native on the Ohio State roster.

Wisconsin notes: The Badgers last beat a top 3 team when they upset Ohio State 31-18 in 2010…Braelon Allen leads the Big Ten in rushing and is the 14th Badgers to rush for more than 3,000 yards in his career… Will Pauling is tied for third in the Big Ten with 37 catches… Wisconsin defensive coordinator Mike Tressel is the nephew of former Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel… Badin High School grad Braedyn Moore, true freshman safety, is one of 10 Wisconsin players from Ohio… The last prime-time Big Ten game at Camp Randall was the 2020 season-opener, a win against Illinois, but the Badgers have won four home night games in a row since losing to Ohio State in overtime in 2016 under the lights.

Quoted: Fickell on the matchup: “The best teams don’t always win games. The most talented teams don’t always win games. College football, every Saturday, it’s crazy how things happen. It’s about figuring out where you got to close some gaps and then, ultimately, can you play loose? Can you play fast? And can you still play aggressive no matter who it is you’re playing against?”

Next week: The Buckeyes remain on the road and travel to Rutgers for a noon start next Saturday. Wisconsin is set to play at Indiana.

Prediction: Ohio State 31, Wisconsin 10