Check out Doug Lesmerises' four thoughts on the Buckeyes as they prepare to face the Badgers.
View full sizeDeVier Posey and Ohio State's receivers will have their chance to shine on a big stage tonight in Madison. 1. Expect the Buckeyes to keep on throwing
Last year against Wisconsin, Ohio State gained 184 yards the entire game. Last week against Indiana, the Buckeyes put up that many yards in the first 17 minutes.
"This is a game we've had circled on our schedule for a while," OSU receiver DeVier Posey said this week. "As an offense last year we didn't do too great."
The Buckeyes were limited in part by their opportunities, getting only 40 offensive plays compared to Wisconsin's 89 plays in a 31-13 win because Ohio State scored two touchdowns on interception returns and another on a kickoff return.
But Ohio State also got off to a very slow start, gaining 31 yards on its first five drives.
"If we wouldn't have had those two defensive touchdowns and the special teams touchdown, without that they're beating us 13-10," OSU quarterback Terrelle Pryor said. "So we need to step it up for sure, and hopefully our defense plays as well as they always do."
The Buckeyes did come out throwing last season, their first 18 plays during that slow start consisting of 12 Pryor throws or runs and six tailback carries.
Everyone talked about physical football this week, but watch for the Buckeyes to come out throwing again, even though OSU coach Jim Tressel balked at the idea of his offense being called "pass-first."
"I would be surprised, we would have to mark it down, October the 12th, that we were called pass-first," Tressel said Tuesday. "I hope that we can be called balanced — you know, that you're not sure on any down [what] we're going to do, and then I think we've progressed."
At the very least, call the Buckeyes "pass most dangerous" then.
And Wisconsin is eighth in the Big Ten and 83rd in the nation in pass efficiency defense. San Jose State's starting quarterback completed 20 of 26 passes for 228 yards against the Badgers. Michigan State's Kirk Cousins was 20-of-29 for 269 yards.
This season, Pryor has thrown for at least 224 yards in five of six games, every start except the windblown, quad-injury win at Illinois.
Last season, Pryor topped 224 yards in just three of 13 games. The weather is expected to be fine today. So watch for the Buckeyes to keep going to the air and do it more effectively than they did against the Badgers last season.
2. Big hits from Jay Valai
Two years ago, the Wisconsin safety gave concussions to OSU running back Dan Herron and receiver Dane Sanzenbacher with big hits. Valai sat out last week against Minnesota with knee and rib injuries but is expected back today.
Back then, in his first year as a starter, the 5-foot-9 Valai was just a little guy with a big attitude. Now as a senior he's one of the Big Ten's best bigplay defenders
"He's like the great eraser back there," Tressel said. "It looks like you're going to make a play, and here he comes and whacks you."
Herron said he'll play with no fear, but he's also smart enough to keep an eye out for Valai.
"I was definitely out before I even hit the ground," Herron said of taking that hit two years ago. "I actually didn't know what happened until I came back and saw it on film. It's football. I didn't really have my head on a swivel and the guy got a pretty good shot on me. It happened, but you've got to keep your head on a swivel so things like that won't happen."
3. UW tight ends that aren't tight ends
Nobody in the Big Ten throws to the tight end more effectively than Wisconsin, with 6-foot-4, 241-pound senior Lance Kendricks coming into today as by far the Badgers' leading receiver, with 25 catches for 391 yards. He's No. 84.
But keep an eye on No. 89.
That's the number that senior Bill Nagy, a former Plain Dealer All-Star at Hudson High, wears when he's at tight end. The 6-foot-3, 318-pound Nagy started the first four games this season at right guard, but the Badgers changed up their line at the start of Big Ten play. Nagy now gets most of his snaps as the second tight end when Wisconsin really wants to pound it.
He threw key blocks on two touchdown runs by James White against Michigan State two weeks ago.
4. Which Badger is in the backfield
While Wisconsin back John Clay has run for 692 yards on 115 carries, a 6-yard average, White has gained 485 yards on 63 carries, a 7.7 yard average.
And in the last three games, White has actually outgained Clay, 361-299. The Badgers don't change their package of plays for the backs, but the Buckeyes have to be aware of which back is in the game — White at 5-foot-10 and 198 pounds or Clay at 6-1 and 250 pounds — because the effect is much different.
"Clay is more of a downhill power back, and White is more a scatback runner who's shifty," OSU safety Jermale Hines said. "They're not going to change their offense. It's just two different styles of running.”
Inside the Vest
The Buckeyes will have starting tight end Jake Stoneburner back today after a high-ankle sprain kept him out the past two weeks. In his absence, the role of running back Brandon Saine changed, as the Buckeyes used Saine in the game with another tailback, splitting him out in the slot and lining him up as an H-back.
It sure looked like one way to make up for the loss of Stoneburner as a pass-catching threat, but Tressel said this week the moves weren't related. Tressel said Stoneburner won't be ready to take his normal number of snaps this week, but watch how Tressel and offensive coordinator Jim Bollman deploy their personnel. Among Saine, Stoneburner and fullback Zach Boren, who is maybe the most consistently effective member of the offense, the Buckeyes can probably only have two of the three in the game at a time.
Done well, Ohio State should be able to keep Wisconsin guessing and allow the offense to take another step.