MADISON, Wisc. — Saturday’s game at Camp Randall Stadium felt like every Ohio State game this season rolled into one.
Quarterback Kyle McCord made mistakes that you’d expect from a first-year starter — and then some. The defense did its part to keep the game close, allowing just three Badger points in the first half, and on the stat sheet, the Buckeyes dominated. But the game was uncomfortably close for the entirety, especially against an overmatched opponent.
Then, the Buckeyes made the plays they had to.
Marvin Harrison Jr. showed why he’s the best receiver in college football. The offense did enough to put the game away late. And most importantly, the defense got it together to keep the Buckeyes in the lead, as Ohio State found a way to grind out yet another win, 24-10, over a pesky Wisconsin team.
The Buckeyes are now 8-0 with four regular season games to play, and each time they have played, it’s been in grind-it-out fashion.
Latest Ohio State Buckeyes news
- Where does Ohio State stand in the recruitment of four-star defender Justin Hill?
- Will Ohio State football’s first-round 2025 NFL Draft haul break the record?
- Texans GM explains why he drafted Cade Stover, and C.J. Stroud’s name didn’t come up: Buckeye Breakfast
- Ohio State football safety back in NCAA transfer portal
McCord has worst game of season
For weeks, McCord had flirted with disaster. Each week, he’d get away with some, if not all of it. Saturday, those errors caught up with him.
He finished 17 of 26 for 226 yards, but threw two interceptions and had key intentional grounding penalties in the second half to bring the offense to a halt. One of those penalties, which happened on a third down, took the Buckeyes out of potential field goal range.
McCord was limited by what appeared to be a left leg injury, and didn’t look comfortable in the pocket for the entire night. The stats weren’t as ugly as McCord’s on-field product looked. His performance certainly wasn’t one to look back on fondly.
Moving forward, it’s the same as it ever was with McCord: There are errors to clean up with his game, ones that could burn the Buckeyes in the near future if he’s not more careful.
First half gets messy
On paper, Ohio State had Wisconsin on the ropes in the first half.
The scoreboard, however, told a much different story.
The Buckeyes led just 10-3 at halftime. Statistically, it was a dominating first two quarters, but key errors (three of their first-half possessions ended in turnovers, one of which was on downs) kept it a one-possession game at the break.
McCord threw two interceptions, one of them - in the Wisconsin end zone - his ugliest interception of the year, as his decision-making was poor through the first two quarters. He ended the first half 10 of 19 with 140 yards passing with one touchdown.
Ohio State had the chance to put Wisconsin away in the first two quarters, or at least put the Badgers in some trouble, and the Buckeyes didn’t do it.
BET $5, GET $200 BONUS BETS
DRAFTKINGS SPORTSBOOK
BET $50, GET $250 BONUS BETS
CAESARS SPORTSBOOK
BET $5, GET $200 BONUS BETS & $100 OFF NFL SUNDAY TICKET
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK
$1,000 FIRST BET OFFER
BETMGM
BET $1, GET $200 BONUS BETS
BET365
FanDuel Ohio is live and accepting wagers. There are also other OH Sportsbook offers like the bet365 Ohio promo, DraftKings Ohio promo, and the BetMGM Ohio bonus code.
What it means
The Buckeyes have, for another week, won in a game that they had to grind out. As for if they can do this for the entire season and into a College Football Playoff? That remains to be seen.
First it was the win over Notre Dame, where they had to score on the final drive to get to 17 points. Then it was Maryland, where they had to rebound in the second half with a dominating performance. Then it was Penn State, where they won with 20 points on the back of their dominating defense.
In total, from games against Notre Dame, Maryland, Penn State and Wisconsin, the Buckeyes have scored 81 points. Each time, though, they’ve found a way to win.
The Buckeyes are now 8-0, and one look at their November schedule shows that the toughest part of the first 11 games are behind them. The schedule has now cleared for an 11-0 Ohio State team to travel to Ann Arbor on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
What’s next
Ohio State will head to New Jersey to play Rutgers to begin the final third of its schedule. The Buckeyes will end the season with a November slate that includes Rutgers, Michigan State, Minnesota and Michigan.
If you or a loved one has questions and needs to talk to a professional about gambling, call the Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-589-9966 or the National Council on Program Gambling Helpline (NCPG) at 1-800-522-4700 or visit 1800gambler.net for more information. 21+ and present in Ohio. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
