In a game whose outcome was largely influenced by several big plays, the Buckeyes came away with their fifth win of the season while keeping their record perfect in the Big Ten. Wisconsin outgained Ohio State in total yardage by a factor of two (Wisconsin-368, Ohio State-184). Despite controlling virtually every aspect of the game offensively and defensively, the Badgers were unable to claw their way to a victory as Ohio State relied on its defense and special teams to win the game. Here are my thoughts on yesterday's head-scratching victory by the Buckeyes.

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The Buckeyes started out slow, gaining just 24 yards and being forced to punt the ball away on the first three offensive drives of the game. The third drive of the game for the Badgers looked promising as they marched down the field. Badger quarterback Scott Tolzien then threw a pass directly to safety Kurt Coleman. In his best Brian 'Chief Playmaka' Rolle impersonation, Coleman proceeded to return the pick 89 yards for a touchdown (thanks to some excellent blocking by his teammates).

The third quarter was one of the strangest quarters of football I have ever experienced in my life. Ohio State ran three plays for a total 11 yards in the third quarter. Typically, a stat-line like that yields a team zero points. The Buckeyes, however, scored 14 points in the quarter thanks to a pair of returns: one by the defense and one by the special teams. Jermale Hines tipped, juggled, and caught a pass from Tolzien which he returned for a touchdown (again thanks to some excellent blocking). After allowing a Wisconsin field goal, the Buckeye kick return team set some great blocks for senior return specialist Ray Small who streaked untouched up the middle of the field for a 97-yard touchdown. The Badgers gained a total of 123 yards in the third quarter on 27 plays yet only managed to put three points on the board (thanks to a missed field goal).

I struggled to pick a word that not only alliterates with Pryor but also describes his horrible performance yesterday. Terrelle finished the game with 87 yards and 1 touchdown on 5 of 13 passing and 35 rushing yards on 10 carries. In the second quarter, TP tossed an idiotic interception to Wisconsin defender Culmer St. Jean. The interception led to a fake field goal that resulted in Wisconsin's only touchdown of the afternoon. There was not a Buckeye within 10 yards of St. Jean when he made the interception. It is decisions like these that by our quarterback that truly frustrate me. Another 'poopy' decision by Pryor was recognized by everyone in attendance at the 'Shoe as Pryor elected not to throw to a wide-open Dane Sanzenbacher and instead tuck the ball and attempt to run upfield with it.

In the final drive of the first half, I saw Pryor being utilized exactly as I think he should be. Pryor began the drive using his legs and athleticism, carrying the ball for 27 yards and 6 yards on consecutive plays. TP then completed a pass to Jake Ballard and a pair of passes to DeVier Posey (one for a touchdown). On his 27 yard carry, Pryor started running to the left, saw that there were not any open running lanes, and then reversed to the right. If Pryor uses the speed and athleticism that he is blessed with more often, rather than trying to make the big play through the air, this offense would be ten times more explosive. What worries me the most about Pryor's game is his inability to complete short passes. He seems to have a good grasp on slant and in routes as well as the deep fly route, but anything else seems more likely to be intercepted than completed.

The offense was unable to keep the defense off the field yesterday (defensive and special teams touchdowns don't help the matter either). Ohio State held possession of the football for just over 17 minutes, which means the defense was on the field for almost 43 minutes. Despite being on the field for such a large portion of the game, the defense was still able to come up with a pair of big plays and hold the Badgers to just 13 points. As much as I hate seeing our talented defense surrender 368 yards, I can sympathize with them because they were on the field for so long and they made big plays when they needed them.

Ross Homan led all tacklers with 15 tackles on the afternoon. He also had two sacks and forced a fumble. Brian Rolle and Kurt Coleman each recorded 14 tackles, and Jermale Hines finished the game with 11 tackles. I cannot remember a game in which four Buckeyes finished with 11 or more tackles (of course the time of possession was a large factor in these high tackle totals). While watching the game, Homan and Rolle stood out to me as they seemed to be in on every single play. Rolle impresses me with his ability to traverse the field with ease and Homan impresses me with his sound tackling technique.

In addition to Homan's two sacks, Nathan Williams, Thad Gibson, Cam Heyward, and Lawrence Wilson each recorded a sack in yesterday's game as well. The Buckeyes were able to get good pressure on Badger quarterback Scott Tolzien all afternoon. Wisconsin's offensive line had only allowed two sacks on the year up to this point. The talented Buckeye defensive line brought that total up to eight on the year. The more I watch this defensive line play, the more I become convinced that they are the most talented (and deep) group in the nation.

Offensive Player of the Game: Kurt Coleman, Jermale Hines, Ray Small

Not a single player stood out to me on offense yesterday, so I decided to award the OPG Award to a pair of defenders and the return specialist. If it were not for the contributions of Coleman, Hines, and Small, Ohio State would have likely lost yesterday's game.

Defensive Player of the Game: Ross Homan

Ross stood out to me while watching the game. He is not afraid to attack the ball-carrier and he plays with great intelligence. I am officially adding Homan to the list of players who may decide to leave early for the NFL Draft (others are Thad Gibson and Cam Heyward).

Team Grade: C-

I give the defense a B+ and the offense a D-. Had it not been for the one drive at the end of the first half where Pryor marched his troops downfield for a touchdown, I would have awarded the offense with an F.

We clearly have one of the most talented defenses in the nation. Unfortunately, we are also blessed with one of the more mediocre offenses in the nation. After the game, I asked myself an interesting question: Will I ever see an Ohio State team ranked in the Top 25 if it does not have a defense that ranks in at least the top 20?

The Buckeyes travel to West Lafayette next Saturday to take on Purdue. Let's hope the offense shows a pulse next weekend!

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