With the high bar its football program has set over the past few years, one could argue Ohio State struggled offensively last week against Indiana.
The Buckeyes accounted for less than 100 yards in the passing game, completing just 9 of 21 attempts, and struggled to convert on third down.
The end result? Ohio State still posted 38 points, and a late 37-yard touchdown pass from J.T. Barrett to Dontre Wilson sealed a 38-17 victory.
That’s what teams must cope with when facing No. 2 Ohio State, and the University of Wisconsin defense is well aware of the challenges at hand this Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium.
“Indiana did a good job, but it’s just one of those things — that’s kind of who Ohio State is,” UW inside linebacker T.J. Edwards said. “In one play, they could be gone for 80 yards down the field. You might think you have them trapped and under control, and then all of a sudden you miss a tackle and they have points on the board.
“They’re a team that’s really explosive on offense. They can hit you with a lot of one play and they’re off the field — 80-yard touchdowns and stuff like that. I think the biggest thing we can do is just try to stay disciplined in everything that we do.”
Ohio State’s offense begins with the dual-threat Barrett, an experienced quarterback who — despite only being a junior — needs to produce three more touchdowns to break Braxton Miller’s school record of 88.
The off game at Indiana notwithstanding, Barrett has still proven he can throw the football with the best of them. He passed for nearly 3,000 yards and 34 touchdowns in 12 games before getting injured in 2014, and he’s completed 64.2 percent of his passes this season with 15 touchdowns and three interceptions.
UW cornerback Sojourn Shelton remembers facing Ohio State in 2013 as a freshman and said this week Miller is still the best college football player he’s ever faced. He knows Barrett will bring similar challenges for the Badgers’ defense.
“J.T.’s a run threat,” Shelton said. “You see it every week in college football. That read option with him is something. Teams aren’t really stopping it. Then also he can throw the football. If you make tight windows, he can fit the ball in those windows.
“It’s going to be cool to face another Ohio State quarterback in that system that we know is going to be elite and can do everything. You’ve just got to find a way to slow him down. Easier said than done.”
The Red Zone podcast: Previewing Wisconsin-Ohio State, the biggest game at Camp Randall in years
Stopping Barrett and the Buckeyes’ read-option is chore No. 1 for UW’s defense. Its effectiveness stands as the main reason Indiana still allowed 38 points despite shutting down Ohio State’s passing attack.
The key, while more difficult than it sounds, is maintaining disciplined assignment football. On a given read-option play, one player has a responsibility to stop the quarterback and another must stick with the running back. Missing tackles or breaking away from that plan allows Ohio State to rip off big gains.
“Everyone’s just got to do their job,” UW defensive end Alec James said. “There’s going to be plays where they get some yards, and we’ve just got to deal with it. As a defense, you’re never going to play a perfect game and hold someone to zero, but you’ve just got to make sure you do your job, do your 1/11th and make sure you play within yourself.
“Their whole read option and zone option and all the stuff they run is something we’ve been planning for, especially with the bye week, which helped a lot. I think we’ll be ready.”
With Wilson and sophomore Noah Brown, Barrett has solid options in the passing game, too. The 6-foot-2 Brown broke out against Oklahoma in Week 3 with a four-touchdown performance but has only caught three passes in his two games since.
According to ESPN.com, UW defensive backs coach Jim Leonhard told his players in a team meeting this week that Brown wouldn’t threaten them with speed but is very good at making plays over the top of corners. Shelton and fellow cornerback Derrick Tindal showed the ability to take on bigger, physical receivers in the season opener against LSU.
In the same team meeting, Leonard also called Wilson and running back Curtis Samuel “big-time difference-makers.” Samuel ranks in the top eight of Big Ten players in both rushing and receiving, and freshman running back Mike Weber has also emerged as a playmaker out of the backfield. Edwards said Ohio State’s running backs don’t get the credit they deserve with so much media attention focused on Barrett.
The Buckeyes’ offense has playmakers all over the field, and the Badgers are hoping two weeks of preparation will pay off in slowing them down.
“I think in practice, you can make sure everything’s perfect and, ‘Wow, that looks great,’?” Edwards said. “I think in the game, it happens a lot differently. We have our base rules and base concepts, but at the end of the day, we have to go out there and just make plays.”
