Welcome to Femme Football, the Ohio State football coverage for Her Campus. Here, you’ll find an overview of this week’s game with in-depth explanation to build your understanding week by week, as well as position highlights that will teach the responsibilities of different players.
Ohio State and Wisconsin fought it out for the Big Ten Championship title this Saturday, with Ohio State coming out on top 27-21 in a stress-inducing win. The Badgers boast an incredibly large offensive line, a star freshman running back, and an award-winning tight end, all of which led to a perfect record (until today). Ohio State came into the game with their veteran quarterback (who underwent surgery just six days earlier), a defense to be reckoned with, and a star freshman running back as well. Both teams were vying for a play-off position.
At the half, Ohio State led Wisconsin 21-10. The Buckeyes were successfully driving down the field with 309 total yards, making fans wonder where Wisconsin’s frightening defense was. However, Ohio State had two critical turnovers: one was stripped from Mike Weber on a rush, and the other a pick six at the hand of J.T. Barrett. By halftime, the defense held the Badgers to 159 total yards, and they were just three for nine on third downs.
Halfway through the third quarter, the Buckeyes had four 50+ yard plays, while Wisconsin had zero. The offense began to break down a bit with Barrett throwing another interception off the hands of his receiver; in turn, the offense seemed a little slow, while Wisconsin started driving.
Wisconsin kicked off the fourth quarter with a one yard rushing touchdown after a tough battle at the goal, which actually ripped up the turf and delayed the game a few minutes. The Badgers successfully completed a two-point conversion, making the score 24-21 with a little more than 12 minutes to go. Ohio State kicks a field goal. Ohio State’s defense came to hold the lead, pinning Wisconsin at 4th down and 20 yards. In the last minute of the game, Damon Webb intercepts Alex Hornibrook’s pass, securing the game for Ohio State.
The position highlight goes to Denzel Ward, Ohio State cornerback. The job of the cornerback is to guard the offense’s wide receivers. He performed phenomenally and also secured the game for the Buckeyes with a key interception. However, J.K. Dobbins was the MVP of the game with 17 rushes and 174 yards against the number one defense in the country.
This is a pivotal win for Ohio State. Now that they are Big Ten Conference champions, they are now a clear candidate for the play-offs.