Last year, after an impressive non-conference campaign that propelled Wisconsin to a 5-0 mark and No. 15 national ranking, the Badgers tripped out of the Big Ten gates and lost their first two conference games to Penn State and Indiana.
The much anticipated showdown with Ohio State in week three of Big Ten play never shaped up to what it was hyped to be in Madison, and the Badgers fell to the Buckeyes 19-14 on a fourth-quarter touchdown pass from Craig Krenzel to tight end Ben Hartsock.
Wisconsin limped through the rest of conference play and finished the year with a paltry 2-6 Big Ten record. Ohio State went on to win the national championship.
The story is somewhat different in 2003. Despite an embarrassing 23-5 defeat to UNLV Sept. 13, Wisconsin has rebounded, winning its last three games, including two conference road games at Illinois and Penn State.
The Badgers come into Saturday’s game against the Buckeyes ranked 22nd in the nation and boasting a much greater level of confidence than they did a year ago.
“I just like our chances overall. I think we match up well with them pretty much in every aspect of the game,” senior quarterback Jim Sorgi said. “I think if it comes down to a four-quarter game and we have to win it in the last couple of minutes, we can do that.”
Ohio State hasn’t skipped a beat from last year’s undefeated team and comes to Madison with a nation-best 19-game winning streak. The Buckeyes haven’t been disrupted by the loss of running back Maruice Clarett and have won their past two games without their leader Krenzel at quarterback.
While three of OSU’s wins this year have been decided by less than a touchdown, UW head coach Barry Alvarez is far from admitting that the Buckeyes have lost a step from a year ago.
“The thing that’s really impressive to me is how many close games they’ve won,” Alvarez commented. “What that tells you is that they expect to win. They have a number of winners and have the playmakers that make the plays at opportune times.”
The winning for the Buckeyes starts at the top with Krenzel, who is one of the smartest and most efficient passers in the nation. Krenzel’s numbers are not overwhelming, but his passer efficiency heading into Saturday’s game is 117.55, and his big-game experience makes him one of the more dangerous quarterbacks in fourth-quarter situations.
The Buckeyes’ meager running attack by committee (Maurice Hall and Lydell Ross) has not proven itself against even mediocre teams, but the deep-ball threat to wide-out Michael Jenkins should keep the UW secondary on its heels.
Speedy defensive back Chris Gamble, who ended the Badgers’ comeback attempt last year with an interception late in the fourth quarter, is a threat on special teams, an area that has caused problems for Wisconsin in their first six games.
Ohio State’s defense is still one of the best in the land. Its front four of Will Smith, Tim Anderson, Darrion Scott and Simon Fraser should force the run-happy UW offense to put the ball in the air, which is something offensive coordinator Brian White has been hesitant to do this year.
Wisconsin has produced a 100-yard rusher in five of six games; the latest performance was from Booker Stanley, who rushed for 119 yards in last Saturday’s win at Penn State.
An 8 p.m. start time adds even more intrigue to the game. A crowd of more than 80,000 is expected at Camp Randall.
