It’s time to say goodnight to Ohio State’s chances of winning another National Championship this season.
The No. 3 Buckeyes have been at home all season long, dreaming of another undefeated season, but with their first road test looming against the Badgers this Saturday they will have to dig deep to emerge with a victory.
Referred to by many Big Ten pundits as the loudest environment in the conference, a Camp Randall night game will undoubtedly provide a raucous and difficult playing environment for OSU.
Badger fans should relish in the idea of an all-day, all-campus party in which everyone, ticket-holder or not, will be able to show off their pride and exemplify the true meaning of dedication. The UW marching band should march down the streets of Madison and through the stacks in Memorial Library to ready those uninspired individuals to put down their bucks and pick up a beer. Nobody on this campus should be seen wearing a backpack, reading a textbook or writing a paper come Saturday. If the Badgers are going to be victorious, the rowdy crowd inside of Camp Randall is going to have to lead them.
Recognize the fact that some people believe you haven’t been a factor in the recent downward spiral that has occurred in conference home games. Forget the 3-9 record over the last three seasons and refuse to be silenced, no matter what the score. Trust in the idea that coach Alvarez has seemingly figured out how to win tough night games.
Playing under the lights has turned into a specialty of Alvarez’s tenure at UW. The Badgers have won an unprecedented 14 of their last 15 night games. This is in large part due to the ideas Alvarez adopted from professional football, where athletes are treated to a postponed schedule during late-night matchups. The normal viewing of a movie the night before game day will be moved from 7:30 to 9:30, and players will be allowed to sleep in until 10:30 Saturday morning.
Alvarez’s strict Mafioso-like schedule should provide UW with an early edge on OSU. It is these very scheduling changes that have received partial attribution for Badger victories in their last three night games at home. With Barry and the boys well rested and ready for their primetime appearance, UW will look at OSU as a very beatable team.
It’s true that the Buckeyes boast the nation’s No. 1 rushing defense this season, but they haven’t faced a premier running program through their first five games. Combined, their 2003 opponents rank in the bottom half of Division I rushing, averaging under 150 yards per contest. The Badgers are No. 9 in rushing, averaging 222.5 yards per game, offering not one but three potent rushers. UW is the only team in the nation with three 100-yard single-game rushers on its roster, a stat likely to give any opposing defensive coordinator a headache.
The re-return of Anthony Davis will provide OSU with fits up front. His breakaway speed combined with the superb play of the offensive line and the raw power of Booker Stanley and Dwayne Smith will be too much for OSU’s huge front four to handle.
“We’re out there pounding people instead of just trying to be physical, and I think we stepped it up a lot the last two years,” fullback Matt Bernstein said after UW’s win over Penn State. “It just shows [when] we’re able to get our third-string tailback 100 yards. That’s a great accomplishment.”
A simple history lesson will provide the background formula for an Ohio State upset. Under the lights, the Badgers have won the close games, ranked opponent or not. In 2002, UW posted a 23-21 victory over Fresno State; in 2000, it was a 19-7 win over Western Michigan; in 1999, it was an overpowering 40-10 victory over No. 11 Michigan State, who at the time held the nation’s No. 1 ranking in run defense; and in 1998, it was a 31-24 defeat of Purdue.
Ohio State’s string of close victories will not be enough to will the Buckeyes to victory. They have been one play away from losing three games this season, and last year they won the National Championship by closing the deal when it became crunch time. Ohio State hasn’t played a road game this season, it hasn’t faced a rushing attack like UW’s, its been on the verge of losing the close games and, come Saturday, its National Championship hopes will have ended when the fifth quarter begins.
UW players are expecting the crowd at Camp Randall to be the loudest they’ve ever heard, believing the nearly 80,000 fans will match the intensity heard from 107,000 Penn State fans a week ago. If they play up to their standards, UW will add another big victory to a season of surprises.
“I’ve never beat Penn State, I’ve never beat Illinois and I’ve never beat Ohio State,” Bernstein remarked about his career at UW, echoing the thoughts of many of his teammates.
Come Saturday night, the junior should be able to stand tall with the rest of the Badgers as the team that ended Ohio State’s dream of back-to-back championships. Let the party begin as UW fans raise their glasses (or house cups, as it may be) and toast to the biggest home victory of the season.
