Published Dec 5, 2019
Five Questions (Asked): Big Ten Championship game
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Keaton Maisano  •  DottingTheEyes
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COLUMBUS, Ohio - Six weeks after their meeting in Columbus, Ohio State and Wisconsin will do battle again in Indianapolis to decide who takes home the Big Ten crown. Since their bout, both teams have gone unbeaten to make the title game a top-10 matchup.

While playing the same team twice is a very unique situation for the Buckeyes, it is a necessary step to get to their ultimate goal. Many believe that Ohio State is in the playoff even with a loss, but the Buckeyes are striving to enter the semifinal game unblemished and with a Big Ten trophy. Heading into the final Big Ten matchup of the year, here are the most important questions that need to be answered over the next 60 minutes of game action.


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How effective will Justin Fields be with his limited mobility?

After suffering a sprained MCL in the game against Penn State, Justin Fields largely looked unaffected by the injury in the game against Michigan. He was able to use his legs and scrambling ability throughout the first half, but then in the third quarter, he was rolled up on and forced to leave the game.

Fields would return to the game with a bulky brace on his left knee and deliver a dime to Garrett Wilson in his first play back, and while he was able to still produce magic the rest of the game with a more limiting brace, Fields admitted that it does diminish his mobility.

It will be interesting to see how Ryan Day tries to use Fields, especially if the game is close. Don't expect to see many designed runs early, and if Fields can dial in the accuracy, his arm should prove to be more than enough to take down the Badgers. In their last meeting, Fields threw for 167 yards and two touchdowns. Expect these numbers to increase with the ideal conditions of Lucas Oil Stadium.

Can the Ohio State defense have a repeat performance against Jonathan Taylor?

Jonathan Taylor has rushed for 1,761 yards this season. With an average of 146.8 yards a game, Taylor has been a force all season, but the low point of his year came in Columbus. Unlike any other game this year, Taylor was shut down by the Buckeyes. He carried the ball 20 times for 52 yards, giving him an average carry of 2.6 yards.

Taylor has faced the Buckeyes twice in his career, and he left both games with a new career low in yards per carry. Back in 2017, Taylor was held to 2.7 yards per carry against the Buckeyes in the Big Ten Championship game. In both the 2017 and 2019 matchups, Taylor was held out of the end zone.

While it will be difficult for the Buckeyes to hold down a player of Taylor's caliber three times, the Buckeyes have showed that they are up for the challenge. In order for Taylor to find success, he will have to go through the dominant defensive line of Ohio State. The Wisconsin offense relies heavily on the running back's production, so expect the result of the game to mirror the story in the trenches.

Will J.K. Dobbins be the best running back on the field? 

There will be a Big Ten running back of the year on the field Saturday, and if the game goes anything like last time, an observer may misidentify who that is. J.K. Dobbins lost out to Taylor for the best running back in the conference, so expect Dobbins, who has been playing with a chip on his shoulder all year, to come out with added motivation.

Dobbins shined throughout the last matchup with the Bagers. He would tally 163 yards on only 20 carries, and unlike Taylor, Dobbins was able to find the end zone twice in the course of the game. The junior was also dynamic in the pass game, hauling in three catches for 58 yards.

While it will be very difficult to repeat the disparity in the two running backs' performances, it is not unlikely that Dobbins will put up the more impressive numbers again. If Dobbins can continue his positive momentum, expect him to be in the running for the player of the game.

How well will the offensive line protect Fields?

If there was ever a game in which the offensive line needed to play well, this would be that game. On multiple fronts, the protection given by the offensive line will be as important as ever to the outcome of Saturday's game.

Addressing the obvious, the protection will need to be solid with a less mobile Fields in the pocket. As balanced and dominant as the entire Ohio State roster is, losing Fields would derail the whole season. He is truly the most irreplaceable player on the team, and it will be an important task for the offensive line to limit the hits he takes.

Last outing against Wisconsin, Fields was sacked a season-high five times. Fields, himself, must take some responsibility for the sacks he has taken this year, as he has a tendency to hold the ball too long. In order to keep No. 1 safe, the Buckeyes can't have a repeat performance Saturday. Expect the offensive line to play some of its best football and Day to dial up quicker actions to limit the hits on Fields.

Can the pass defense continue the second half momentum from the Michigan game?

Wisconsin threw for 108 yards against Ohio State back in October. It took the first quarter for Shea Patterson and Michigan to eclipse this number, and the Ohio State secondary would struggle throughout the first half against the Wolverines. In the absence of Shaun Wade, the Buckeyes were able to turn it around in the second half, holding Patterson to 4-of-24 passing for only 55 yards.

The Buckeyes will need to keep the momentum rolling against Wisconsin, who was able to rely on its passing game to take down Minnesota. Jack Coan would throw for 280 yards and two touchdowns against the Golden Gophers. This marked the second-highest yardage output from Coan in his career.

Quintez Cephus also shined against Minnesota, bringing in five catches for 114 yards and a touchdown. Cephus was held to three catches for 57 yards against Ohio State over a month ago. After being unable to attack Ohio State through the ground earlier this year, it will be interesting to see if Paul Chryst leans on the pass game a little more Saturday.