START YOUR BUCKEYEGROVE.COM PREMIUM MEMBERSHIP TODAY!

It is not like we need to go over who this team is after the Buckeyes played them just a little bit more than a month ago. This is college football and while the transfer portal has really started the day of modern free agency, we are not to the point where we are looking at midseason trades and where a team could have truly different personnel within a month-plus of two meetings.

This team is Jonathan Taylor and solid defense. Neither were able to prevail at the end of October when Ohio State was able to run away with a 38-7 win, despite Wisconsin keeping the Buckeyes off the board for the first 22 minutes of the game. Honestly, this game was close until into the 3rd quarter when the Buckeyes would run off 28 points in a little bit more than 15 minutes of game time.

Since then, the Badgers have run off four straight wins but let's be honest, it has not been in typical Wisconsin fashion. The Badgers have given up anywhere from 17 to 24 points in each of those games and while only one of those games was within a one-score margin (24-22 over Iowa) it just never really felt like the team that blasted through the likes of Michigan earlier in the year.

No, these Badgers are going to be very much the same team that played the Buckeyes earlier in the year and they are going to try and go back to what has made them successful through the years. The oddsmakers are believing that won't be enough with Ohio State sitting better than a two touchdown favorite, but stranger things have happened in this game. Ohio State was a four-point dog in 2014 and then we saw Ohio State hang 59 on the Badgers. This would obviously be a much larger upset in terms of points, especially with the Buckeyes having everything in the world to play for.

Enough setting the scene, let's get to the action. We head to the Tale of the Tape, again, to talk Badgers and Buckeyes,.

Since Last Time: Ohio State Pass Offense +14.1 YPG gained | Wisconsin Pass Eff. Defense +25.28 (rating)

Don't let the fact that we are going short in each of these sections make it look as if we are selling this game short, the Badgers are a very talented team and Justin Fields is certainly far from 100-percent with a knee issue. Look for Fields to wear the "stronger" brace in this game and that will limit his ability as a supreme runner but won't take away from his ability to make all the throws and have the deepest roster of weapons in the conference around him. Fields holds a ratio of 37 touchdowns to just one interception and has 10 rushing touchdowns to go with that. Chris Olave has been a touchdown maker with 11 on the year, among the best in the conference but look at Garrett Wilson becoming a bigger part of the offense like he was against Michigan. This game has the feeling of one where KJ Hill could finally breakthrough and take that career receptions mark at Ohio State for himself as really was a non-factor offensively in the last game with just one reception for 11 yards. Ultimately the conditions inside of Lucas Oil will be important because of what these two teams dealt with the first time with the rainy Columbus weather. This is going to be important for both offenses but you have to like Ohio State's ability to throw the ball in this game as teams have had increased success throwing the ball against the Badgers since these two teams have met. Of the last four opponents, all have thrown for more than 200 yards against the Badger with Purdue throwing for more than 300 yards and Minnesota coming within four yards of hitting that mark. Teams have averaged 2.67 touchdowns per game against this defense as well in that stretch and while the Badgers have three interceptions over those 16 quarters of football, it is not the same pass defense that the Buckeyes saw in terms of numbers when you factor in that only one team had broken 200 yards leading up to the game with Michigan getting to 259 and much of that coming after the game had already been decided. Mother Nature will not be the 12th (wo)man in this game and it could bee a long day for the pass defense if Ohio State decides to come out throwing and get the ball out of Justin Fields' hands quickly.