Wisconsin Football: Winners & Losers from the Week 12 Game vs. Ohio State

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The Wisconsin Badgers just lost a heartbreaker to the Ohio State Buckeyes, falling 21-14 in overtime.  Montee Ball and the defense played extremely hard, but were ultimately unable to pull off the upset.

Here's a look at the winner's and losers from the Badgers tough loss to the Buckeyes.  

Winner: The Defense

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The Wisconsin defense was dominant against Ohio State, holding the Buckeyes to just 236 yards of total offense, and only 3-for-12 on third down.  Incredibly, the Buckeyes only crossed midfield once after halftime.  The defensive line was particularly impressive, racking up three sacks and consistently harassing Braxton Miller.   

Even with Chris Borland out due to injury, the Badger defense was a big time winner against Ohio State.  

Loser: Kyle French

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Kyle French had a rough start to the season, but turned it around, connecting on his last five field goal attempts.  

Unfortunately, French missed his most important field goal of the season in his only attempt, late in the game against Ohio State.  The Badgers desperately needed those three points to make the game 14-10 and change the outlook of the game.  If French would have converted, the Badgers would have won the game.

Instead, French was a loser against Ohio State.  

Winner: Montee Ball

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Outside of his goal-line fumble, Montee Ball was incredible against the Buckeyes.  The Badger star set a career high in attempts and rushed for 191 yards and a touchdown.  Ball carried the Wisconsin offense for much of the game, routinely punishing Buckeye defenders for yards after contact.  Without Ball, the Badgers would not have been in position to upset Ohio State.  

On top of his impressive game, Ball's rushing touchdown tied him with Trevor Prentice for the most career touchdowns in NCAA history. 

Montee Ball was a definite winner against Ohio State.

Loser: Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada

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Offensive coordinator Matt Canada made multiple questionable play calls late in the game.  His decision to run the ball late in the fourth quarter with no timeouts was terrible, wasting precious seconds that the offense desperately needed.  Additionally, giving the football to Ball on 3rd-and-4, when everyone in the stadium knew it was coming, was another major mistake.    

Both of those play calls were egregious and ensured that Matt Canada left the Ohio State game a loser.   

Winner: Curt Phillips

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Curt Phillips' numbers from the game against the Buckeyes don't seem impressive, but the Badgers quarterback played a very solid game, especially late.  Phillips didn't allow the late game pressure to affect him, and he really stepped up his game in the fourth quarter.  His reads on the Badgers scoring drive to tie the game were perfect, and he showed a lot of poise during that drive.  

His overall numbers were hurt by multiple drops, and he did miss some throws, but Phillips provided a steady hand at the quarterback position.  The Badgers are in good shape under center, and Phillips left Camp Randall as a winner.   

Conclusion

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The Badgers lost a heartbreaker to Ohio State, falling in overtime.  Wisconsin played a tough, physical game, but was ultimately doomed by crucial mistakes.  Unfortunately, the seniors were unable to get a win in their last game at Camp Randall, but there were plenty of positives from the game.  

Expect the Badgers to take care of business next week against Penn State and build some momentum for the Big Ten Championship game.