Big Ten Championship 2014: Ohio State vs. Wisconsin TV Info, Odds, Predictions
Ohio State has owned Wisconsin in recent meetings with six wins it the last seven matchups, but none of those victories came with championship pressure and a third-string quarterback at the helm.
If the Buckeyes want to win a conference title and earn a spot in the initial College Football Playoff, they have to find a way to beat Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship without the services of J.T. Barrett (or Braxton Miller). It’s Cardale Jones’ show, and the fans from the Midwest to TCU to Baylor will certainly be watching.
Here is a look at the essential information for the high-stakes clash.
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2014 Big Ten Championship: Ohio State vs. Wisconsin
Date: Saturday, Dec. 6
Where: Indianapolis
Time: 8:17 p.m. ET
TV: Fox
Odds: Wisconsin -4 (courtesy of Odds Shark, as of Tuesday afternoon at 2 p.m. ET)
Predictions for Players to Watch
RB Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin
Much of the focus leading up to this game will be on Jones and whether he can shoulder the spotlight, but the best player will be on the other sideline.
Melvin Gordon has run himself right into the Heisman Trophy discussion and could be the one thing standing between Oregon’s Marcus Mariota and surefire recognition as college football’s best player. Gordon has 2,260 rushing yards and 29 total touchdowns on the season and turned heads across the college football landscape with 408 yards and four scores against Nebraska.
He has the speed to get around the edge and the power to pick up yards through the tackles and after contact. He is also arguably the most consistent player in the nation and has at least 100 rushing yards in 11 of 12 contests this year.
Gordon will be facing an Ohio State defense that looked vulnerable against the run down the stretch of the season and allowed 228 rushing yards to Indiana’s Tevin Coleman.
However, while the Badgers and Buckeyes didn’t play this season, Ohio State held Gordon to a pedestrian-like 74 rushing yards on 15 carries in 2013. Granted, that game was in the Horseshoe in Columbus with 105,000 screaming fans behind the Buckeyes defense, but Ohio State swarmed to the ball and gang-tackled him in space throughout the evening.
A repeat performance Saturday would be more than enough to ensure a victory.
Head coach Urban Meyer discussed the prospects of facing Gordon with a struggling run defense, via Patrick Maks of Eleven Warriors: “I think pass defense is much better … but we have given up too many hits. We’re going to have to devote some more personnel to stopping the run … we’ve played him before, I’m not looking forward to watching that video.”
The Buckeyes can key in on Gordon all they like, but he is still one of the most dynamic players in the country and is going to find a way to get his yards. It is more important from Ohio State’s perspective that he doesn’t break the game open with any electric plays.
Predicted Gordon stat line: 130 rushing yards and two touchdowns
QB Cardale Jones, Ohio State
The thing that immediately jumps out about Jones is his elite arm strength, as Austin Ward of ESPN noted all the way back in the spring game:
Jones actually competed with Barrett for the backup job behind Miller throughout spring practice and seemed to have a leg up for a time. Ward’s tweet summarizes Jones perfectly in 140 characters, though. He has all the raw talent in the world in terms of throwing power and running ability, but he needs to improve his accuracy if the Buckeyes are to win.
If he can do that, the strength and touch combination will be critical, because Wisconsin will likely crowd the box in an effort to take away the running game with Barrett no longer out there. The Badgers will undoubtedly force the third-stringer to beat them, and whether Jones can answer the call or not will determine the outcome of the game.
At least nothing seems to have changed with Jones’ arm strength, if offensive coordinator Tom Herman is to be believed, via Ryan Ginn of Buckeye Sports Bulletin:
The good news for the Buckeyes is that Jones doesn’t have to do it all himself. The team boasts the 12th-ranked rushing attack in the nation and will rely heavily on Ezekiel Elliott and the offensive line throughout the game.
Wisconsin will have to deal with the powerful running of Elliott, the speed of Jalin Marshall (and his ability to play Wildcat quarterback), the playmaking abilities of deep threats Devin Smith and Michael Thomas and the sure hands of Evan Spencer and Jeff Heuerman.
Ultimately, it will be these other skill players who make the difference for Ohio State.
It is easy to forget with everyone talking about what Barrett’s injury does to Ohio State’s playoff chances that the Buckeyes were only ahead of Michigan by seven points when Barrett went down. Elliott stepped up with a monumental 44-yard touchdown run on a fourth-down play, and the defense scored a touchdown on Michigan’s ensuing drive to put the game on ice.
Elite teams come through when one player goes down, and that is exactly what the Buckeyes did against Michigan and what they have done all season. They found themselves in a similar position at the start of the season when Miller was lost for the year and responded with an 11-1 record.
Ohio State has won through adversity all season, and Saturday will be no different.
Predicted Jones stat line: 195 passing yards, 65 rushing yards, two total touchdowns
Game Prediction: Ohio State 27, Wisconsin 24
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