Ohio State Football: How Russell Wilson to Wisconsin Affects the Buckeyes

Wisconsin had quite a night last year in Camp Randall when they out-muscled Ohio State, something which rarely happens to the Buckeyes, and won 31-18 to end OSU's undefeated season.

This time around, Wisconsin will be coming to Ohio State in primetime action for the first time.

However, it will be Wisconsin that will have the experienced dual-threat QB in Russell Wilson, the transfer from NC State, as they try to go back-to-back as Big Ten champions.

And after putting up 3,563 yards with 28 TDs and his running ability, that adds a new dimension to a Wisconsin offense that thrives on running up the gut with power backs.

Although the Wisconsin defense loses quite a bit with the loss of J.J. Watt, given the turmoil at Ohio State, the Badgers might suddenly have gained an edge over Ohio State.

The one way that can be proven otherwise easily is if Big Ten defenses prove they are nothing like the defenses Wilson saw as a member of the Wolfpack.

In the ACC, Wilson did see a few good defenses in North Carolina, Florida State and Virginia Tech, among others.

But some of the defenses Wilson will see in the Big Ten, such as Penn State and Ohio State, not to mention newcomer Nebraska, are as physical and talented as most defenses in the country.

And Wisconsin has proven to be a different team away from Camp Randall in recent seasons.

At home, they can beat basically any team in the country.

But on the road, they are a very different team.

The same team that shut down Ohio State's offense looked mortal against a Michigan State team that looked completely outmatched against Alabama, another team that plays a physical brand of offense, at Michigan State.

And Ohio State's defense may be one of the most athletic units in the country, although they do not have ideal experience at every level.

But there is no doubt that Wilson changes the dynamic of the Wisconsin offense drastically.

His ability to run and throw with deadly effectiveness that defenses can't just load up the box and brace for the dive play for about 65 percent of the offensive snaps.

That ability to make things happen outside of the pocket is the reverse of the Terrelle Pryor effect, where now the script is flipped and OSU has to worry about an athletic QB burning them on the ground.

Luckily for the Buckeyes, they have practiced against him for three years and will have to face freshman Braxton Miller, who may be just as good a runner if not better than Pryor was when he was a freshman.

None of this may matter in the end if the NCAA takes the Buckeyes out of Big Ten title contention with a postseason ban for a couple of seasons.

But anyone who says Russell Wilson at Wisconsin makes the Badgers a shoo-in for the division title, if the NCAA doesn't keep OSU out, shouldn't push all their chips into the table.

Wisconsin has not won in Columbus since 2004 and is only 1-3 against OSU since then.

But they are no doubt a popular, trendy pick to win the Big Ten more because of what has happened to Ohio State moreso than what Wisconsin has done.

And while that isn't fair, the fact remains that both teams are very talented and the Leaders division could come down to that game on Oct. 29.

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