Wisconsin Football: Russell Wilson Can Get Heisman Run Back Against Ohio State

The epic loss against a solid Michigan State Spartans team all but knocked the Badgers out of contention for a national title. This loss also pushes Russell Wilson out of any Heisman consideration for at least a week. 

The road for Wilson to win the Heisman was already going to be a tough one, with the great Andrew Luck being the front runner and getting the most love. 

As the Badgers head into Ohio to face the Buckeyes, Wilson will have to have the game of his life to get back into the Heisman talk. 

No Turnovers

Before this loss to Michigan State, I had Russell Wilson atop my Heisman list, but after throwing two interceptions and making a bonehead intentional grounding throw in the end zone, he has fallen off of my list. These are the type of plays that Heisman Trophy winners do not make.

Wilson will have to cut his turnovers down and not force the ball against an Ohio State Buckeyes defense that has been getting better with each game.  Ohio State has been decimated by the suspension and is forced to play players that it normally would not. This is definitely a trap game for the Badgers, who cannot take the Buckeyes lightly. The Buckeyes only give up 16.3 points a game because they have playmakers on the defensive side. Wilson must be patient on throwing the ball against this fast defense. 

No turnovers for this game, and the rest of the season will put Wilson on the right track to winning the trophy.

Run Wild

The Heisman voters love explosive players who can put up stats with their legs and arms, and Wilson is great in both these areas. 

I know that the Badgers have a great offensive line, and Wilson has time to throw ball but he needs to run the ball when he has the opportunity. He had numerous opportunities to run against the Spartans last week, but chose to throw the ball. 

Ohio State’s secondary is fast and aggressive against the opponents receivers. The Badgers receivers will have a tough time getting open against this team, so Wilson must use his legs a lot more than he has.

Wilson has only attempted to run 32 times and averaged 6.6 yards per carry this season. In previous seasons, he had run for over 100 times. He needs to focus on running the ball more when the opportunity presents itself. Wilson will also need to run for the end zone when the Badgers are in the red zone. 

In this game he must rush over 10 times and hit the 100-yard mark for the Badgers to win and to be Heisman worthy. We love stats, and a quarterback running for more than 100 yards is something everyone wants to see.

Perfect Passing Game

America loves great college quarterbacks, and we have one in Andrew Luck. He hasn’t had any unbelievable games, but he has been solid thus far. Wilson has a great arm and is able to make any throw on the field, and is just as capable of a thrower as Luck.

This Ohio State team will be hard to throw against, so if Wilson is able to move the ball down the field, then that should open the eyes of a lot of people. He has had only two 300-plus yard games this season and will need to explode for more than 300 yards against Ohio State.

Wilson will also need to make good on every red zone opportunity and hit a couple big plays. He missed a couple of deep passes to his receivers against the Spartans last week. These are the Heisman type of plays that need to be made against the Buckeyes. He needs to be accurate and throw for at least three touchdowns to get his name back on the list.

If a quarterback wants to win the Heisman, then he must rack up a lot of yards, have more than three touchdowns a game and make memorable passes that stay in the minds of the voters all season long.

Needs Luck and Other Candidates to Falter

While Wilson will do his best to show the world that he is deserving of the Heisman Trophy against Ohio State, he will also need Andrew Luck and the other candidates to falter.  

Andrew Luck is headed for a clash against the Pac-12 rivals USC Trojans. The Trojans will be at home and have been on the rise as of late. They have forced eight turnovers in the previous two games and look to create some more against Luck. Wilson will need Luck to have a few turnovers and lose to gain any ground on America’s quarterback. 

Trent Richardson is another candidate who has been on a tear as of late. Alabama does have a bye this week, but on Nov. 5, they will clash against the No. 1 ranked LSU Tigers.  Richardson will have a tough time gaining any yards on the ground against this stout Tigers defense, which will be beneficial for Wilson.  

Another player who is just ahead of Wilson is Robert Griffin III of Baylor. He has a little better statistics than Wilson and has been doing it with a less talented team. Baylor has a bye this week, but will face No. 3 Oklahoma State next Saturday. The Cowboys defense has been forcing a lot of turnovers this season and will try to wreak havoc on Griffin. Griffin has only thrown two interceptions this season and will need to double that number next week.

I know that Wilson will show how good he is against Ohio State, but he will need the help of the opponents that the Heisman candidates are facing. Wilson needs to be spectacular in the remaining games and win the Big Ten to have any chance of winning this award.