This is the fifth in a 12-week Friday series looking at the Wisconsin football team's 2013 opponents.
It's no secret the road to a fourth consecutive Big Ten title for Wisconsin will run right through Columbus, Ohio. But the task will be as tough as it ever has been because Ohio State is awfully talented -- and eligible to win the championship for the first time under coach Urban Meyer.
Last year, Ohio State slid past Wisconsin, 21-14, in overtime in Madison on the way to an undefeated regular season. In any other year, the Buckeyes would have been contenders for a national title, but the program was under a one-year postseason ban for transgressions that dated to the Jim Tressel era.
The Buckeyes have won five of the last six meetings against the Badgers, and three of Wisconsin's losses have come by single digits. In many respects, Ohio State has become a more important game for Wisconsin fans than even the Minnesota game because the Badgers have hammered the Gophers nine straight times.
Ohio State already is listed as an 11-point favorite in early college football spreads against Wisconsin. Who knows where that number will stand by Week 5?
Personnel: Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller will enter the season as a Heisman Trophy candidate because he is one of the most dynamic players in the sport. Last season, Miller ran for 1,271 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also threw for 2,039 yards with 15 touchdowns and six interceptions. Miller is only a junior and is poised for an even bigger season in 2013.
One of the reasons Miller should have so much success is because the Buckeyes are stacked with talent on offense. Running back Carlos Hyde returns after rushing for 970 yards and 16 touchdowns. Rod Smith (215 yards, two touchdowns) and Bri'onte Dunn (133 yards, two touchdowns) also return in the backfield.
Miller will have veteran weapons to throw to at wide receiver in Corey Brown and Devin Smith. Brown caught 60 passes for 669 yards and three touchdowns last season, while Smith hauled in 30 catches for 618 yards and six touchdowns. Nick Vannett and Jeff Heuerman will fill out the tight end position, and both are capable of making plays in the passing game.
The Buckeyes also return four starters on the offensive line: Jack Mewhort, Corey Linsley, Marcus Hall and Andrew Norwell. In other words, Ohio State should be even tougher offensively than it was when it averaged 37.2 points per game and completed an undefeated season in 2012.
Defensively, the strength of the team could be its secondary, which returns star cornerback Bradley Roby (63 tackles, two interceptions), and safeties Christian Bryant (71 tackles) and C.J. Barnett (56 tackles). If Wisconsin is to have success against Ohio State, it likely will need to establish a dominant run game against the Buckeyes' front seven. Linebacker John Simon and defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins were taken this spring in the NFL Draft, and filling the void of each player could be a challenge for the Buckeyes.
Fun fact No. 1: At least one team has been nationally ranked in the top 25 in each of the last 14 Wisconsin-Ohio State matchups. Six times, both teams have been ranked. The last time neither team cracked the top 25 when playing each other came in 1994, when Ohio State defeated Wisconsin 24-3.
Fun fact No. 2: Ohio State finished the 2012 season ranked 10th nationally in rushing offense (242.3 yards per game). It marked just the second time since 2000 that the Buckeyes ranked in the top 15 in that category and averaged more than 200 yards. Ohio State's average national ranking from 2000-2011 was 35th.
Enjoy while it lasts: The Wisconsin-Ohio State game has become one of the best Big Ten matchups the past few seasons. In 2010, Wisconsin ruined Ohio State's chance for a national title when it upset the No. 1 Buckeyes in Madison. In 2011, Ohio State returned the favor when Braxton Miller's last-minute Hail Mary resulted in a game-winning touchdown pass. And in 2012, Ohio State escaped in overtime to help preserve an undefeated season.
But with the Big Ten dumping the Legends and Leaders divisions after this season and moving to East and West, the rivalry will be put on hiatus. Wisconsin and Ohio State will not play in 2014 or 2015, and though it may make life easier for the Badgers, it's a shame these teams won't play every season.
Prediction: Ohio State 28, Wisconsin 20
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