Ohio State vs. Wisconsin score, takeaways: Playoff-caliber defense stars as No. 3 Buckeyes stomp out Badgers

Ohio State's defense is good enough to win it all

What a marked improvement from a year ago when it was Ohio State's defense that ultimately failed it in a key regular-season game against Michigan and a near College Football Playoff upset against Georgia. Now, the Buckeyes are as effective as anyone on that side of the ball. Saturday was a great display of just how much progress they've made. 

Ohio State's offense got off to a shaky start, which put the Buckeyes in some tough positions. Quarterback Kyle McCord had two first-half interceptions, the second of which gifted Wisconsin the ball on its own 48-yard line with 5:09 to go in the fourth quarter. Ohio State's defense looked like it might break as a result as the Badgers worked down to a first-and-goal on the Buckeyes' 1-yard line. From there, though, UW ran three plays and didn't get a single yard. The Badgers were forced to kick a field goal and Ohio State went into the half with a 10-3 lead. 

Wisconsin scored on its opening drive in the third quarter to tie things up. Ohio State didn't allow another point for the final 27:30 of the game, and the Badgers only worked the ball past midfield once in that span. The Buckeyes have a chance to further refine things over the next three games against three of the Big Ten's worst offenses -- Rutgers, Michigan State and Minnesota -- before that regular-season finale against Michigan. 

Henderson's presence makes the Buckeyes far more dangerous

Ohio State has struggled to run the ball all season, and TreVeyon Henderson has dealt with injuries that have limited or otherwise sidelined him. Coincidence? Probably not. While there are issues with Ohio State's offensive line that Henderson doesn't solve, he has something Ohio State's other backs don't have.

No disrespect to Chip Trayanum, Miyan Williams or Dallan Hayden, but Henderson has a gear the three of them don't. There were plays tonight when Ohio State looked to get Henderson to the boundary but the block wasn't there. If it were Williams or Trayanum, odds are they don't reach the boundary in time to beat the defender and end up gaining a yard, maybe two. But Henderson's ability to accelerate allows him to beat the defender to the spot even if the block isn't there. That alone helps turn a 1-yard gain into a 3- or 4-yard pickup. Wwhile it may not be a lot, those yards add up.

And when Henderson breaks a tackle once he's there? Then he can house it, like he did on the 33-yard touchdown run to give the Buckeyes a 24-10 lead in the fourth quarter.

Injuries mounting for Wisconsin

Injuries keep mounting for the Badgers. Quarterback Braedyn Locke made his second career start with Tanner Mordecai out due to a broken hand, but the attrition didn't end there. They lost star running back Braelon Allen late in the first half when he was twisted up in the teeth of Ohio State's defense while striving for the goal line. Allen was spotted in a walking boot on the sideline during the second half, and his status will be a matter of major significance for Wisconsin entering a road game at Indiana next week. The health of receiver Chimere Dike is also a concern after he left in the first half against Ohio State due to injury. The senior has 16 grabs for 282 yards and a touchdown this season.

Considering that the Badgers are also without proven back Chez Mellusi for the season due to injury, the program's ranks of playmakers will be thin for the home stretch if Allen and Dike are unavailable for an extended period.

Could we see a rematch?

These teams could meet again in the Big Ten Championship Game. Although Wisconsin has now dropped two of its last three, the Badgers (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten) are in hunt to win the Big Ten West and face a manageable November consisting of games against Indiana, Northwestern, Nebraska and Minnesota. If it comes down to a tiebreaker scenario with Iowa, the Hawkeyes would have the head-to-head edge, but several scenarios remain in play. Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska each have two league losses following Saturday's action. If Wisconsin can get through this battle with injuries, a path to Indianapolis remains viable under first-year coach Luke Fickell.

Ohio State wins a Big Ten battle

Final: Ohio State 24, Wisconsin 10

Marvin Harrison Jr. reeled in two touchdown receptions and helped Ohio State beat a plucky Wisconsin team 24-10 on the road. Buckeyes quarterback Kyle McCord turned the football over three times and was hobbled in the second half but did what was needed to keep Ohio State unbeaten and firmly in College Football Playoff hunt. TreVeyon Henderson also ran for 162 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries in his first game back from injury. Wisconsin mustered just 259 total yards while playing with redshirt freshman quarterback Braedyn Locke, who was making his second career start in place of the injured Tanner Mordecai. The Buckeyes are a little dinged up, but their defense continues to demonstrate improvement with a game at Rutgers up next.

Desparate Badgers stall

Wisconsin failed to convert on fourth and-10 near midfield, and that will do it. The Badgers mounted a respectable effort while playing shorthanded against a national title contender but simply did not have the offensive firepower needed to hang with Ohio State. Braedyn Locke had a nice drive to begin the third quarter, but leading the Badgers to a win against a defense of this caliber was going to be a tall ask for a redshirt freshman making his second career start.

Ohio State slams the door

Boy did Ohio State miss TreVeyon Henderson. The Buckeyes were completely unable to run the ball over the past few weeks with Henderson sidelined but he just put the game out of reach. With injuries mounting in the passing game, Ohio State decided to shift to a run-first approach late in the fourth quarter. It paid off when Henderson raced past Wisconsin's defense for a 33-yard touchdown, giving the Buckeyes a 24-10 lead with 5:15 left to play. With how Ohio State's defense has looked, that should just about do it. 

Can the Badgers muster a drive? 

Wisconsin has done well to give itself a chance here without Braelon Allen as redshirt freshman quarterback Braedyn Locke makes his second career start against a really good Ohio State defense. But do the Badgers have another drive left in them? Their defense has done enough. Now, the offense is down to one of its last couple chances. Merely flipping field position won't be enough with under eight minutes remaining and Wisconsin starting deep in its own territory. 

Ohio State starting defender carted off

Ohio State safety Lathan Ransom was carted off the Buckeyes' sideline in the fourth quarter. He came up limping while playing coverage on a Wisconsin third-down attempt. Ransom went down without contact. Ransom walked to the injury tent under his own power but was taken out of the tent on a cart shortly thereafter. The Buckeyes have sustained some bad injuries tonight, as this game could prove costly moving forward -- regardless of result. 

Badgers flip the field as tension mounts

Ohio State punter Jesse Mirco pinned the Badgers on their own 7-yard line. However, on the first play of the fourth quarter, Braedyn Locke found Skyler Bell for a 16-yard gain to convert a third-and-15. Even though Wisconsin ended up punting near midfield, that third-down conversion went a long way toward flipping the field position. Ohio State takes over at its own 14 leading by just 7 and with uncertainty at quarterback.

Ohio State leaning on defense

End 3Q: No. 3 Ohio State 17, Wisconsin 10

Ohio State is going to have to lean on its defense to carry this one to the finish line. The Buckeyes are down a couple key wide receivers on offense and now quarterback Kyle McCord appears to be dealing with a lower leg injury. Ohio State was struggling to consistently move the ball to begin with. The good news is, besides a couple of possessions, Ohio State's defense has been lockdown. 

Now Wisconsin is in the danger zone. The Badgers will open the fourth quarter with third-and-13 from their own 2-yard line. Ohio State's defense has a chance to pin its ears back and potentially put this one out of reach. 

McCord worth monitoring

Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord is clearly dealing with some sort of injury. The Buckeyes signal caller has looked limited on the last couple plays, and was seen limping off the field after taking another hit on third down. He went to the sideline and immediately sat down on the bench with his helmet off. If McCord has to leave the game, the broadcast noted that Oregon State transfer Tristan Gebbia would enter the game for the Buckeyes. Ohio State is already down its No. 2 quarterback in Devin Brown, who suffered a leg injury in last week's win against Penn State. 

Braelon Allen officially out

Braelon Allen has now officially been ruled out, per the NBC broadcast. His absence looms large over the second half of this game — and this season — for Wisconsin after he was helped off the field one the next-to-last play of the second quarter. The Badgers appeared to finally be finding a groove offensively for the first time upon his exit, and he'd amassed 50 yards on 10 carries. UW is down several key players offensively but has managed to remain in this game during the second half anyway.

Tough fourth-and-short decision

Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell made the difficult decision to punt on fourth-and-1 from his own 34-yard line. It didn't seem like the fans inside Camp Randall Stadium loved that move. But a failed attempt would have given Ohio State an extremely short field. Now, it's on the Badgers' defense to validate the decision as we delve deeper into the third quarter of a Big Ten battle that is very much still undecided.

Ohio State answers

Ohio State's offense desperately needed to get going after Wisconsin ripped off a small 10-0 run. The Badgers scored a touchdown on their first drive in the second half to tie the game at 10-all. The Buckeyes, who had plenty of empty possessions in the first half, started their first possession with a 16-yard completion to Marvin Harrison Jr. A few plays later, running back TreVeyon Henderson had a huge rumble for 25 yards to get the ball to Wisconsin's 17-yard line. 

Ohio State quarterback then tossed the ball to Harrison, who made a phenomenal leaping catch in the end zone with a defender draped all over him. Ohio State is back up 17-10 with plenty to play in the third quarter. 

No Allen, no problem

Wisconsin just marched 75 yards on 7 plays behind some really impressive playmaking from quarterback Braedyn Locke to tie the game at 10-10. What a response to begin the third quarter from the Badgers as they navigate life without Braelon Allen. Locke started the drive with a 27-yard completion to Bryson Green and also scrambled for 29 yards on a critical third-and-6 before finding Will Pauling for a 13-yard score. The Badgers continued the momentum generated on their final drive of the second half there, and it certainly appears that Locke is gaining confidence.

Ohio State up after two

Half: No. 3 Ohio State 10, Wisconsin 3

Ohio State can thank its defense for a one-score lead at halftime. Wisconsin had first-and-goal on Ohio State's 1-yard line near the end of the second quarter. The Badgers didn't gain a single yard on their next three plays and had to settle for a field goal. Wisconsin got the ball after Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord threw his second interception of the game. 

Wisconsin had just two drives that started in its own territory end in Ohio State's territory. The Buckeyes' defense forced a fumble on the Badgers' first offensive play and recovered, though the offense was unable to capitalize. Wisconsin was held to 83 total yards of offense and averaged just over four yards per play. 

Wisconsin comes so close, Braelon Allen dinged

On the heels of Kyle McCord's second interception of the day, Wisconsin put together its best drive of the first half as Braedyn Locke finally found a rhythm with seven straight completions. The only problem was that the last two accounted for a total of 0 yards as the Badgers failed to punch the football in to the end zone, ultimately settling for a 19-yard field goal before half. Compounding the frustration, Braelon Allen was receiving attention from Wisconsin's medical staff on the field after he was twisted up in the teeth of Ohio State's defense while trying to score on third down.

Ohio State Tuimoloau exits with injury

Ohio State defensive lineman J.T. Tuimoloau suffered an apparent lower body injury late in the second quarter. He got in Wisconsin's backfield and helped make a stop on second-and-goal on the 1-yard line, but Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer rammed into Tuimoloau's side. Tuimoloau's back bent at an awkward angle and he immediately went down. After a few minutes on the ground, he was able to get off the field under his own power and jog to Ohio State's sideline. That's a good sign for an Ohio State team that's starting to accrue plenty of injuries. 

Ohio State can't get out of its own way

Buckeyes quarterback Kyle McCord is having a game to forget. Twice now he has thrown costly interceptions with Ohio State moving the ball well. This latest mistake came on first-and-15 from Wisconsin's 44-yard line. McCord tried to force the ball down the middle of the field and Badgers cornerback Ricardo Hallman was able to snag it out of the air for his fifth interception of the year. Hallman returned it to Wisconsin's 48-yard line. McCord is forcing the issue right now, though his team is playing with a 10-0 lead. 

Wisconsin's defense under pressure

Wisconsin has been aided to this point by a failed Ohio State fourth down attempt and a costly Kyle McCord interception. Now, the Badgers have their back against the wall defensively following yet another three-and-out from the offense. Time of possession is getting lopsided in the Buckeyes' favor, and fatigue could be an issue for Wisconsin. 

Update: right on cue, the Badgers come up with ANOTHER interception to give themselves a fighting chance here late in the first half.

Feed Marvin Harrison Jr. 

Ohio State is banged up on the offensive side of the ball. Emeka Egbuka was a pregame scratch and Julian Fleming left in the first quarter after taking a big hit. That leaves Marvin Harrison Jr. as Ohio State's most experienced wide receiver on the field. Not that that's a problem. He just took a short crossing route 16 yards for a touchdown to put the Buckeyes up 10-0 early in the second quarter. Teams could do a lot worse than having to rely on Harrison, arguably the best wide receiver in college football and an expected top-10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Ohio State loses another receiver

The Buckeyes entered Saturday's game short on receiving options, with Emeka Egbuka seemingly out for a third-straight game, and now Julian Fleming is on the sideline. Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord tried to hit Fleming deep, but Fleming was unable to hold on through a big hit. He was slow to get up and immediately went to the sideline, where broadcast cameras caught trainers working on him. Freshman wide receiver Carnell Tate entered the game in Fleming's stead. 

This Wisconsin offense is tough to watch

Wisconsin is off to a woeful offensive start. It now looks like this: fumble, punt, missed field goal, punt. Such is life with an inexperienced quarterback in Braedyn Locke while facing a talented defense like Ohio State. He is just 1 of 7 for 5 yards. Braelon Allen has been somewhat effective with five carries for 25 yards. But space to run will be hard to find if Wisconsin cannot make Ohio State respect the pass.

Wisconsin playing messy football

Wisconsin hasn't had to pay (in a major way, at least) for any of its mistakes so far, but they're starting to mount. The Badgers have two fumbles -- both from star running back Braelon Allen. One led to a Buckeyes field goal, while Wisconsin was able to jump on another one. The Badgers also have two offensive penalties, both of which put them behind the chains. On special teams, Wisconsin put a kickoff out of bounds -- again, Ohio State couldn't capitalize for any points -- and the Badgers just missed a field goal that would have tied the game at 3-3. 

McCord makes huge mistake

End 1Q: Ohio State 3, Wisconsin 0

Ohio State was stringing along a nice drive, and even got gifted first-and-goal on Wisconsin's 8-yard line after a defensive penalty, but then quarterback Kyle McCord made a huge mistake. McCord rolled to his right after faking a handoff and threw and tried to force a pass into the end zone. Wisconsin safety Preston Zachman hopped in front of the ball and picked it off, ending either team's best scoring opportunity of the night thus far. 

Ohio State still holds a narrow lead after the first 15, but the Buckeyes left plenty of opportunities on the field. Wisconsin missed a field goal, sent a kickoff out of bounds and fumbled on its first offensive snap. Ohio State has just three points to show for all that. 

Ohio State takes the lead

Ohio State was able to capitalize off the defense's big play. The Buckeyes took over on their own 45-yard line and moved the ball deep into Wisconsin territory thanks to a big run from TreVeyon Henderson, who is playing for the first time in three weeks. The Buckeyes got a few more yards on their next plays and set up a 27-yard field goal for kicker Jayden Fielding, who knocked it through to give his team an early 3-0 lead. Wisconsin would like if its next drive was longer than one play, for the defense's sake. 

Swapping turnovers

Leave it to Ohio State's defense to come up with an answer. After the Buckeyes fumbled the ball away in Wisconsin territory, their defense came up huge and forced a fumble on Wisconsin's first offensive play. Edge rusher Jack Sawyer got a hand in on running back Braelon Allen, who lost the ball. Cornerback Davison Igbinosun came up for the recovery, giving Ohio State the ball back at its own 44-yard line. 

Wisconsin defense comes up big

Ohio State got the ball first and went for it on fourth-and-3 from Wisconsin's 33-yard line. Kyle McCord dropped back to pass and immediately came under pressure. Before he could get the ball out, linebacker C.J. Goetz got to him and forced a fumble. Maema Njongmeta jumped on it for the Badgers, giving his team some momentum to start out. 

Ohio State gets things started

Wisconsin won the coin toss and deferred to the second half, which means Ohio State will get things started in this key Big Ten clash. The Buckeyes are mostly healthy on offense, with running back TreVeyon Henderson back and wide receiver Emeka Egbuka possibly suiting up. A hot start would be beneficial for Ohio State, as it likely wants to neutralize a rowdy crowd in Camp Randall.