Remember the bully on the playground that stole lunch money from the weak and nerdy? Well, that bully wore a gray hat today and Wisconsin was reduced to a skinny kid with freckles and oversized glasses.
On a cold, blustery day in Madison, the Badgers hit reality as cold and hard as the concrete that forms Camp Randall. After starting 3-0, Wisconsin has dropped two straight and has fallen from the spotlight quicker than Roseanne Barr. Ohio State controlled this game from the beginning. Their path to victory was slow and monotonous. The Buckeyes took advantage of Wisconsin’s errors and shut them down. The wind, which pulled flag carriers like a dog on a leash, quelled any passing game and forced both teams to run. Buckeye tailback Derek Combs grabbed the limelight with two touchdowns although no individual was really worthy of an MVP award.
Ohio State’s dominance and 23-7 victory was a complete team effort that stretched their record to 5-0. After two consecutive Rose Bowl Championships, the Badgers New Year’s Day boat has sailed beyond the horizon and out of sight. For the bundled up Badger fans, an 0-3 start in the Big Ten drew long faces on the ones exiting the stadium prior to the final gun. At this point, Ohio State looked poised to rule the Big Ten school grounds, while Wisconsin had to restock their lunch money and move on…
