Badgers' secondary hungry for revenge against loaded Buckeyes' offense

Madison — When the Badgers traveled to Columbus last season to face the Buckeyes, it wasn’t pretty.

Not only did Ohio State mop the floor with Wisconsin, the two teams looked to be on completely different levels. It was an indicator of just how far the Badgers need to go to compete with the nation’s elite programs. When all was said and done, the scoreboard read a lopsided 52-21.

“I think that’s something this team has never forgotten,” cornerback Rico Hallman said. “I think it left a bad taste in our mouths for a while, because we got embarrassed on national television.”

Former Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud compiled five touchdowns, dissecting Wisconsin’s defense with ease and precision. The Buckeyes got down to business early and never looked back; it was a clinic.

The Badgers’ secondary especially struggled mightily. Yes, they were facing an eventual No. 2 overall pick in the NFL draft at quarterback and a receiving core littered with professional talent. Still, they couldn’t get out of their own way with miscommunications, missed assignments and blown coverages. Ex-Wisconsin defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard said after the game that he felt his players were “seeing ghosts.”

“We watched the film, it was bad. It was brutal out there,” Hallman said. “I think in a way, the moment got too big for us.”

In front of 102,000, with the entire stadium wearing black and getting more raucous with each Ohio State score, it did seem as though the Badgers were shell-shocked. Under the primetime lights, Wisconsin got exposed.

“Guys get rattled in terms of communication and their thought process. Being in a hostile environment, Ohio State started rolling, it started getting super loud, couldn’t hear. I think it can rattle you in terms of communication and playing sound football,” Hallman said. “Guys’ minds can get all over the place, and I think that kinda happened to us last year.”

A year later, Wisconsin will once again take on a Buckeyes team ranked No. 3 in the land. Many players remain from the secondary that got shredded, such as Hallman. The Badgers also have some reinforcements from the transfer portal, however, in Jason Maitre and Nyzier Fourqurean. They’re well aware of what transpired last season, but stressed that it has little bearing on what will go down Saturday in Madison.

“I watched a little of the tape from last year, but I feel like you wouldn’t be able to tell all that happened,” Maitre said. “Just the mentality is kinda like…we’ve played a lot of ball. We’re all completely different players. We’ve gotten better, and this is what we work for.”

“I’ve talked to Rico, Alex, I’ve talked to some of the guys that were here last year,” Fourqurean said. “Last year’s game doesn’t really matter too much to us.”

Still, it’s hard not to draw comparisons from a season ago. Once again, Ohio State checks in at No. 3 in the nation. Once again, the game will be under the lights. Once again, the Badgers already have a disappointing loss while the Buckeyes are absolutely rolling.

It may be a new year. Last year’s game may be in the past. But the same problems will present themselves if this Badgers’ secondary can’t hold their own. One of those problems is named Marvin Harrison Jr.

“He’s a very great player. We won’t diminish that or anything,” Fourqurean said. “We’ve gotta give him his props where it’s due.”

In last year’s matchup, Harrison was limited to three catches for 45 yards. Nonetheless, Wisconsin knows how dangerous the wideout is.

“He’s the complete package, he’s a complete receiver which is why he’s rated where he is,” Maitre said. “He’s a bigger guy, can run, goes up and gets the ball.”

Harrison looks like he’s ready to play in the NFL right now. His speed and twitch at his size (6-foot-4) is otherworldly, as are his hands and body control. Last week against Penn State, he posted 11 catches for 162 yards and a score, dominating what many believed to be one of the best defenses in the country.

The Badgers got bullied by Ohio State’s star-studded receiver room last season. They’re determined to ensure that doesn’t happen again.

“They want you to give them space; you’ve gotta get hands on them and slow these guys down,” Fourqurean said.

“We know we’ve been going against good receivers. We know we’ve gotta be sound,” Maitre said. “I think we really take it personally as a DB room, just that a lot of games are gonna come down to us.”

The Badgers know all about Harrison. A man they know less about is the Buckeyes’ signal-caller, the young Kyle McCord. He has just seven starts to his name, but with nearly 2,000 yards passing, 12 touchdowns and just one interception, his reputation precedes him.

McCord had enormous shoes to fill following Stroud’s departure to the NFL. He’s played about as well as could’ve been asked, but the Badgers understand there’s a difference in facing a quarterback with seven career starts and one who is months away from walking the red carpet at the NFL Draft.

“Obviously with a guy like CJ Stroud, there’s a bit of a dropoff, but that’s no knock to him,” Hallman said. “He’s still a great player.”

“He’s a solid quarterback,” Maitre said. "He's a legit Big Ten quarterback.”

For a second year in a row, the Badgers will be heavy underdogs against a stacked Ohio State team. As the sun sets on Saturday in Madison and the lights come on at Camp Randall Stadium, Wisconsin will hope it can use its own hostile environment to pull off what would be an astonishing upset.

“This is why you come to Wisconsin, this is why you play Big Ten football. This is why I came here. Playing games like this,” Maitre said. “This is what you love to do. This is why you dream of playing big time college football as a young kid. I can’t wait.”

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