BadgerBlitz.com brings back it's Behind Enemy Lines series, where we get an opposing beat writer's take on the upcoming matchup.
For Week 9, we spoke to Austin Ward of Dotting The Eyes and touched on the young quarterback Kyle McCord, potential Ohio State weaknesses, and more.
What have been the early returns so far on quarterback Kyle McCord?
Ward: There can surely be some nitpicking done with the first-year starting quarterback for the Buckeyes. But that qualifier is worth a reminder that what Kyle McCord is doing through seven games this season with a pair of top-10 victories already to his credit is pretty impressive -- including a clutch comeback drive on the road against Notre Dame. Expecting him to immediately match C.J. Stroud's production was unfair and unrealistic, but McCord is doing what he needs to keep the Buckeyes on track and unbeaten.
Under Ryan Day, this team has typically been an offensive juggernaut, but is this the best defense the Buckeyes have had in recent memory?
Ward: There is a fair debate to be had about how this current group of Silver Bullets matches up against the 2019 version. In terms of pure star power, this unit might not have a Chase Young or Jeff Okudah anchoring the pass rush and secondary, respectively. But they are a cohesive defense that doesn't allow big plays and rarely gives up touchdowns, so it's hard to argue against it.
What are the notable injuries to know heading into Saturday night?
Ward: Ohio State was without three starters in the win over Penn State, which added to the significance since it was still in control of the matchup throughout. Emeka Egbuka has been dealing with an ankle injury, but the expectation is the standout wide receiver will be back on Saturday night. Star cornerback Denzel Burke also has a lower-leg issue, and his status is less clear. Same applies to running back TreVeyon Henderson, who has missed the last three games with an upper-body injury.
Who have been some of the most surprising players for the Buckeyes this season, good or bad?
Ward: Defensive tackle Tyleik Williams had been open in the past about needing to find a higher level with his work ethic, and clearly he has. His emergence has changed the entire picture up front for the Buckeyes, and he's been an absolute force on the interior. With Williams playing his best football next to Mike Hall Jr., Ohio State is stuffing the run and collapsing the pocket from the inside out.
If you were Wisconsin, what would you look to try to exploit with this Buckeyes team, offensively and defensively?
Ward: There are no real areas of concern on an Ohio State defense that has proven veterans on all three levels, and nobody yet this season has been able to muster more than 14 points. It's not for lack of trying, obviously, and the Buckeyes have faced just about every kind of offense possible through the midway mark of the year, and they are deep and versatile enough to stop anything. Offensively, it seems like the most successful approach has been to try to blitz Ohio State repeatedly, but that's also a risky strategy since it leaves Marvin Harrison Jr. often in one-on-one matchups that only need to be exploited a couple times to put an opponent away.
Prediction for the game?
Ward: There is no doubt whatsoever from here that Luke Fickell is going to build Wisconsin back into a monster. But his program-building approach tends to need a full year before fully taking hold, and it doesn't appear that he's got the top-to-bottom talent yet on hand to truly test the Buckeyes. Camp Randall is an X-factor, but defense travels and the expectation here is another comfortable Big Ten win for Ohio State.
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