The Wisconsin Badgers look to pull off a massive upset as they take on Ohio State in Columbus.

BadgerBlitz.com breaks down its three keys to the game before head coach Paul Chryst and his program take the field against Ryan Day and the Buckeyes on Saturday (6:30 p.m. CT, Fox).

When: Saturday, Sept. 24

Where: Ohio Stadium (capacity 102, 780)

All-Time Series: Ohio State leads 61-18-5

Series: Ohio State is 31-7-3 at home

TV: ABC (Chris Fowler doing play-by-play, Kirk Herbstreit as the analyst and Holly Rowe as the sideline reporter)

Local Radio: Badger Sports Network (Matt Lepay doing play-by-play, Mike Lucas and Mark Tauscher as analysts, Patrick Herb as the sideline reporter)

National Radio: ESPN Radio (Marc Kestecher doing play-by-play, Kelly Stouffer as the analyst and Ian Fitzsimmons as the sideline reporter)

Betting line: Wisconsin +19.5

This is a tough ask, but on the road against the No. 3 team in the country, Wisconsin can't shoot itself in the foot.

UW proved against Washington State that it isn't good enough to overcome self-inflicted errors. Against the Cougars, 11 penalties, missed tackles and three costly turnovers made the differences.

That improved one week ago against New Mexico State, but some of the errors when wrapping up ball carriers persisted. Against the Buckeyes, missed tackles can turn into explosive chunk plays or touchdowns.

In a road environment for the first time, the Badgers can't afford to have penalties stall drives and create long third downs. Conversely, when the defense gets a stop on third down, C.J. Stroud and the Buckeyes can turn a gifted first down into a score.

The matchup of the game will be between Jim Leonhard, his secondary and Stroud on the other side with his set of playmakers.

The Buckeyes are coming off a win over Toledo in which they gave up 21 points but still managed to win by 56 with a 77-point outing from the offense. In the victory, Stroud threw for 367 yards and five touchdowns with three receivers going over 100 yards on the day.

Over the years, the talent gap on the outside has been the difference with Wisconsin hanging around before Ohio State blows games open. That was the case in both losses in 2019 with UW battling in the first half before getting overwhelmed.

The key will be to create some pressure on Stroud, who has been sacked just twice through the first three games. He has improved by improvising and making throws on the run. With Stroud, he creates an issue outside of the pocket but has just nine yards on the ground. He is a quarterback who looks to pass when out of the pocket.

"He is a passer who will go through all of his reads," senior safety John Torchio said. "So in the secondary, you have to stay sharp because he could come back to you on the play or look to his last read on the play."

The offense will have to do its part in limiting the Buckeyes. Part of that will come down to maintaining drives to keep OSU off the field.

With Braelon Allen and the rushing attack breaking out against New Mexico State with 335 yards and three touchdowns, now would be a perfect time for an encore performance.

Success on the ground has been hard to come by for the Badgers against Ohio State. Across the eight-game losing streak, UW has a mark of just 3.5 yards per carry and eight touchdowns. Over that time, the rushing attack has topped 104 yards just three times.

If Wisconsin can compete and hang with an explosive Ohio State offense, the offense will have to break new ground and create a push.

Wisconsin has a chance for a program-defining win, one that fans remember for years to come. Just as important, it has a chance to maintain its position with the elite of the conference. A competitive game against the Buckeyes on the road would prove just that.

The problem is with the talent gap as wide as it is, UW is going to have to play a near perfect game. That's a tough ask for a team that has displayed multiple mental lapses through the first three weeks.

Ohio State 31, Wisconsin 17

Wisconsin was expected to be 3-0 after playing three "overmatched" opponents at home. So, the fact that the Badgers are 2-1 creates some level of anxiety heading into tonight. Is the offensive line in better shape after getting beaten off the edges by Washington State's speed? Has the tackling improved, the special teams become sharper and the penalties decreased? All of these things - and then some - are needed to have a chance against Ohio State.

The Buckeyes look phenomenal on offense and have plenty of talent on defense, but the nonconference schedule has shown that teams can move the ball on OSU. Can the Badgers sustain drives, move the ball on the ground and in the air, convert on third down, and play mistake free? That's a tall task to ask but not impossible.

UW will need to play its best game in three years and the Buckeyes to make mistakes for the Badgers to win. I have a hard time believing that will happen, but I do think UW will hang around longer than expected.

Ohio State 35, Wisconsin 14

_________________________________________________

*Chat about this article in The Badgers' Den

*Check out our videos, interviews, and Q&As on our YouTube channel

*Subscribe and listen to the BadgerBlitz.com podcast (as seen on Apple, Google, Spotify and wherever you listen to podcasts)

*Follow us on Twitter: @McNamaraRivals, @TheBadgerNation, @RaulV45, @pete_brey12, @seamus_rohrer

*Like us on Facebook