Ohio State looks to solidify their spot as the #1 seed in college football when they play Wisconsin in the 2019 Big Ten championship game free pick. OSU has ran the table at 12-0 on the season, but could still be upended by LSU for the top spot depending on the results of the SEC championship. The Badgers are +15.5 point underdogs in this spot and have already been blown out by the Buckeyes once this season. Does the neutral site help UW’s chances here?
Can Taylor Carry Wisconsin?
The Badgers definitely have a weapon in the 2019 Big Ten championship game free pick as Jonathan Taylor leads the country in total scores with 25. The superb RB was held relatively in check last week vs. Minnesota (78 yards, 2 TD) but had posted 200+ in three games prior. Something that doesn’t bode well for the Badgers on Saturday night is that Taylor had 20 carries for just 52 yards in the 7-38 loss to Ohio State on October 26th.
If Taylor is indeed held in check again vs. the Buckeyes, can Jack Coan have a big enough game at QB vs. the Buckeyes defense to keep this one within 15.5 points? Coan was only 10/17 for 108 yards in the OSU game a few weeks ago. That was at the Horseshoe however and Wisconsin should have good fan support in the neutral site in Indianapolis. Coan had 280 in the air last week vs. the Golden Gophers, but it was also his first time throwing for over 205 in the last 5 games.
The Wisconsin defense looked good last week in holding a very solid Minnesota offense to 17 points. The Gophers ground game had 30 totes for just 76 yards. Any way the Badgers can repeat that vs. the nation’s #4 rushing attack and #5 total offense in the country?
How Will SEC Championship Game Alter OSU’s Strategy?
The SEC championship played 4 hours prior to this game will greatly effect how Ohio State approaches the -15.5 spread in this one. It may not matter either way, but the Buckeyes want to leave a great impression on playoff voters if LSU ends up with a dominating win over the Bulldogs.
The safe bet for Ryan Day’s team is to just dominate Wisconsin like they did at the end of October. QB Justin Fields was just 12/22 that game for 167 yards (2/0) but he didn’t have to be great as OSU ran the ball 50 times for 264. J.K. Dobbins ran the ball 20 times for an 8.2 ypc average vs. the Badgers’ top 10 defense. Dobbins had 211 yards and 4 TDs last week put up 56 on Michigan’s solid defense. This just looks like a Buckeyes team that is gelling on offense right now.
Make no mistake, Ohio State’s defense holds up their end of the bargain as well. After all, it’s a unit #1 in total yards against, #2 vs. the pass, #4 vs. the rush, and #3 in points allowed. DE Chase Young leads the country in sacks (16.5) even though he missed two games. It’s just a mismatch all around for the Badgers on Saturday night.
2019 Big Ten Championship Game Free Pick
Nearly 3/4 of the public likes Ohio State in this one – but it’s hard not to. The Buckeyes could be a 25 point favorite here and it would still be a tempting bet. OSU has superior talent on both sides of the ball and have the motivation of needing a big win to secure their spot for the next phase of this season, the playoffs.
Pick: Ohio State Buckeyes -15.5
