The Ohio State Buckeyes (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) travel to face the Wisconsin Badgers (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) on Saturday, October 28 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. Live coverage will be part of NBC Sports’ B1G Saturday Night, starting at 7:00 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. Keep reading for how to watch and key storylines for the game.
Ohio State
Undefeated national title contender Ohio State is coming off its second win over an AP top 10 team this season, having beat then-No. 7 Penn State last weekend after besting then-No. 9 Notre Dame on the road last month. Safe to say, the Buckeyes are rolling into Madison expecting to extend their win streak over the Badgers to 10 games.
Ohio State’s offense is putting up big numbers and currently leads the Big Ten in total yards per game, but the Buckeyes’ defense is the cornerstone of this team right now, allowing just 10 points per game (third in the FBS, currently). Last week against Penn State, the Ohio State defense held the Nittany Lions to 49 yards rushing and limited their sophomore quarterback Drew Allar to a 42.9 percent completion rate. The defense only allowed Penn State to convert just one of 16 third downs, with the one successful attempt coming with under a minute to play and the Nittany Lions down by two touchdowns.
“If we can play like this, then this is that championship-level defense,” head coach Ryan Day said after beating Penn State. “And if we can keep growing as a team, then we’ll be tough to beat here down the road.”
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Wisconsin
Current Big Ten West leader Wisconsin overcame a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Illinois 25-21 last weekend and reclaim its division lead. The Badgers are looking for their first Big Ten West win in four years, but they’ll have to win out in the regular season.
The Badgers are in their first season under head coach Luke Fickell – a former Ohio State player and assistant coach who served as the Buckeyes’ interim head coach in 2011. The change from former head coach Paul Chryst last season was a shock to some; Wisconsin fired Chryst mid-season after just five games despite the team having 21-consecutive winning seasons – the longest active streak in the Power 5.
The most notable change on the field has been the offensive approach. Gone are the days of the ground-and-pound rush attack Wisconsin was known for, as Chryst has ushered in a new era with a pass-heavy approach. A win over his alma mater would be a nice feather in Fickell’s cap.
The guy to watch for the Badgers is newly-minted starting quarterback Braedyn Locke, who stepped in after previous starter Tanner Mordecai broke his right hand (his throwing hand) late in Wisconsin’s loss to Iowa two weeks ago. There’s no timetable for Mordecai to return, but with the team now using the pass-centric “Air Raid” offense, Locke will be crucial to the Badgers’ upset attempt.
How to watch the Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Wisconsin Badgers
- When: Saturday, October 28
- Where: Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET (Pregame coverage begins at 7:00pm ET)
- Watch: NBC, Peacock
How can I watch Big Ten on Peacock?
The Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Wisconsin Badgers game will broadcast on NBC and stream on Peacock. Sign up for Peacock here.
What devices support Peacock?
You can enjoy Peacock on a variety of devices.
View the full list of supported devices here.