The fourth time is a charm as the Wisconsin Badgers and Head Coach Bret Bielema stunned the nation by knocking off the #1 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes by the score of 31-18 in front of an electric atmosphere at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, WI.
The Badgers were well prepared for the Buckeyes and dominated from the ensuing kick-off which saw David Gilreath run 97 yards for a touchdown and quick 7-0 lead.
Many critics believed Bielema was unable to take the Badgers to the next level because of his track-record in big games versus Big Ten opponents (5-8 vs. ranked Big Ten Teams and 0-3 vs. Ohio State). They can now look elsewhere because Bielema coached his Badgers to one of the biggest wins in school history.
By: Nick Grays
Believe it or not, Saturday night’s triumph was the Badgers’ fourth ever versus a top-ranked team with the last one coming against Michigan in 1981.With the win, Wisconsin also improved their home-record to 41-4 since 2004, the best in the Big Ten during that time span.
Not only was the Buckeyes’ three-game winning streak versus the Badgers snapped, but so was their 12 game winning streak which ranked second only behind Boise State’s 19 straight victories.
The Badgers played an almost perfect game against Ohio State. The most shocking element of the win was how the Badgers’ offensive line embarrassed a Buckeyes’ defensive front who was pushed around like they’ve never been pushed around before. Following the game, Bielema talked about challenging the offensive line.
“I did challenge them. I don’t do that very often as a head coach. I don’t want to set kids up for failure. If I do something like that, it’s usually that I have a really strong belief that it’s going to come through. I challenged the offensive line and defensive line, to be quite honest. Everybody made a big deal about the 29 games that Ohio State had played without a 100-yard rusher. I threw it in those guys’ faces all week. I threw it at our running backs, but it all starts up front for us. For us to have success, we have to play well at the offensive line. I thought the leadership that Gabe Carimi and John Moffitt gave us was priceless. I can’t put it into words,” said Bielema.
Whatever Bielema said worked because Carimi, Moffitt and company were instrumental in paving the way for running backs John Clay and James White’s 184 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the night. Clay’s 104 yard effort was the first time in 29 games that the Buckeyes’ defense had allowed a 100-yard rusher.
Next up, the Badgers road to a Big Ten Title doesn’t get any easier as they travel to Iowa City to take on an Iowa Hawkeyes team with a bit of momentum after a big win at Michigan.
To Bielema, the game means even more because he used to play at Iowa and served as an assistant coach there for eight years. More importantly, the game is the next “Big One” on his coaching resume.
“This is a game that, I believe in my career, we’re 2-2. Iowa is a program, much like Ohio State, that we have a lot of respect for because of the way they handle their business, the way they execute. There is a great deal of respect, but we all want the same thing. That’s what this week will be about, getting a W,” said Bielema.
Will the Badgers be victorious in Iowa City? What do you think about the Badgers huge win on Saturday and what about Bielema, has he brought himself up a peg in the college football coaching heirarchy? Let me know by commenting below!
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