Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Wisconsin Badgers: Offensive Players to Watch
When the Wisconsin Badgers welcome Ohio State the Buckeyes on Saturday they will be looking to play spoilers to not Ryan Day's college football playoff expectations but also end the Bucks' nine-game winning streak in the series.
In fact, the Buckeyes have won 12 of the last 13 matchups between the two teams.
You'd have to go back to 2010 to find the last time that the Badgers had beaten the Buckeyes, who just so happened to be the No. 1 team in the country when they kicked off the game in Madison.
Ohio State will not want to see a repeat of a similar situation, so here are the Wisconsin playmakers that you need to keep a watchful eye on ahead of this matchup.
Braelon Allen, RB
When you think of Wisconsin Football, you likely think of them as a run-first football team. Even with the hiring of Luke Fickell as their coach, the Badgers aren't expected to shy away from their run-first mentality offensively, especially with a running back like Braelon Allen.
The junior, formerly out of Don Du Lac, Wisconsin, is already recognized as one of the top returning backs in college football this season. Allen is fresh off his second-straight 1,000-yard rushing season, as he ran for 1,242 yards and 11 touchdowns on 230 carries.
Even in the 52-21 loss to the Buckeyes last fall, Allen found great success on the ground, rushing for 165 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. For many, that would've been a career-high for a single game, yet for Allen; it is second behind his 228-yard performance versus Nebraska in 2021.
This season, Allen already has 120 carries for 704 yards and eight scores.
Braedyn Locke, QB
Backup freshman QB Braedyn lock will get another start under center for the Badgers after starter Tanner Mordecai was injured in Week 7 with a broken hand.
In replacement of Mordecai, Locke has completed 21 of 41 passes for 240 yards and two scores on Saturday in the win over the Illini.
He will face a stiff test in the Buckeyes defense, which just shut down Drew Allar and the Penn State Offense.
Will Pauling, WR
Chimere Dike was the returning leading receiver for the Badgers coming into the season, but it has been Will Pauling who has been the team's go-to guy.
So far this season for the Badgers, Pauling has 37 catches for 398 yards and a touchdown.
Dike is still a threat, however, and is leading the team in yards per catch at 17.6 to Pauling's 10.8. But the two do form a tricky duo, that the Buckeyes secondary will have to contend with on Saturday.
