Ohio State legends predict blowout victory against Wisconsin Badgers

The Ohio State Buckeyes are set for a Saturday afternoon tilt, taking on the Wisconsin Badgers in a game that may be unkind to a familiar foe at Camp Randall.

Ohio State Takes On The Wisconsin Badgers At Camp Randall Saturday afternoon, in a game they are heavily favored to outpace former Ohio State Defensive Tackle, Defensive Coordinator and Interim Head Coach Luke Fickell's squad | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Badgers and former Ohio State defensive tackle, defensive coordinator and interim head coach Luke Fickell host the nation’s top-ranked Buckeyes in a contest many are expecting to be a blowout. 

Normally, Buckeye Nation would be thrilled to be 26.5-point road favorites over a Big Ten program that was once considered a powerhouse of smashmouth football for the better part of the 2010s, but times have changed considerably under Fickell’s tenure for the Badgers.

That fact is especially difficult for former Ohio State linebackers Bobby Carpenter and Anthony Schlegel – star players on a Buckeye defense that flourished Fickell’s direction in the mid-2000s. 

The reality is that over the past decade, Ohio State and Wisconsin have been on wholly different trajectories, culminating in the staggering juxtaposition that Saturday’s matchup entails. The Badgers offense has been brutal, and while the defensive interior has shown flashes of solid play, the defense cannot hang tough with upper echelon opponents like Alabama or Ohio State.

Enter the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes.

Standing at a perfect 6-0, Ryan Day’s team arrives at Camp Randall, having just handled Big Ten foes Washington and Minnesota with relative ease. That makes for an uneasy conversation for Carpenter and Schlegel. who expect this week’s contest to be another drubbing in favor of the Scarlet and Gray.

As far as predictions go, Carpenter forecasts that the Buckeyes will cruise to a 45-3 win, while Schlegel expects Day, Matt Patricia and company to coast to a 38-0 shutout performance.

Though the 2006 NFL draft selections didn’t submit their predictions with their usual gleeful disposition, it’s a near-forgone conclusion that Ohio State will take down Wisconsin and add to the fire that is already ablaze under Fickell’s hot seat.

.@BenScottStevens put it best: a stoppable force meets an immovable object.

"6.7 ppg, I think that's the exact average Ohio State has given up in their last four games."

Good luck to the Badgers trying to put points on the board. pic.twitter.com/RNtlGdnPr4

— Bobby Carpenter Show (@BobbyCarpShow) October 17, 2025

On The Bobby Carpenter Show via the BIGPLAY Sports Network, Schlegel cited that aside from the gaudy 26.5-point line in favor of the Buckeyes, the Badgers team total was an incredibly low 7.5 points on the FanDuel Sportsbook – a number for which both analysts expressed doubt that Wisconsin could even reach.

Both former Buckeyes agreed that they’d be shocked to see the home team find the endzone against the vaunted Ohio State defense, but also admitted they would not be shocked to see Day take the foot off the gas pedal late in the contest, so as to not embarrass an already under fire head coach in Fickell, who spent nearly two decades in Columbus representing the Scarlet and Gray.