Buckeyes Now

Ohio State's next opponent comes in already on the hot seat

With Week 8 on the horizon, the Buckeyes' opponent is a stark contrast from Bret Bielema's Illinois Fighting Illini.
Zain Bando|
Sep 20, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell looks on during warmups prior to the game against the Maryland Terrapins at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
Sep 20, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell looks on during warmups prior to the game against the Maryland Terrapins at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

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Ohio State Buckeyes

After a Week 7 34-16 road win against the previously-ranked No. 17 Illinois Fighting Illini, the Ohio State Buckeyes enter Week 8 looking to further solidify their stamp on the nation's No. 1 ranking by traveling to Camp Randall Stadium to face a Wisconsin Badgers team that's struggling immensely under the direction of their coach, Luke Fickell.

Some college football analysts, particularly USA Today's Blake Toppmeyer, have seen enough of the Fickell experiment in Madison in the day following James Franklin's sudden firing from Penn State.

After being ranked AP preseason No. 2 before sputtering to a 3-3 cliff through six games, which included upset losses to the UCLA Bruins and Northwestern Wildcats in back-to-back weeks after beginning its losing streak in its Big Ten opener against the Oregon Ducks in a double overtime heartbreaker Sept. 27 in State College, Fickell is on the hot seat.

Although the Badgers are a far cry from the expectations the Illinois and its coach, Bret Bielema had entering the season, it's worth noting games between the Badgers and Buckeyes used to have to buildup for potential instant classics. Now, they're anything but an afterthought as Wisconsin has slid to a 2-4 start and is winless in the Big Ten thus far.

As of Monday afternoon, Ohio State sits at a 27.5-point favorite over the Badgers. Therefore, if a bettor were to make a play on the game, they'd have to hope the Buckeyes could win by four touchdowns or more in order to successfully cash in.

For further context, the Buckeyes avoided a late scare in the Illinois game as the defense prevented quarterback Luke Altmyer from securing a touchdown drive in the closing minutes, which would have covered the 16.5-point spread. Instead, it was enough for the Buckeyes to not only win the game, but remain unbeaten and further establish themselves as one of, if not college football's best team.

Ohio State leads the all-time series 21-6-1 against Wisconsin dating to 1989, coming away victorious in the last 10 head-to-head meetings.

Its last matchup against the Badgers took place in Oct. 2023, as it came away with a 24-10 win in Madison en route to an 11-2 season which was capped with a loss to the Missouri Tigers in the Cotton Bowl.

Should the Buckeyes come away victorious Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS), it would give them much-needed rest before it welcomes Penn State and the Buckeyes' ex-defensive coordinator, Jim Knowles, to Columbus Nov. 1.

For now, though, only time will tell.

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Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a Sports Desk writer for BIGPLAY with a focus on covering the Ohio State Buckeyes and Cleveland Browns. Bando has been with the On SI network since October 2023, contributing across the Illinois Fighting Illini on SI and the Kansas State on SI sites, among others. Currently, Bando serves as a staff writer and columnist for MMA Knockout on SI, as well as the recently launched WNBA section of On SI, with a focus on the Dallas Wings.

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