PREVIEW: No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes Reunite With Luke Fickell vs. Wisconsin Badgers
Coming off of a major win over the No. 7 Penn State Nittany Lions, the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes face another stiff test this week, when they travel to Madison to take on the Wisconsin Badgers.
The Badgers, who are sitting at 5-2 after a win over Illinois, will have a familiar face to Buckeyes fans on their sidelines in coach Luke Fickell, who served as an assistant for Ohio State from 2002-2016, even being named the team's interim head coach in 2011 following the departure of Jim Tressel.
Fickell also played for Ohio State from 1993-96 before moving into a coaching career.
Despite being 109 miles away from Ohio State during his stint as Cincinnati's head coach Fickell has only coached against the Buckeyes once. In 2019, then-Fickell's Bearcats went into the Horseshoe and were shut out in a 42-0 loss. He will be hoping for a better outcome against his alma mater.
And while this is Fickell's first season in Madison, there will still be pressure to end the Buckeyes' current nine-game winning streak over the Badgers. Wisconsin's last win over Ohio State happened back in 2010 when the then-No. 1 Buckeyes fell to the Badgers on the road.
Not only that, but the first-year head coach will have to do it with a backup freshman QB after starter Tanner Mordecai was injured in Week 7 with a broken hand.
In replacement of Mordecai, the Badgers will start freshman Braedyn Locke, who completed 21 of 41 passes for 240 yards and two scores on Saturday in the win over the Illini.
Wisconsin
2023 Record: 5-2
Head Coach: Luke Fickell
Offensive Key Players:
Passing: Braedyn Locke
2023 Stats: 37 of 72 for 370 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
Rushing: Braelon Allen
2023 Stats: 120 carries for 704 yards and eight touchdowns
Receiving: Will Pauling
2023 Stats: 37 receptions for 398 yards and one touchdown
Defensive Leaders
Tackles: S Hunter Wohler, 70
Sacks: LB Darryl Peterson, 3.5
Interceptions: Ricardo Hallman, 4
