Buckeyes regroup to rout Badgers

Ohio State rallied for a 38-17 win to stay unbeaten and save their national title hopes.

GATEHOUSE NEWS SERVICE

COLUMBUS — Bloodied, bruised and left slumped in a corner against the ropes in the third quarter of Saturday’s Big Ten Conference game, Ohio State was taking a standing eight count for its season.

Wisconsin, not ready to leave the Big Ten championship picture and hoping to salvage a two-loss season, was giving the Buckeyes more than it could handle.

The Badgers led at that point, 17-10, and college football fans around the nation turned into rubber-neckers.

Nothing to see here, folks.

Ohio State fought back with a 10-sack effort from the defense and a dominating rushing game from Beanie Wells to save their national title hopes with a 38-17 win.

“We came out, got some points and got punched back in the mouth a couple of times,” said Ohio State receiver Brian Hartline, who had career highs with seven catches and 95 yards, including a 45-yarder. “Then we fought back. I always say this: Some of those one-loss teams are in a better situation than undefeated teams. They remember what it’s like to lose. When you get streaks going, it’s easy to forget that feeling.”

A cold bucket of water and Jim Tressel’s voice only go so far. For the first time since 2005, Ohio State trailed at home in the third quarter and was tied in the fourth.

“Wisconsin came in and laid it on the line,” Tressel said. “Our guys kept battling, and anything that came our way in terms of adversity, our guys handled it.”

The Buckeyes got the regular season scare they never did a year ago in running through the competition to the national championship game. But Wells had enough, carrying his team to a come-from-behind and runaway win all in the same afternoon.

Ohio State watched a 10-3 halftime lead disappear in the third.

The Badgers, backed up to their own 8 after a penalty on the kickoff, got 22 yards from true freshman running back Zach Brown, who replaced injured starter P.J. Hill.

On third-and-3 at the Wisconsin 37, quarterback Tyler Donovan threw a short pass to Paul Hubbard, who turned it into a 50-yard gain.

On second down, Wisconsin was hit with a block below the waist. No matter. Donovan hit Travis Beckum on the next play for a 28-yard touchdown, and the game was tied at 10.

The Buckeye offense chased that with a three-and-out, and Wisconsin went back to work.

After Vernon Ghoston’s third sack of the game — he finished with a record-tying four — forced third-and-16, Malcolm Jenkins missed a tackle near the first-down marker on a pass to Hubbard, who ricocheted off Jenkins all the way to the OSU 4.

On third-and-goal, Donovan hit fullback Chris Pressley on a 2-yard TD pass. Again, it was Jenkins who lost Pressley in coverage.

Down 17-10, Ohio State rediscovered Wells. Quarterback Todd Boeckman finished with modest numbers (17-of-28, 166 yards, two TDs to Brian Robiskie), but he threw 21 passes in the first half. Wells ran it just six times.

The Buckeyes tied the game with a steady diet of Beanie. He carried six times on the next drive, including a 31-yard cutback run for the score. A 30-yard run by Wells gave Ohio State a 24-17 lead. He finished with 169 yards and a third touchdown.

“Last year, we didn’t have any adversity,” said Barton. “We didn’t know if we could bleed.”

They do now.