Bucks giving Badgers respect

But the poll voters aren’t. Wisconsin dropped nine places after last week’s loss.

COLUMBUS (AP) — Moments after No. 14 Ohio State beat Minnesota 34-21 Saturday in both teams’ Big Ten opener, the Buckeyes had already shifted their focus to the next task on their to-do list.

“Wisconsin is a challenge. It’s a huge game,” linebacker James Laurinaitis said. “They deserve every bit of respect we can give them.”

A few hours later, that last statement was open to some debate.

The ninth-ranked Badgers piled up a 19-0 lead on downtrodden Michigan, seemingly the latest batch of bad news for Wolverines fans since Rich Rodriguez was hired last winter to introduce a breath of fresh air to the UM program.

But instead of wilting as they had done in lopsided losses to Utah and Notre Dame, the Wolverines ran off the next 27 points and then weathered a disallowed two-point conversion pass in the final seconds to stun the Badgers 27-25 late in the twilight at The Big House.

All of a sudden, Ohio State’s not the only Big Ten power licking its wounds.

“It just kind of got away from us in the end,” a disconsolate coach Bret Bielema said.

Voters in The Associated Press Top 25 quickly downgraded the Badgers. They dropped from ninth to 18th in the latest poll. To put that into perspective, Ohio State only dropped eight spots after getting lashed 35-3 at top-ranked USC two weeks ago, and USC also dropped just eight spots after it was manhandled 27-21 at Oregon State last Thursday night.

Maybe the Buckeyes are the only people who are giving Wisconsin “every bit of respect.”

Regardless of where the Badgers are ranked or what happened in the previous week, the Buckeyes have been conditioned to give Wisconsin its due.

Since taking over in 2001, Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel is 75-14 against the rest of the Big Ten. Against the Badgers, he’s 2-3.

“We have to study hard and practice hard for the game coming up,” tailback Chris “Beanie” Wells said. “They’re a good football team.”

The Buckeyes appear to be a better team than they were two or three weeks ago, too. Wells rushed for 106 yards and looked like his old self against Minnesota after not playing for a month because of a still-mysterious foot injury. Wells said he was sidelined for three games by a muscle injury that also included ligaments and his big toe. Ohio State hasn’t offered a specific diagnosis.

Wells is joined in the Ohio State backfield by a new face, freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who is getting better every week. He has five TD passes and has run for two scores in his first two starts.

“I love getting the ball and running it,” Pryor said. “I love to set the tone for the offense.”

Ohio State hasn’t played at Wisconsin’s Camp Randall Stadium in six years. The Buckeyes have lost their last two games in that decidedly partisan old venue.

“It’s going to be a whole new thing to go up there and go into that environment because we’ve been hearing a lot about it,” wide receiver Brian Robiskie said.