When Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Curt Phillips found Jacob Pedersen in the end zone for the tying score late in the fourth quarter, it felt like the Ohio State Buckeyes’ perfect season was destined to end in overtime.
The Buckeyes had been outplayed by the Badgers for much of the game, and a ferocious crowd had been given new life when Wisconsin snagged the momentum from Ohio State heading into OT.
Like so many times this season, the Buckeyes stepped up.
Ohio State scored after just four plays on the first possession in overtime, and the Buckeyes surrendered just six yards to the Badgers to escape Madison with a 21-14 victory.
It officially became “Michigan Week” the moment Christian Bryant batted down Curt Phillip’s fourth-down pass attempt, but before we look ahead to the Wolverines, here are 10 things we learned from Ohio State’s overtime victory over Wisconsin.
1. Ohio State is good at winning games it has no business winning.
This wasn’t the first time the Buckeyes had been outplayed this year before eventually winning in overtime.
In its Week 8 matchup against Purdue, Ohio State was in a world of hurt down eight points with just 47 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Backup quarterback Kenny Guiton, filling in for the injured Braxton Miller, drove the Buckeyes 61 yards in 44 seconds for a touchdown, then converted the two-point conversion to force overtime. Ohio State went on to win that game, 29-22, despite being outclassed by Purdue for much of the game.
The Badgers outgained Ohio State by 124 total yards on Saturday night while controlling field position and dominating time of possession (Ohio State 22:43, Wisconsin 37:17).
In the end, the Buckeyes made enough plays to overcome all of that for a tough road win.
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