Ohio State has been utterly dominant this season. The Buckeyes have crushed their opponents, outscoring them by a whopping 266-54. The Badgers will have their hands full this weekend against Urban Meyer’s juggernaut. Several individual matchups will play a huge role in determining the outcome of the game.
OSU running back Curtis Samuel vs. UW linebacker Jack Cichy
Samuel is in the midst of a major breakout season. After seeing just 17 rushing attempts and 22 receptions in 13 games during his sophomore season, the Brooklyn product has already had 49 rushing attempts and 23 receptions through the first five games of his junior year. His explosiveness and versatility have been a treat to observe; he’s averaging just over eight yards per carry and 69 receiving yards per game.
It’s clear Urban Meyer has a strong affinity for hybrid backs—From Percy Harvin to Braxton Miller and now to Samuel, Meyer has a long history of deploying his most explosive athletes in unpredictable ways.
It’s going to be up to the Wisconsin linebacking corps, and specifically Jack Cichy, to locate Samuel and try to contain him.
Junior inside linebacker Cichy has been a revelation for the Badgers ever since Wisconsin’s bowl game victory last December against USC. In UW’s 23-21 victory over the Trojans, the legend of “Three Sack Jack” was born after Cichy sacked former Southern California quarterback Cody Kessler on three consecutive plays.
It’s clear the Wisconsin native’s confidence has only been on the rise since the final game of his sophomore season. Through five games, Cichy leads the team with 31.5 tackles. He’s been unparalleled at stopping the run and bringing down receivers in open space, both key aspects of bottling up Samuel.
In order to beat Ohio State, the Badgers’ defense is going to have little margin for error, and Cichy will have to consistently make good reads while covering Samuel to give the Badgers a chance.
UW offensive lineman Ryan Ramczyk vs. OSU defensive end Nick Bosa
To improve upon last week’s sub-par performance by the offensive line, the eldest and best player will have to step up and take charge to command the Badgers in the trenches. Ryan Ramczyk’s rise to prominence has been something to behold; two years ago, he was playing Division III ball at Stevens Point. The redshirt junior had not made a start at the Division I level before this year, yet despite his lack of experience, he has played like one of the best tackles in the country. According to Pro Football Focus, Ramczyk has only allowed pressure on three of his 156 offensive snaps this season, an incredible mark.
He will have to continue dominating his competition in order for the Badgers’ offense to function. If Ramczyk plays poorly and the rest of UW’s offensive line follows suit, freshman quarterback Alex Hornibrook and the running backs will be in for a long night against a five-star laden Buckeye defensive line.
Despite the seamless transition in talent for OSU between the last two seasons, most fans still remember 2015 Buckeye superstar Joey Bosa. Still, even with Joey gone, the Bosa name lives on in Columbus as freshman defensive end Nick Bosa continues to develop into a star in the wake left behind by his brother. The consensus five-star and top-10 recruit had big expectations on his shoulders and has lived up to the hype, as he has arguably been Ohio State’s best pass rusher so far. Bosa is tied for the team lead with two sacks, and is second on the team with four tackles for loss.
If you like watching future NFL players, you’ll want to watch Bosa duke it out against Ramczyk. Even though Ramczyk has only played five games in his Division I career, his terrific play has caught the eye of many NFL scouts, some claiming that he could be an early round pick after this season. Bosa won’t eligible for the draft until 2019, but if he continues to progress at this rate, he’ll be selected within the first five picks.
