Ohio State Football: 3 reasons Buckeyes will beat Wisconsin in Week 9

Ohio State football hosts the Wisconsin Badgers Saturday afternoon in Columbus. Here are three reasons why the Buckeyes win the game.

On the balance, the Ohio State Buckeyes are the better team. They have the superior athletes in this one, and they are playing better than the Badgers. Not only that, they are playing this game at the Horseshoe, one of the best home-field advantages in college football.

Wisconsin, however, desperately needs this game. The Badgers’ loss to the Fighting Illini hurt their chances at the Big Ten title — Minnesota takes a two-game lead with a Wisconsin loss — and crippled their chance at the College Football Playoff. A loss to the Buckeyes, and the Badgers are all but sunk in the West and the playoff.

If Wisconsin wants to win this game, they need a less than perfect performance from the Buckeyes coupled with their best performance of the season.

They need to figure out how to keep Justin Fields and the high-powered Buckeye offense off the field, but still put touchdowns — not just points — on the board. Easier said than done.

The Buckeyes are playing like a team on a mission. They are playing like a team that wants to erase the memories of Kinnick at night two years ago and the Tyler Trent game last season. The focus they play with this season is unmatched in the country.

It’s near impossible to defeat them, and the Badgers won’t do it Saturday. Here are three reasons why.