College football: What message will Ohio State send Badgers?

Oct. 27—We all know the things Ohio State fans say most often on internet message boards devoted to Buckeyes football.

They complain about the offensive line. The running backs and the problems the guys in scarlet and gray have had with converting in short yardage situations are other popular topics.

They wish quarterback Kyle McCord would be more consistent, that the defensive line would get more sacks, that running back TreVeyon Henderson could be healthier and that running back Dallan Hayden would be on the field more.

And, of course, they are convinced Michigan is a bunch of dirty rotten cheaters.

Ordinarily, I never look at message boards. But curiosity pushed me toward them this week to see what fans of other Big Ten football teams were saying about their teams on their message boards.

They are, no surprise, a lot like Ohio State message boards.

No. 3 Ohio State (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) plays at Big Ten West Division leader Wisconsin (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) on Saturday.

The Badgers came back from 18 points down in the fourth quarter to beat Illinois 25-21 last Saturday. That win, combined with Iowa losing to Minnesota, moved Wisconsin to the top of the West Division.

But some of the Badgers' fans who commented on message boards weren't satisfied with just getting a win.

One fan on Badger247sports.com said, "The great fourth quarter comeback doesn't erase the continued false starts, dropped passes, inability to tackle the quarterback and overall lack of execution that occurred in the first three quarters."

Another fan on the Buckyville site agreed. "We looked like an undisciplined, sloppy mess again," he said.

And it wouldn't officially be a message board without one weird comment like this from Badger247sports.com: "Is it just me, but many of the guys on defense got really big and beefy from the offseason strength training but don't look very strong and have lost all speed and mobility."

Over at Penn State message boards like Black Shoes Diary and Fight On State, coach James Franklin, quarterback Drew Allar, the Nittany Lions' offensive play calling and Michigan were hot topics.

A critic said Allar's passes were "so high they showed up on air traffic control radar." One fan said Penn State's offensive linemen needed more coaching. Another fan said the running backs needed less coaching.

After watching James Franklin sink to 1-9 against Ohio State, a fan said, "I have no expectation that we'll beat Michigan and am already bracing for the word salad Franklin will dish out after another loss."

The last words from a fan belong to an Indiana fan, which seems appropriate since the Hoosiers are in last place in the East Division of the Big Ten.

He wrote on TheHoosier.com, "We have had about nine reasonable football seasons in my lifetime. In case you are wondering, I am over 60."

So, what will Ohio State fans be saying on message boards after the Buckeyes' trip to Wisconsin?

Probably more good things than bad things, especially if running back TreVeyon Henderson, wide receiver Emeka Egbuka and cornerback Denzel Burke are able to return from injuries that forced them to miss last week's 20-12 win over Penn State.

Here are four things to watch, which could play a big role in who wins this game:

1. Ohio State's running game against Wisconsin's defense. OSU coach Ryan Day said earlier this week that Henderson is "full go" and will play this week.

Henderson has missed the last three games and his return could energize an Ohio State running game that has struggled without him there to provide explosive plays.

In the four games Henderson has played OSU has gained 149 yards rushing per game and averaged 5.0 yards a carry. In the three games he missed, OSU has gained 97.7 yards rushing per game and averaged 2.6 yards a carry.

Wisconsin has given up 200 yards rushing against Iowa and 223 yards rushing against Illinois in its two most recent games and ranks No. 10 in the Big Ten in rushing defense.

2. Ohio State's defensive line against Wisconsin quarterback Braedyn Locke in his second college start.

Wisconsin's starting quarterback Tanner Mordecai suffered a broken hand two games ago against Iowa. Locke struggled against the Hawkeyes in relief but led the Badgers on touchdown drives of 52 yards, 82 yards and 83 yards in the fourth quarter to beat Illinois 25-21 last week.

If OSU can put the same level of pressure on him that it got against Penn State it could be a long night for Locke.

Locke and Mordecai have combined for five touchdown passes and no Wisconsin receiver has more than one touchdown catch.

3. Ohio State's passing game against Wisconsin's secondary.

Cornerback Ricardo Hallman (4 interceptions) and safety Hunter Wohler (70 tackles, 2 interceptions) are two of the reasons Wisconsin's four Big Ten opponents have completed only 52 percent of their passes.

4. Who can start fast?

The last time Ohio State lost to Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium — or anywhere — David Gilreath returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, the decibel level in the stadium was off the charts and OSU was behind 21-0 two minutes into the second quarter.

Fast starts haven't been something Wisconsin has had a lot of recently, though. The Badgers have not scored a touchdown in the first quarter in their last three games.

The prediction: Ohio State 31, Wisconsin 14.

Reach Jim Naveau at 567-242-0451.