End Zone: Ohio State 11-15

11/15/2012

I suppose I should take Wisconsin over Ohio State this week.

Doing otherwise would go against the schmuck in the above photo, who forecasted OSU would go 10-2 this fall, and pretty much everyone else. Guru Phil Steele is picking against the Buckeyes for the first time this year while the Badgers — at home on senior day in one of college football's wildest settings — are a three-point favorite.

So, naturally, here's my latest take-it-to-the-dollar-store prediction: Ohio State 24, Wisconsin 20.

For OSU, a win or a loss Saturday will likely mean the difference between a very good season and a historic one. This showdown looks dead even, the Buckeyes' slight edge in talent offset by the earth-rattling atmosphere of Camp Randall Stadium and a tenant bent on proving it belongs in the Big Ten title game on merit rather than by default.

Yet until proven wrong, I cannot in good conscience advise you to shift your money against OSU. The one-point win at Michigan State. The throttling of No. 16 Nebraska. The last-minute comeback against Purdue. The Buckeyes just win, and you can sense the players are aware of the exalted place in school lore if they can rally under the cloud of a postseason ban and finish unbeaten.

Why pick against OSU now?

For all things OSU sports, follow David's blog, Dotting the 'Eyes.