Big 2nd Half Pushes Buckeyes Past Badgers

With their offense stuck in neutral, the Buckeyes found themselves trailing nemesis Wisconsin 17-10 in the third quarter in front of a nervous Horsehoe crowd. But Beanie Wells put on a put on a second half show, finishing with 169 yards and 3 TD's in a 38-17 victory. The win moved the #1 Buckeyes to 10-0 and gave them their 20th consecutive conference victory, setting a Big Ten record.

Some quick news and notes from the weekend:

*This was a huge recruiting weekend for OSU. Two of the top uncommitted targets, QB Terrelle Pryor (PA) and DE Willie Mobley (MN) were in town. They were joined by 4-star DT Brandon Thompson (GA), as well as many of the Buckeyes verbals like J.B. Shugarts (TX) and Mike Brewster (FL). We'll break down the recruiting scene tomorrow.

*Though his game still relies a little too much on bouncing runs outside, Beanie Wells is really starting to leave his mark on the offense. He's exhibiting much better field vision, and is really moving the pile in situations where initial contact is made early. Keeping him healthy is still a challenge, but if he's on the Buckeyes will be tough to beat.

*Brian Robiskie had another couple touchdowns, including a sick one-handed grab in the end zone. He's being recognized by scout and analysts like Mel Kiper Jr now, so it might be hard to keep him for his senior campaign. But we'll worry about that later. Along with Brian Hartline and Ray Small, the receivers may be playing better than Ginn and Gonzo last year.

*The offense came out firing with a touchdown drive on the first possession. But then the entire until, and the line in particular, seemed to lose their intensity. This was somewhat expected coming off an emotional night win at Happy Valley. I just hope the line wasn't too full of itself after hearing how dominant their performance was the previous week - too many bad flashbacks to Glendale.

*QB Todd Boeckman was adequate, which is sometimes enough. He continues to show nice touch and accuracy on his deep balls, and avoided big mistakes like turnovers. The offense has now shown that it can win with both the pass and the run, but the question is whether the coaches can find the right blend to win the next three games.

*The amount of talent on defense is overwhelming. DE Vernon Gholston showed why he's one of the top pass rushers in country, chasing down Wisconsin QB Tyler Donovan on numerous plays. The defense got great pressure, finishing with ten sacks on the day. Redshirt freshman Thaddeus Gibson had a few monster hits, giving a glimpse of the future pass rush. The interior of the defensive line also played a solid game; it will be critical for them to continue to improve so the linebackers are free to make plays.

*LB Jim Laurinaitis bounced back from a sub-par performance against Penn State with a big game. He was all over the field, quick to loose balls, and even made some huge hits on special teams. He must have been inspired by David Harris.

*The secondary gets an average grade. Anderson Russell had a few nice tackles in run support, and Malcolm Jenkins looked in top form. But nickel corner Chimdi Chekwa showed a little bit of inexperience, and the Badgers had more success through the air than they should have.

*If you're looking for a laugh, this writer would is handing out moral victories to Wisconsin.

*Next up? 7-3 Illinois, who OSU only beat by 7 last season, and who forced OSU to double overtime during the '02 title season.

*Don't look ahead. But that won't stop others from doing it. Should OSU qualify for the BCS title game, this is a taste of the brutal six weeks of reminders we'll be in for.