Wisconsin Football Keys to Victory vs Ohio State

Wisconsin Badgers football faces their biggest challenge on the 2023 schedule. They will host the third ranked Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday night. Game time is scheduled for 6:30 PM on NBC. It’s a great chance for much of the country to see what this Wisconsin team is all about.

It’s going to be a tall task to pull off the upset. However, it’s never impossible.

Here is what the Badgers need to do in order to get a massive win for the Luke Fickell era and the program as a whole.

Wisconsin Football Key to Victory – Put Pressure on Kyle McCord

I believe the Wisconsin defense needs to get a pass rush on Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord. So far this season, McCord has only thrown one interception. Credit goes to him and his offensive line for keeping him upright a majority of the time.

The front seven of the Badger defense has struggled most of the season to generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Accuracy is sometimes an issue for McCord. As a result, the Badgers need to bring the blitz on most passing downs. With the stellar wide receivers on this Buckeyes roster, it will be a long night if McCord has all day to throw.

Wisconsin Football Key to Victory – Take Risks

Wisconsin football comes into this game as 14 point underdogs. Very few see them pulling off the upset. What’s one thing you can do when you’re a huge underdog? You can play with nothing to lose.

Of course if the Badgers lose they will not have control of the Big Ten West, but I think they can play this style on Saturday. Iowa looks to be vulnerable now following their loss to Minnesota. As long as Wisconsin wins out following this game, I believe they can win the West.

Being an underdog and playing with nothing to lose also means you can take risks as well. Maybe there has to be fake punt. Maybe it’s a flea flicker. Maybe it’s the wildcat. Either way, I think the only way the Badgers keep this competitive is if they get creative in all three phases.

Final Key to Victory – Play a Perfect Game

To put it simple, Wisconsin can’t make any mistakes Saturday night. No turnovers. No big plays. Nothing. That’s a tall task as there continues to be a ton of mistakes such as missed tackles and pre-snap penalties. If the Badgers continue this, they have zero chance to win this game.

Wisconsin football should be playing with no pressure. Even though it’s a home game and the biggest in a few years, all the pressure is and should be on Ohio State. The Badgers are not playing in the College Football Playoff. However, they could ruin Ohio State’s chances with a win.

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