Ohio State has yet to lose a regular-season Big Ten game under head coach Urban Meyer.
By Charlie Green
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Ohio State has won 24 conference games in a row entering its opener at Indiana on Saturday. That excludes the team’s loss to Michigan State in the 2013 Big Ten Championship.
They Buckeyes will begin their quest for back-to-back conference titles after claiming five straight from 2005-1009. Overall, the team is riding a national-best 17-game winning streak.
This season hasn’t been without its struggles for the Buckeyes, despite the 4-0 record. Questions remain about quarterback after Cardale Jones struggled in a 20-13 win over Northern Illinois Sept. 19.
Jones threw 2 interceptions on just nine attempts in the narrow victory. J.T. Barrett also threw one after coach Urban Meyer benched Jones.
Indiana is capable of scoring points and also comes in at 4-0. In 2012 when these teams faced off, the Hoosiers dropped 49 points on a displeased Meyer.
“That was one of the few times I’ve ever seen a defense quit playing hard, and that was a problem,” Meyer said. “That was a program changer. Mistakes are one thing, but when I saw [that], that was not a good moment.
The Buckeyes put up 52 points to avoid defeat in that game. Meyer has yet to lose in the Big Ten regular season since he began coaching at Ohio State that year.
Wisconsin’s running-game unknown
Running the ball is an absolute staple of Wisconsin football. But after losing Melvin Gordon to the NFL draft, three offensive linemen to graduation, and junior Corey Clement to a sports hernia, the Badgers’ rushing attack has raised question.
In the team’s last three games, it has rushed for an average of more than 230 yards per contest — coming against Miami Ohio, Troy, and Hawaii. But it hasn’t all been pretty for the Badgers to start 2015.
In the opener against No. 13 Alabama on Sept. 5, they mustered just 40 yards on the ground going against easily the best defense they’ll face all year.
Wisconsin still has two talented backs in redshirt freshman Taiwan Deal and junior Dare Ogunbowale. It also has two veteran offensive linemen in center Dan Voltz and left tackle Tyler Marz that put first-year head coach Paul Chryst at relative peace of mind.
“One of the qualities of this team that I like is that older guys will grab a younger guy and try to help them, even if they’re at the same position, even if they’re competing for the same spot,” Chryst said. “That’s something that stood out to me when I was here before, and it has been fun to see now that I’m back.”
Michigan not reveling in recent success
Jim Harbaugh entered his first season as Michigan head coach with little to work with and high expectations.
After a 24-17 loss to No. 10 Utah to kick off the year, the Wolverines have run off three straight. To close out the nonconference schedule, they shut out a previously ranked Brigham Young team, 31-0, and moved into the AP Top 25.
Now, Michigan has momentum entering its Big Ten opener with Maryland on Saturday.
But Harbaugh is making sure his team stays grounded after the big win.
“Outstanding game, congratulations, and onward,” Harbaugh said.
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