Ohio State Finally Makes Good In Prime Time (Ohio State vs. Wisconsin Analysis)

Let's face it--Ohio State has generally been wretched in nationally-televised marquee games.

This time, capped by a sensational final drive led by phenom Terrell Pryor Oct. 4 against Wisconsin, the Buckeyes managed a respectable win.

It's always tough to play at Camp Randall Stadium. The crowd has a history of being rowdy, but they seemed pretty mellow against Ohio State.

Camp Randall and the rest of Madison are probably deflated now as their 0-2 start in the Big Ten race has pretty much scratched any chance of them winning the conference crown--much less, the national title.

My broadcast partner (Patrick Hahe) and I predicted this one would be close last Tuesday for our weekly Ohio Sports Report show on 88.3 FM Marietta. I predicted the score to be 21-17 and I was only off by a point.

I had a feeling Ohio State would win--especially with a strong opening drive. Still, the Badgers answered punch-for-punch and made for a moment that Beanie Wells thought Pryor became a man.

This win also puts Jim Tressel at .500 against Wisky--the only Big Ten team prior to this game to which Tressel suffered a losing record.

As for the game itself; well, I'm not doing a quarter-by-quarter analysis because it was entirely too intense. I also had my eyes closed for most of the second half as I really didn't handle the closeness of the game as well as I should have.

Regardless, the final drive says a lot about Pryor. He made several mistakes during the game, but he's a leader with strong character. For a true freshman quarterback facing a 17-13 deficit with five minutes to play in a game against a rival in a hostile environment, Pryor did just fine.

Let's not forget to credit Malcom Jenkins for sealing this one with a beautifully read interception. This game was everything it could have been and more.

Now, the Buckeyes will face tough tests at home against Purdue and Penn State and on the road against Michigan State and Illinois. There's also a guy named Rodriguez coming to Columbus in November.

The race for the roses isn't over until the fat lady sings.

Images credited to the University of Wisconsin and Ohio State University athletic departments.