All-Ohio football unveiled for VI, VII

The first two of seven All-Ohio football teams are unveiled. Find out who the best players were in Divisions VI and VII this season.

Wisconsin has been to the Big Ten championship game four times in the first six editions of the event. Never have the Badgers been in a position like this when they arrive in Indianapolis.

If they beat Ohio State, well, that strength-of-schedule skepticism will be reduced to a dull roar. The Badgers would be unbeaten, an impossible-to-ignore feat for the College Football Playoff committee.

“We just think about one more win. That’s the only thing we can focus on,” running back Jonathan Taylor said. “We don’t know what the future will hold, but the only thing we know is we have one more game left and we’ve got to make sure we get it done.”

With a 31-0 victory at rival Minnesota on Nov. 25, the Badgers (12-0, 9-0) finished undefeated in Big Ten play for the first time since a fivegame conference slate in 1912. Losses by then-No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Miami gave Wisconsin more space to move up when the newest CFP rankings are released on Nov. 27.

The Badgers, who moved up from No. 5 to No. 3 in the AP Top 25, will play No. 8 Ohio State.

The sight of those silver helmets with the buckeye leaf stickers under the Lucas Oil Field roof will bring back some bad memories for the Badgers and their fans. They lost 59-0 in 2014 to the Buckeyes , who used the lopsided victory to sneak ahead of Big 12 co-champions TCU and Baylor for the fourth seed in the inaugural four-team playoff before beating Alabama and Oregon to become national champions.

“We know that bad things can happen if you don’t prepare right or you don’t bring it,” Wisconsin safety Joe Ferguson said. “It’s a lot of different players on each team, but you’ve still got to respect your opponent, respect what anyone in college football is capable of doing.”

“They’re a very dynamic team. Very dynamic offense,” Badgers linebacker Ryan Connelly said. “Their quarterback is one of the greatest to ever play at Ohio State, so it’s going to be a special challenge for us, but I think we’re willing to step up to it.”

Ohio State beat Wisconsin 30-23 last season, too, and was ultimately picked for the playoff despite a loss to Penn State that created a spot for the Nittany Lions in the 2016 title game, where they beat the Badgers.

Connelly was referring to J.T. Barrett, the senior with 142 total touchdowns for his career. He departed Ohio State’s 31-20 victory over Michigan on Nov. 25 in the third quarter amid trouble with his right knee that stemmed from a pregame incident on the sideline. Barrett downplayed the injury, which he said he’s endured all season, and vowed to play against Wisconsin.

Coincidentally, Barrett’s brilliant freshman year in 2014 ended with a broken ankle in the Michigan game that kept him out the following week against Wisconsin. Cardale Jones took over at quarterback and led the Buckeyes the rest of the way. This time, the backup is redshirt freshman Dwayne Haskins, who had a solid debut in the second half against the Wolverines.