Will Wisconsin Shock America And Beat Ohio State?

It's officially game day between the Wisconsin Badgers and Ohio State Buckeyes.

Despite the fact nobody thinks the Badgers have a prayer in this game, I'm weirdly optimistic and excited.

The Buckeyes are -19 point favorites at home, have a top two QB in America in C.J. Stroud and there's NFL talent all over the field for Ohio State. If you're an OSU fan, there's a lot to be excited about today. Certainly, you have more to be excited about than I do.

However, as I wrote about a few days back, Wisconsin does have some upside in this game. Our defense is stifling, and we have no idea what OSU's offense will look like against a defense that has a pulse.

Secondly, quarterback Graham Mertz has greatly improved. In the loss to Washington State, he was hands down the best player on offense, and through three games, he's completed more than 70% of his passes.

I've alway said when/if Mertz took another step, the Badgers would be borderline unstoppable. That clearly turned out to be false when he played well against WSU and we still lost. However, there's still a chance that was an outlier and not the rule.

I promised you all a prediction, and I'm a man of my word. You're going to get a prediction, and it's definitely going to surprise a lot of people.

If things go as I expect, I think Ohio State ends the night with a 31-24 win over Wisconsin, and I think the game stays close the entire time.

Ohio State won't blowout Wisconsin.

The Badgers getting 19 points is a joke. Even if we struggle to move the ball and score, our defense is simply too good to get blown out.

I expect it to be a single possession game going into the fourth quarter, and from there anything can happen. So, if you put a gun to my head, I'd go with OSU by a touchdown, and I'd predict an exact score of 31-24.

However, let me be clear. Wisconsin can 100% win this game. It's unlikely and a tall task, but it's not impossible. We have the weapons, especially on defense, to give the Buckeyes major problems.

Will Wisconsin upset Ohio State? (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)

Our issue is we can't get everything together rolling at once. When the defense plays well, the offense sputters. When Mertz plays well, the rest of the offense and kicking game stalls. We play a complete game, and Ohio State might not like how things shake out.

OFFICIAL PREDICTION: Ohio State edges out Wisconsin late to win 31-24. Catch all the action at 7:30 EST under the lights.