Carnell Tate, Ohio State football start fast, cruise to 34-0 win at Wisconsin: Takeaways

MADISON, Wis. – Julian Sayin threw for a career-high 394 yards and four touchdowns, Carnell Tate had his first multi-touchdown game of the season and No. 1 Ohio State took care of Wisconsin in its latest lopsided win.

After beating No. 17 Illinois 34-16 on Oct. 11, the Buckeyes beat the Badgers 34-0 as Wisconsin was shut out for a second consecutive game.

Before the Wisconsin crowd could “jump around” after the third quarter, the Buckeyes (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) had already built a 27-0 lead that felt more lopsided than the score showed. A 2-yard touchdown pass to Will Kacmarek with 1:15 left in the third made it a 27-point lead, and Wisconsin fans were already chanting for coach Luke Fickell to be fired when the quarter back to a close.

To that point, Ohio State had amassed 415 yards of total offense while the Badgers (2-5, 0-4) had only 76.

Here are the game’s key moments and takeaways:

Ohio State defense was dominating once again

This matchup heavily favored the Buckeyes going into the game, and the Ohio State defense did not disappoint. Ohio State entered the game No. 1 nationally in scoring defense at 6.8 points per game, fourth in total defense at 229.0 yards allowed per game and top-10 in both rushing and passing defense.

Against a Wisconsin offense last in the Big Ten in scoring (15.5 points per game) and total offense (292.5 yards per game), the Buckeyes were in control throughout.

Ohio State’s Carnell Tate has another big game

The highlight of the game was Ohio State’s first touchdown. After the Buckeyes forced a three-and-out on the first possession of the game, Sayin steadily moved the ball down the field before finding the end zone on a 33-yard touchdown pass to Tate. The wideout came up with the ball despite coverage by two Wisconsin defenders and hung onto it even as his helmet was knocked off in the process.

Sayin found Tate on Ohio State’s final play of the first quarter, a 10-yard touchdown pass that put the Buckeyes ahead 17-0 with four seconds left in the quarter.

Ohio State running game again struggles to find traction

Much of the talk leading into the game was about whether the Buckeyes could establish a more consistent rushing attack than the one averaging 4.7 yards per rush and had amassed only 2.9 per carry the week before at Illinois. Instead, the Buckeyes threw those thoughts to the wind – and the ball as well. Ohio State marched down the field on its opening drive with Sayin completing all eight of his passes for 95 yards as the Buckeyes ran it just once for minus-1 yard.

Fifteen of Ohio State’s first 20 plays were passes, and the Buckeyes had 169 passing yards and 18 rushing yards while building a 17-0 lead during the first quarter. Ohio State scored its first 10 points without picking up a yard on the ground. At halftime, Sayin was 23 of 26 for 235 yards and the Buckeyes had carried the ball nine times for 30 yards.

Wisconsin entered the game with the No. 19 rush defense in the country, allowing 97.5 yards per game.

Ohio State special teams struggle again

Another game, another handful of plays on special teams that seem like cause for concern.

Ohio State began the day ranked 101st nationally in punting average at 41.2 yards per punt. Joe McGuire had nine of the 10 punts, averaging 42.3 yards per punt, and his lone first-half punt went for 42 yards to give Wisconsin the ball on its own 36-yard line. Kicker Jayden Fielding’s only miss on five field goal attempts this year was from 53 yards, but after making a 38-yarder in the first quarter he was wide right on a 38-yarder with 1:07 left in the first half.

The most egregious example, though, came when Wisconsin punter Sean West picked up roughly 20 yards to convert a fourth-and-19 play on the first play of the fourth quarter as students were already heading for the exits immediately after “Jump Around” had finished playing through the speakers. It was the longest play of the game for the Badgers to that point.

It only delayed the inevitable, however. The drive still ended with a Wisconsin punt — for real, this time.

Ohio State men’s basketball beat writer Adam Jardy can be reached at ajardy@dispatch.com, on Bluesky at @cdadamjardy.bsky.social or on Twitter at @AdamJardy.