They say, “once a Buckeye, always a Buckeye.” And this time it’s the Wisconsin Badgers who are paying homage to this quote. Some of the Badgers are having a major blast from the past as they face No.1 Ohio State at Camp Randall Stadium. Ohio State enters unbeaten at 6-0, riding a 10-game win streak against the Badgers, who sit at 2-4 this season. On the Buckeyes’ side, quarterback Julian Sayin has dazzled with an eye popping 78% completion rate. On the other side, Wisconsin looks to disrupt Ohio State’s rhythm on its home turf.

But this game is more than just fundamentals. It’s also a homecoming of sorts, with ten Wisconsin players and coaches carrying Ohio State bloodlines returning to the field this weekend. HC, Luke Fickell is one of them. Fickell played there from 1993-96 and coached for 16 seasons before moving to Madison. Many other Ohio State captains turned Badgers join him. Tuf Borland serves as assistant linebackers coach, Chris Worley leads player development, and Kenny Guiton coaches quarterbacks. The Badgers also contain some other staff members who carry the Buckeye pride. These are Badgers chief of staff Greg Gillum and strength and conditioning coach Brady Collins.

Then we have CB coach Paul Haynes, DC Mike Tressel, and Asst ST’s coordinator Mike Cebene contributing behind the scenes. Even wide receiver Jayden Ballard once donned the Scarlet and Gray. It’s almost like a full-fledged reunion coming up on the 18th of October. On top of that, Mike Tressel, Wisconsin’s defensive coordinator and former Ohio State grad assistant, recently posted a quick video of the Badgers in action on X, captioned with a simple yet powerful three-word message: “Seize the moment.” This game is important for Tressel, who is facing his alma mater after 22 years.

Back in 2002, Mike was a graduate assistant coach at Ohio State, working under his famous uncle, Jim Tressel. And that’s the same year Jim snagged the national title for OSU. Tressel guided the Buckeyes to an undefeated 14-0 season. It became the first perfect season for a major college football team since 1897. Mike’s career has climbed steadily since those early days working under Uncle Jim. He spent many years alongside coach Mark Dantonio. He followed Dantonio to Cincinnati. In his first season back in 2021 under Luke Fickell’s head coaching, he orchestrated one of the nation’s top defenses.

Who has the edge in this reunion? 

Let’s talk odds now. The betting odds heavily favor the Buckeyes for a blowout. Ohio State is projected to win by a whopping 27.5 points, making them overwhelming favorites. The line, with Ohio State at -8000 money line odds, signals that oddsmakers are expecting a dominant performance from the Buckeyes. And why not? The Buckeyes have destroyed their opponents, scoring 207 points and allowing only 34 over their last five games to earn the No. 1 national ranking.

Meanwhile, Wisconsin is struggling with a disappointing 2-4 record and comes into this game with major issues on both sides. The offense is averaging just 112 yards rushing per game and has suffered four consecutive losses by big margins. The matchup is a simple, biased match where the Buckeyes heavily hold the edge. Oddsmakers expect Ohio State to control the game from the start.

We have Julian Sayin, who has racked up 1479 yards with 15 TDs with a mere 3 interceptions. Then we have the WR Jeremiah Smith, who is a superstar. Smith has racked up 40 carries for 505 yards and even scored 7 TDs. The total points are set at 41.5. That indicates a low-scoring affair relative to Ohio State’s explosive potential. The Buckeyes are expected to comfortably cover the spread.