Will No. 1 Ohio State stay perfect, or will underdog Wisconsin pull off the latest shocking upset of the 2025 season on Saturday afternoon? The Buckeyes (6-0) are back on the road for consecutive weeks, traveling to Madison as their quest to repeat as national champions rolls on. The Badgers (2-4) are guided by a familiar face, Ohio State alum and former assistant Luke Fickell, who is desperately trying to flip Wisconsin’s trajectory after losing each of its last nine games against Power Four opponents.
Even with his seat heating up, owning a 15-17 overall record and 8-13 against Big Ten opponents, Fickell isn’t worried about the optics of potentially his final game on the Badgers’ sideline coming against his former school.
“For me to sit here and worry about all those other things, there’s not enough time in the day, there’s not enough energy in the day,” Fickell said Monday. “So, the focus for me and for our staff is on the guys inside that locker room and doing everything we can to make sure that we keep that thing rolling.”
Whether that’s enough to quiet the noise around his future remains to be seen. But with Ohio State on deck, Fickell’s words will be put to the test Saturday on CBS.
Ohio State vs. Wisconsin: Need to know
First-half fortress: The Buckeyes have yet to allow a touchdown in the first half through six games this season — the only team in the FBS to hold that distinction. In fact, opponents have reached the red zone just six times before halftime against Ohio State, a testament to how dominant the defense has been out of the gate. That’s a troubling matchup for Wisconsin, which has just 12 total red zone trips all season — tied for the fewest among Power Four teams and fifth-fewest in the FBS.
Big Ten blues: Wisconsin has lost eight consecutive Big Ten games dating back to last season. It’s the Badgers’ longest winless stretch against conference opponents since a 19-game slide spanning 1989 to 1991. Meanwhile, Ohio State coach Ryan Day is 47-0 against Big Ten opponents not named Michigan or Oregon since 2019.
Who starts at QB for Wisconsin?: Fickell was noncommittal about his starter with Ohio State up next. Billy Edwards Jr.’s status remains uncertain after re-aggravating an injury against Maryland in Week 4. Hunter Simmons, a Southern Illinois transfer, has started the past two games but completed only 52% of his passes with three interceptions and no touchdowns. Freshman Danny O’Neil, who filled in earlier this season, threw five picks in four appearances. The Badgers’ 6:8 passing touchdown-to-interception ratio ranks seventh-worst in the FBS.
Where to watch Ohio State vs. Wisconsin live
Date: Saturday, Oct. 18 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Camp Randall Stadium — Madison, Wisconsin
TV: CBS | Live stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App
Streaming on Paramount+ Premium
Ohio State vs. Wisconsin prediction, picks
Even if Ohio State didn’t look dominant at all times last week on the road at Illinois, this Buckeyes team remains one of the most complete in college football. Ohio State is 5-1 ATS this season — surprisingly, the lone miss came against Ohio in Week 3. The trajectories of these programs couldn’t be more different. Ohio State continues to roll under Ryan Day, while Wisconsin is searching for answers under Luke Fickell as the losses — and questions — pile up. Historically, the trends might suggest leaning toward Wisconsin, with Day owning a 14-13 ATS record in Big Ten road games since 2019. But that edge disappears when considering Fickell’s 3-7 ATS mark at home in conference play since 2022. Pick: Ohio State -26.5
SportsLine’s proven computer model has simulated every Week 8 college football game 10,000 times. Visit SportsLine now to see all the picks, all from the model that is 39-27 since the beginning of last season on top-rated money-line and over/under picks.
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