It always goes through Ohio State.
Full disclosure: I went to bed at halftime of the Ohio State vs. Minnesota game on Thursday night.
At the time, 4th ranked Ohio State trailed 14 to 10.
My entire Twitter feed was filled with Big Ten fans hoping to see the always hated Buckeyes upset on the season’s opening night.
I turned off the TV thinking to myself, “I’ve seen this movie before.”
Sure enough, the Buckeyes stormed back.
Final Score: Ohio State 45, Minnesota 31.
Love ’em or hate ’em, and let’s face it, most people in our state hate ’em, the Buckeyes are the gold standard in the Big Ten.
If Wisconsin wants to get to the College Football Playoff, they have to go through Ohio State.
First, though, they have to navigate a regular season of their own.
I know it’s only the first game, but Saturday’s opener against Penn State is gigantic.
Lose on your home field to another Big Ten foe out of the gates and your playoff hopes might be over just like that.
Let’s not even talk about Notre Dame in a couple of weeks.
If the Badgers get through the first month of the season unscathed, they’ve got a shot.
But standing at the end of the road will always be those dude in Scarlet and Gray.
Do the Badgers have the fire power to keep up?
We’ll have to wait until December to see.