Ohio State football: 4 things to watch against Wisconsin
By Joe Russo
Play Action passing attack for the Badgers
As we mentioned above, wide receiver Quintez Cephus is out for the season and has been out since early November. Cephus still ranks as the leading receiver for the Badgers, with 30 catches, 501 yards, and 6 touchdowns. Right behind Cephus, though, is tight end Troy Fumagalli, the first team all Big Ten performer at the position. Fumagalli leads the team with 38 catches, and trails only Cephus in yards and touchdowns.
Oddly enough, Fumagalli has been quiet the last month of the season, with a high game of only 38 yards in his last five games and only a total of only 13 catches. This is after beginning the season with games of 105 and 92 yards receiving. Even without Fumagalli performing at a high level as a pass catcher, Wisconsin has A.J. Taylor and Danny Davis, who average 16.9 and 17.3 yards per catch.
Their big play ability takes full advantage of the play action pass that has allowed Alex Horningbrook to trail only J.T. Barrett in passing efficiency in the Big Ten. Again, Wisconsin’s offense will look a lot like Iowa’s, relying on play action after running the ball effectively to hit their tight end in space and gain chunks in the air. This shouldn’t surprise anyone that has watched the Ohio State defense all year.