MADISON, Wis. — After leading for three quarters, No. 8 Wisconsin fell to No. 2 Ohio State, 30-23, in overtime at a sold-out Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday night.
Tied up 23-23 at the end of regulation, OSU's J.T. Barrett threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to receiver Noah Brown to capitalize on the Buckeye's overtime possession and earn the go-ahead score. Wisconsin's ensuing drive down to the four-yard line ended with a sack of quarterback Alex Hornibrook on fourth-and-goal to the end the nighttime nailbiter.
Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst dug deep into the playbook to throw off the Buckeyes in the first half, running receiver Jazz Peavy on jet sweeps and passing out of tight formations. The Badgers created third-down situations for Hornibrook, including picking up another first down in the fourth quarter after faking a run before he threw a shovel pass to tight end Troy Fumagalli for a four-yard gain.
The offensive-minded Chryst showed creativity that should keep Wisconsin's opponents guessing for the rest of the season. Corey Clement ran for 164 yards on 25 carries for Wisconsin (4-2, 1-2), earning yards for the Badgers' balanced offense. Wisconsin collected 236 yards rushing and Hornibrook compiled a career-high 214 yards passing. The Badgers were also the first team in the country this year to score a rushing touchdown against the Buckeyes.
Barrett ran for two touchdowns for the Buckeyes (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten), who passed their toughest road test of the season against the Badgers.
For Wisconsin, there is no letup in the schedule with a trip to Iowa up next. The tested Badgers are coming off a stretch of having faced three straight top 10 opponents, while their last 13 Big Ten losses have come by seven points or less.