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Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Wisconsin Badgers: Defensive Players to Watch

The Wisconsin Badgers could present some issues for the Ohio State Buckeyes offense on Saturday

Matt Galatzan

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The 85th all-time matchup between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Wisconsin Badgers will look a little different this season when compared to recent years. The Badgers let go of former coach Paul Chryst just five games into last season after a 2-3 start. 

When the two teams meet on Saturday, the Buckeye faithful will see a familiar face on the sideline with coach Luke Fickell. The former Ohio State player and coach has brought his defensive mindset to Madison and will look to impose that on the Buckeyes in the matchup.

Despite their stagnant offense, the Badgers had a well-respected defense under Chryst, and that has continued under Fickell, with the Badgers ranking 20th in the nation in scoring defense, and 39th in the nation in total defense. 

Here are three players from the Badgers defense that the Buckeyes need to keep an eye on Saturday.

S Hunter Wohler 

Wisconsin's top defense so far this season, safety Hunter Wohler leads the team with 70 tackles - a whopping 10 tackles per game out of the safety position. 

Wohler flies around the field making plays and can play in the box or handle himself in coverage. 

Wohler also has one sack, four pass deflections and two interceptions. Last week against Illinois, Wohler had arguably his best game, with 13 total tackles.

LB Jake Chaney

Linebacker Jake Chaney has been a staple in the middle of the defense for Wisconsin so far this season, sitting second on the team with 44 tackles, to go along with two sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss and a pass deflection.

Last week against Illinois, Chaney had eight tackles, while helping to hold the Illini to 323 total yards of offense, including just 100 through the air. 

CB Ricardo Hallman

If the Buckeyes have to keep an eye out in pass coverage for one player on Wisconsin's defense, it will be corner, Ricardo Hallman. 

Hallman is the defense's biggest playmaker, leading the team with four interceptions, one of which was taken back for a touchdown. 

Three of those four interceptions have come in Big Ten play, including two in a 38-17 win over Purdue. 

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Matt Galatzan
MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com, AllAggies.com, and the Managing Editor of BuckeyesNow.com and TheGroveReport.com He is also the Editor-In-Chief of RamDigest.com and TexansDaily.com. Galatzan graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry under Mike Fisher at DallasBasketball.com in 2014, which at the time was part of the 247Sports network. He also spent two years covering the SMU Mustangs for PonyStampede.com on the 247Sports network. When DallasBasketball.com and CowboysCountry.com moved over to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, Galatzan followed suit, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com and AllAggies.com a year later. Through the years, Galatzan has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, former Longhorns players Dan Neil and Phil Dawson, and many other recruits, and current/former players for each of the teams he has covered. Galatzan is also a full-time employee in the digital media department for Audacy and KRLD FM's 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, which is the official radio home of the Dallas Cowboys. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan For any inquiries, please email matt.galatzan@gmail.com

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