Ryan Day declares Wisconsin 'one of the better defenses in the country'

Reigning National Champion Ohio State is enjoying yet another strong start to a season. The Buckeyes are 6-0 (3-0) and sit atop the college football world as the No. 1-ranked team in the country.

Ryan Day‘s team looks to keep the train rolling this weekend on the road at Wisconsin. While this game was once thought of as a premier Big Ten matchup, that couldn’t be further from the case this season. The Badgers are 3-3 and have dropped all three of their conference games this season (Maryland, No. 20 Michigan and Iowa) by an average margin of 22.6 points.

Ahead of this weekend’s game, Day addressed the matchup. He made a puzzling remark about the Badgers’ defense during his Wednesday press conference.

“Again, Luke Fickell is a very good coach,” Day said. “He knows winning football and his team plays hard. They play sound football. I know the season hasn’t gone the way they expected it to go, but at the same time, put the film on. They’re one of the better defenses in the country and all it takes is a few big plays and getting the offense in rhythm and they’re gonna be in these games.”

Day says Wisconsin’s ‘backs are against the wall a little bit’

“We know that, and we know going into any game on the road is a challenge in this league,” Day continued. “We know what we’re gonna get, and for us, as you know, we want to continually focus on our process and how we do things. I think the other thing is that I’m sure they feel like their backs are against the wall a little bit. Fighting for the season, which I can understand. When you get that, you’re gonna get a team that comes out with their hair on fire.”

If anything, Wisconsin‘s defense has been one of its weaker areas this season. Through six games, the Badgers rank ninth in the Big Ten in yards allowed per game (317.0 YPG) and rank 13th in points allowed per game (22.7 PPG). In four games against Power-Four opponents this year, Wisconsin is allowing an average of 31.5 PPG. Facing an Ohio State offense averaging 421.5 yards and 36.8 points per game this year, it could be a long afternoon for Fickell’s team in Madison.

Kickoff between No. 1 Ohio State and Wisconsin on Saturday is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET. The game can be seen on CBS. The Buckeyes have won 10 consecutive meetings against the Badgers dating back to 2011.