Wisconsin Rallies at Ohio State, 24-13

Trailing, 10-0, the Badgers had the Buckeyes right where they wanted them.

Wisconsin’s defense throttled No. 18 Ohio State, and Anthony Davis slashed for 168 yards and a touchdown to lead the No. 15 Badgers to a 24-13 win Saturday.

It was Wisconsin’s third straight win on Ohio State’s home turf, the first time a visitor has done that since Illinois won four in a row from 1988 to 1994. The Badgers had never before won even twice in a row at Ohio State. The series dates to 1913.

“We’ve been fortunate and played well,” Coach Barry Alvarez said. “It’s nothing more than that.”

Maybe it is. The last two times the Badgers played in Columbus, Ohio State broke out to a 17-0 lead and lost 42-17 and 20-17. Then a year ago at Camp Randall Stadium, Matt Schabert hit Lee Evans with a 79-yard pass in the fourth quarter for a 17-10 victory.

“Our guys are fighters,” Alvarez said. “They’re not going to fold their tents because they fell behind.”

The loss ended Ohio State’s 18-game home winning streak and, on the heels of last week’s stunning 33-27 overtime loss to Northwestern, pinned Coach Jim Tressel with back-to-back losses for the first time in his 3 1/2 seasons. The Buckeyes (3-2) also dropped to 0-2 in the Big Ten for the first time since 1992.

“All that talent we have out there,” said Ted Ginn Jr., who scored the Buckeyes’ only touchdown on a 65-yard punt return in the first quarter. “We should do more.”

Asked if it was difficult playing in raucous Ohio Stadium, Wisconsin defensive end Erasmus James said simply, “I don’t think it’s tough.”

Wisconsin, 3-0 in the Big Ten, is 6-0 for the first time since 1998. That year the Badgers went 11-1, shared the Big Ten title and won the Rose Bowl.

Sophomore John Stocco completed 15 of 24 passes for 169 yards and two touchdowns.

After the game, several players exchanged punches at midfield as coaches and police tried separate them. The melee lasted for less than a minute, but represented the recent bad blood between the teams.