Too little, too late.
That’s the harsh reality the Ohio State Buckeyes discovered Saturday night, when their short-lived reign as the nation’s top-ranked team came to a crashing halt in a 31-18 loss to No. 18 Wisconsin (6-1, 2-1) in Madison, Wis.
The Buckeyes (6-1, 2-1) couldn’t have scripted a worse start, as they fell behind 21-0 early in the second quarter.
OSU overcame a fourth-quarter deficit at Camp Randall Stadium in 2008, when quarterback Terrelle Pryor captained an 80-yard drive in the closing minutes to escape Madison with a 20-17 victory.
There would be no heroics this time around.
OSU scratched to within 21-18, but a 12-yard touchdown run by freshman James White midway through the fourth quarter put the game out of reach.
The Badgers wasted no time in jumping out to an early lead. Receiver David Gilreath returned the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. In doing so, Gilreath became the Big Ten’s all-time leader in kickoff return yardage.
Special teams blunders aside, it was the Buckeye defense that hindered OSU’s efforts.
Wisconsin’s John Clay rushed for 104 yards and a pair of touchdowns. White gained 75 yards in 17 carries.
It’s the first time the Buckeyes have allowed a 100-yard rusher since USC’s Joe McKnight torched OSU for 105 yards on Sept. 13, 2008, a span of 29 games.
OSU limited Clay to just 59 yards on 20 carries in last year’s meeting, a 31-13 Buckeye victory at Ohio Stadium.
Clay scored his touchdowns on consecutive drives in the first half, the second coming on a 19-play, 89-yard drive that pushed Wisconsin’s lead to 21-0.
The Buckeye offense never found a rhythm, either.
One week after throwing for a career-high 334 yards, quarterback Terrelle Pryor managed just 156 yards through the air, completing just 14 of his 28 pass attempts.
He struggled to connect with his receivers, often leaving throws short or forcing passes into tight coverage. Senior Dane Sanzenbacher hauled in six catches for 94 yards, but paid the price on several occasions.
Only when Dan Herron began to find running lanes in the third quarter did the Buckeyes consistently move the ball. Herron finished with 92 yards and two touchdowns, his sixth straight game with a score.
But by then, OSU had dug itself into too deep a hole.
Trailing 31-18 and driving with slightly more than a minute remaining, Pryor threw an interception, the Buckeyes’ only turnover.
Pryor’s counterpart, Wisconsin senior Scott Tolzien, wasn’t spectacular, but was efficient. The senior completed 13 of 16 passes for 152 yards.
His lone miscue – a second-quarter interception by OSU linebacker Andrew Sweat – went for naught after kicker Devin Barclay missed wide left on a 45-yard field goal attempt.
OSU returns home Oct. 23 to host Purdue, the last opponent to knock off the Buckeyes before Saturday.