The 2014 Championship Game was the fourth held in the Big Ten's 119-year history, and the first to feature the conference's new division alignment of East and West. The first three games, in 2011, 2012, and 2013, were played under the previous division alignment of Legends and Leaders.[3]
Teams
Multiple members of both teams' coaching staff have worked together in the past. In 2004 Gary Andersen, current-Badgers head coach, was the defensive line coach under Urban Meyer, then head coach of the Utah Utes. Together Utah finished the 2004 season 11-0. After that season Meyer became head coach for the Florida Gators and Gary Andersen became defensive coordinator for the Utes.[4] Ohio State's co-offensive coordinator Tom Herman and Wisconsin's defensive coordinator Dave Aranda both attended college together, at California Lutheran University, and were roommates for a semester.[5]
Ohio State came into the Big Ten Championship Game ranked #5 in the AP Poll. With their starting quarterback, redshirt freshman J. T. Barrett, out for the rest of the season after suffering a fractured ankle against Michigan the previous week, redshirt sophomore Cardale Jones would receive the first start of his career. The Buckeyes defense was led by Joey Bosa who was the 2014 Big Ten defensive player of the year.
With only one loss on their record, from Virginia Tech in week 2, OSU defeated Michigan State to take the lead of the Big Ten East division on November 8.
The Buckeyes offense was ranked 5th in points scored with 44.1 points per game, and was fairly balanced with 246 passing yards per game compared to 257 rushing yards per game. The Buckeyes defense was ranked 29th in points against, allowing an average of 22.9 points per game.
Wisconsin came into the Big Ten Championship Game ranked #11 in the AP Poll. The Badgers were led by the 2014 Big Ten offensive player of the year, running back Melvin Gordon, who had set numerous school, Big Ten and NCAA records throughout the season and led the league in rushing yards (2,260) and touchdowns (26).
At the start of November the Big Ten West division was a four-way tie between the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Iowa Hawkeyes, Minnesota Golden Gophers and Badgers. The Badgers clinched the Big Ten West division by defeating their rivals, Minnesota, in the last game of the season.
The Badgers offense was ranked 15th in points scored with 37.5 points per game, and was centered around the rushing game which was 3rd overall with 334.3 rushing yards per game compared to their 147.8 passing yards per game which came in at 119th overall. Their defense, despite having to replace all front seven starters, was ranked in the top 10 for all four defensive categories, 2nd in total defense with 260.3 yards per game, 4th in scoring defense with 16.8, 8th in rushing defense with 103.8 yards allowed per game and 2nd in passing defense with 156.6 yards allowed per game.[6]
Scoring summary
1st quarter scoring:
OSU:Devin Smith 39 yard pass from Cardale Jones (Sean Nuernberger kick) (13:01) (7-0 OSU)
OSU: Devin Smith 42 yard pass from Cardale Jones (Sean Nuernberger kick) (9:24) (45-0 OSU)
4th quarter scoring:
OSU:Curtis Samuel 12 yard run (Sean Nuernberger kick) (11:39) (52-0 OSU)
OSU: Curtis Samuel 1 yard run (Sean Nuernberger kick) (2:25) (59-0 OSU)
Kickoff time: 8:18 p.m. • End of Game: 11:54 p.m. • Total elapsed time: 3 hours 36 minutes
Statistics
Statistics
OSU
WIS
First Downs
24
18
Total offense, plays – yards
56–558
80–258
Rushes-yards (net)
301
71
Passing yards (net)
257
187
Passes, Comp-Att-Td-Int
12–18-3–0
17–43-0–3
Time of Possession
26:05
33:55
Penalties
5–44
3–23
Turnovers
0
4
Legacy
In 2019 Meyer said that he intentionally ran up the score against Wisconsin to help his team be chosen for the College Football Playoff. Criticizing the subjectivity of the selection process, Meyer said that he left the starting lineup in the game despite Ohio State ahead 45–0 in the third quarter—risking players' health by not resting the starters, and poor sportsmanship—because "I don't think the 'eye test' and 'people think' is going to get enough to bump TCU and Baylor". He continued, "I had a job to do, and that was to get Ohio State in the playoff. Do I think that's right? That's wrong", proposing a selection system based on defined criteria.[7]
