We’re continuing our series on Ohio State’s 2019 schedule. There is only one question for this series: How does each game impact the Buckeyes in the eyes of the College Football Playoff selection committee?

Obviously, we have no idea how a team will perform this season. But we can make educated guesses and look at likely outcomes. And, really, isn’t that what these pre-season weeks are all about? On top of that, the selection committee doesn’t actually judge SOS in any meaningful way. As CBSSports’ Jerry Palm explained back in 2014, the committee just eyeballs SOS, and doesn’t use any real metric. And, of course, this is college football, so a team’s reputation affects “eyeball SOS.” There are lots of things we can’t know before the season, but we can know a team’s reputation.

I’ll repeat the following every day (and week), because it’s true: If the Buckeyes go 13-0, they’re a Playoff team. Heck, 12-1 is almost certainly a Playoff lock, as long as that loss isn’t by 29 points to a 6-6 team. But what if the season comes down to splitting hairs between two resumes? Well, then this might matter. With that being said, let’s look at Ohio State’s opponents and how they can affect the committee. So far we’ve looked at Florida Atlantic, Cincinnati, Indiana, Miami (Oh), Nebraska, Michigan State, and Northwestern.

Week 9: Wisconsin Badgers

2018 Record: 8-5 (5-4 Big Ten)
2017 Record: 13-1 (9-0 Big Ten)

Wisconsin had quite a down year last year, especially by the standard set this decade. The Badgers came into the season with sky-high expectations and got beaten at the line of scrimmage by BYU in Week 3. It didn’t get much better from there. Consider that Wisconsin actually had a decent case (though no public support) for a CFP bid in 2017, and it really puts into perspective just how bad last year was.

Will that matter coming into this year? It doesn’t help that preseason polls have Wisconsin in the 15-20 range. In fact, that could actually hurt if Wisconsin wants a Playoff bid. Considering the Badgers face South Florida, Central Michigan, and Kent State in non-conference play, the selection committee might not give them much benefit of the doubt. On the other hand, Wisconsin plays Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State in cross-divisional play, so I think the Badgers are covered on the SOS score.

Wisconsin in 2019

The Badgers have losses waiting for them all over the place. They’ll be ecstatic if they can go 2-1 in cross-divisional play. Getting through the Big Ten West undefeated, or even with one loss, is highly unlikely this year, for anyone. What does that mean for Wisconsin–and, more importantly, for Ohio State?

Well, it’s not all bad news. With all the top teams it faces, Wisconsin will likely still be ranked by the committee at 8-4. 7-5 won’t be, but will probably still be valued as an opponent. Honestly, as long as Wisconsin doesn’t lose to Illinois or any of its non-conference games, it won’t be viewed as a bad team. And with the Big Ten West this year, anything can happen between any of the rest of the teams.

Ohio State would love to see Wisconsin at 8-4 or better, but as long as the Badgers are a bowl team Ohio State should probably be satisfied. Remember, every win that Wisconsin picks up against one of its Big Ten East foes, Northwestern, or Nebraska is a win that takes away from another Buckeye opponent. As long as Wisconsin’s losses come to those teams, it’s a net SOS wash for the Buckeyes.

Also remember that in college football, perception is king. And, importantly, the more a teams gets discussed in the media and on programs like College Football Live, the more benefit of the doubt it gets. One way for a team to be discussed is doing well.

Another, though, is to have a Heisman contender. Since, as mentioned above, the committee eyeballs SOS, that can have an impact. The Badgers have a definite Heisman candidate in Jonathan Taylor, expect him and Wisconsin to be on highlight reels all season. Even if Wisconsin disappoints over the course of the season, the committee could still overvalue the Badgers if Taylor has another 2,000-yard season.