Nobody expected that. Honestly, if you say you saw a 59-0 blowout coming, you’re probably lying to yourself or just a really optimistic Buckeye fan. The 2014 Big Ten football championship game wasn't just a football game; it was a total demolition that fundamentally changed how the College Football Playoff committee looked at "quality wins." It was messy. It was loud. And for Wisconsin fans, it was a nightmare that seemed to last an eternity under the bright lights of Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Going into that Saturday in early December, the narrative was supposed to be about Melvin Gordon. He was the Heisman contender, the guy who had just broken the single-game rushing record a few weeks prior. Ohio State? They were supposed to be vulnerable. They were down to their third-string quarterback, a kid named Cardale Jones who had basically zero meaningful starts under his belt. The Buckeyes had lost J.T. Barrett to a broken ankle against Michigan just a week earlier. Everyone—and I mean everyone—thought the Badgers’ top-ranked defense would swallow Jones whole.
Instead, we got "12-Gauge."
The Cardale Jones Factor and the Death of the Underdog Narrative
Cardale Jones didn't just play well; he looked like he was playing a video game on rookie mode. You have to remember the context here. Ohio State was sitting at #5 in the rankings. They needed a statement. They didn't just need a win; they needed to convince a room full of suits in a hotel in Grapevine, Texas, that they belonged in the first-ever College Football Playoff over TCU or Baylor.
The first quarter was a blur. Jones launched a 39-yard bomb to Devin Smith. Then another. Then another. By the time people settled into their seats with their overpriced stadium nachos, it was 14-0. Then 24-0 at the half. It wasn't just that Ohio State was winning; it was the way they were winning. They were faster. They were meaner. Wisconsin, a team built on Big Ten "three yards and a cloud of dust" toughness, looked like they were running in sand.
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Why Wisconsin Fell Apart
It’s easy to blame the quarterback play, and yeah, Joel Stave had a rough night. He threw three interceptions. But the real story was the trenches. Ohio State’s defensive front, led by Joey Bosa and Michael Bennett, absolutely lived in the Wisconsin backfield. Melvin Gordon, the man who was supposed to run for 200 yards, was held to 76. He looked human for the first time all season.
Gary Andersen, the Wisconsin coach at the time, looked completely bewildered on the sideline. Little did we know, he’d be gone just a few days later, boltin' for Oregon State in one of the weirdest coaching moves in modern history. Maybe he saw the writing on the wall that night. When your "elite" defense gives up 558 yards of offense to a backup quarterback, something is fundamentally broken.
The Playoff Committee’s Impossible Choice
This is where the 2014 Big Ten football championship game becomes more than just a box score. It became a political weapon. At the time, the Big 12 didn't have a championship game. TCU and Baylor were "co-champions," which sounds nice on a trophy but looks terrible on a resume.
Ohio State's 59-0 massacre of the #13 team in the country was the "thirteen stroke of the clock" that changed everything. It gave the committee the "data point" (a phrase we all grew to hate) they needed to jump the Buckeyes from #5 to #4. People in Fort Worth and Waco were furious. Honestly, they had every right to be. But you can't ignore a 59-point shutout in a Power Five title game. You just can't.
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The impact of this specific game is why we eventually saw the Big 12 scramble to add a title game back into their schedule. They realized that without that final stage, they were at a disadvantage. Ohio State used the Big Ten title game as a platform to stage a coup of the rankings.
The Devin Smith Show
We have to talk about Devin Smith. If Cardale Jones was the arm, Smith was the lightning bolt. Three touchdowns. All of them deep. He had this uncanny ability to track the ball in the air that made the Wisconsin secondary look like they were playing a different sport. He didn't just catch passes; he demoralized people.
- Catch 1: 39 yards.
- Catch 2: 44 yards.
- Catch 3: 42 yards.
It was repetitive in the most brutal way possible. Every time Wisconsin tried to creep their safeties up to stop Ezekiel Elliott—who, by the way, ran for 220 yards and two scores—Jones would just check at the line and launch it to Smith. It was a perfect tactical loop.
The Long-Term Fallout of 59-0
Looking back from 2026, the 2014 Big Ten football championship game stands as the peak of the Urban Meyer era at Ohio State. It proved his system wasn't just about Braxton Miller or J.T. Barrett; it was a machine. They went on to beat Alabama and Oregon to win the whole thing, vindicating the committee’s controversial decision.
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But for the Big Ten, it was a moment of arrival. For years, the SEC had been the "speed" conference. This game flipped the script. Ohio State looked like the fastest team in the country, and they did it against a "traditional" Big Ten power. It forced the rest of the conference to change how they recruited. You couldn't just be big anymore; you had to be fast.
What We Get Wrong About This Game
Most people remember the score, but they forget how close it wasn't. Usually, in a blowout, the losing team has a few "what if" moments. A dropped pass in the end zone, a bad fumble. Wisconsin didn't have those. They weren't unlucky. They were outclassed in every single facet of the game.
It was also the night Ezekiel Elliott became a household name. Before Indy, he was a very good running back. After Indy, he was a superstar. His vision through the holes opened up by Taylor Decker and Pat Elflein was surgical.
Actionable Takeaways for History Buffs and Bettors
If you're looking back at this game to understand modern college football, here's the reality:
- The "Quarterback Doesn't Matter" Myth: While Jones was a backup, he had elite traits. Don't assume a backup can't execute a high-level game plan if the offensive line is dominant.
- The Power of the Final Impression: In the playoff era (and even the expanded 12-team era), your last game is your most important. Style points matter, regardless of what the committee says publicly.
- Defensive Schemes vs. Vertical Threats: Wisconsin’s 3-4 defense was designed to stop the run, but it was fundamentally ill-equipped for a vertical passing game with elite speed.
For fans of the sport, the 2014 Big Ten football championship game serves as a reminder that momentum is a real, terrifying thing. Once the avalanche started, there was no stopping it. Ohio State didn't just win a trophy that night; they jumped into a different stratosphere of college football royalty, one where they’ve largely remained ever since.
If you ever find yourself in a sports bar in Madison, maybe don't bring up the number 59. It’s still a bit of a sore spot. But for the rest of us, it remains one of the most clinical displays of dominance ever televised. It was the night the Buckeyes proved they didn't need a Heisman quarterback to be the best team in the world—they just needed a 12-Gauge and a point to prove.