Trailing by six in the final minutes of the Big Ten title game, Wisconsin drove into Ohio State territory and had a first down from the 43. Alex Hornibrook dropped back to pass. His left tackle, Michael Deiter, was flagged for holding just before Hornibrook threw a pass downfield to freshman receiver Danny Davis. An Ohio State defender tripped up Davis as the ball flew past them to the turf.

Why They are Out

The odds for Wisconsin's first playoff berth heading into the conference championship game were simple. Win, and they were definitely in. Lose, and they are definitely out. A fourth-quarter surge renewed hope for the Badgers to hold on to one of the top four spots, but the holding call sucked the life out of what was shaping up to be a promising and dramatic final drive. In the process, it opened the door for a debate between Alabama and Ohio State for which team was more worthy of replacing Wisconsin as the last team in the playoff.

Week by Week Rankings

Game Opp W/L Rank 1 vs USU W 9 2 vs FAU W 9 3 @ BYU W 10 4 vs NW W 9 5 @ NEB W 10 6 vs PUR W 7 7 vs MARY W 5 8 @ ILL W 5 9 @ IND W 9 10* vs IOWA W 8 11 vs MICH W 5 12 vs MINN W 5 13 vs OSU L 4

*CFP RANKING