MADISON, Wis. — Well, say this about Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon: he certainly doesn’t lack for confidence in his team.

Sixteen days after Wisconsin absorbed a 59-0 drubbing at the hands of Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game, Gordon was asked during an interview session with reporters whether the score would be any different if the teams met again.

"Yeah," Gordon said following Monday’s practice. "A lot different. A lot different. I promise you that."

Does that mean Wisconsin would win?

"Yeah, we would," he replied. "We would win."

Those comments, of course, quickly drew the ire of Ohio State football fans, many of whom were incredulous Gordon could make such a suggestion after his team lost by more than eight touchdowns. During the conference title game, Ohio State scored less than two minutes in and established a 38-0 halftime lead. Gordon fumbled in the final minute of the second quarter, which led to Buckeyes defensive end Joey Bosa’s recovery and four-yard touchdown.

"I think it’s something we’ll never forget," Gordon said. "In a big-time game like that, people will be talking about that for years to come. I just don’t think we’ll ever forget that game. That’ll always be on our minds."

Gordon, the Doak Walker Award winner for being the nation’s best running back and a Heisman Trophy finalist, was held to 76 yards on 29 carries against Ohio State — a yards-per-carry average of 2.9. And in three career games against the Buckeyes, Gordon carried 45 times for 149 yards (3.3 yards per carry) without a touchdown. His career yards-per-carry average is 7.8 and it’s 8.1 excluding games against Ohio State. This season, he has rushed for the fourth-highest single-season mark in FBS history — 2,336 yards — and scored 26 touchdowns.

Gordon, a redshirt junior who already has declared for the NFL Draft, said he watched the Ohio State game tape and thought Wisconsin succumbed to mental errors it does not usually make.

"That kind of bit us in the butt," he said.

Four days after the game, Wisconsin head coach Gary Andersen left unexpectedly to accept the head coaching position at Oregon State. But Gordon did not place any of the blame for the loss on Andersen.

"I don’t put that on Coach A," Gordon said. "A lot of people say this and that, but at the end of the day it’s the players that are out there really making the plays. It’s just the players. I think at the end of the day, we were making the mistakes. It wasn’t the coaches. They call the plays. We just weren’t in position and we just didn’t have that fire they had. They came out with more fire, more swag than we did and it showed."

Last week, Wisconsin defensive coordinator Dave Aranda said he took responsibility for the loss because the Badgers’ defense was unprepared. Buckeyes quarterback Cardale Jones, making his first career college start in place of the injured J.T. Barrett, completed 12 of 17 passes for 257 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. He connected on a 39-yard touchdown pass to receiver Devin Smith for a quick 7-0 lead, and the score ballooned from there.

"The quarterback run was probably about 65 percent of their offense," Aranda said. "They had no intention of running the quarterback. That first big shot was a fake quarterback run, throw it over the top. They had huge tendencies built on there. So they got us on that. We were deflated after balls were being thrown over our head. That was disappointing to see. I look back that week, I should have seen it coming."

Wisconsin (10-3) will try to regroup in time for its Outback Bowl game against Auburn (8-4). The Badgers have not won a bowl game since 2009, meaning there isn’t a single player on the roster that has played in a bowl victory. A win, Gordon said, would go a long way toward wiping the bitter feelings of the Ohio State loss from players’ minds.

"At least give them something else to think about or talk about and be proud about," Gordon said. "Looking back at this season, at least we could say West division champions and bowl champions. That’ll be big."

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