 On October 11, 2003, the Buckeyes entered the game as the defending national champions, ranked #3 in the country and on a 19-game winning streak with a record of 5–0.The unranked Badgers came into the game at 5–1, having lost at home to UNLV.The Badgers were without star running back Anthony Davis, who was recovering from a fractured eye-socket caused by a late-hit.