The final month of the regular season officially begins today.
Ohio State will kick off its November slate at noon in Lincoln, Nebraska, where the Buckeyes will play the Cornhuskers in their second-to-last road game of the regular season. Ohio State will be looking to improve to 8-1 and keep itself in position for a College Football Playoff berth and a Big Ten title while Nebraska will be looking to avoid clinching its fifth consecutive losing season.
With just a few hours to go until the Buckeyes’ ninth game of the year, we share some final thoughts and questions entering the game and predictions for how the action between Ohio State and Nebraska will play out.
Final Thoughts
Nebraska is the best 3-6 team ever
The Cornhuskers have yet to lose a game by more than one possession this season, and somehow they’ve lost six times. Maybe it’s rotten luck, maybe it’s poor execution down the stretch, but it’s an interesting stat. Nevertheless, this is a results-oriented business, so close won’t save Scott Frost, especially when he falls to 3-7 come Saturday afternoon.
– Garrick Hodge
Ohio State’s response today will be telling
As our Ramzy Nasrallah outlined earlier this week, Penn State hangovers have been a thing for Ohio State in recent years. Most infamously, the Buckeyes had a massive letdown one week after the Penn State game in 2017, when they suffered a 55-24 loss to Iowa.
Ohio State can’t let that happen today if it wants to play in this year’s College Football Playoff. And it would be a great sign for this year’s Buckeyes to see them come out of the gates strong and beat Nebraska in convincing fashion. Although playing Penn State is always a challenge, it’s still fair to say that Ohio State’s performance in last week’s 33-24 win was underwhelming, so another struggle against Nebraska today – even though the Cornhuskers have played everyone tough this season – could raise some red flags.
– Dan Hope
I don’t see the Buckeyes falling into the trap
It may have all the makings of one, but I feel strongly that this contest will not go down as the trap game that some have made it out to be. Ohio State finally had an off night against Penn State after a run of breathtaking offensive performances during the four games prior, and I think C.J. Stroud and company will get back on track Saturday even if they don’t hang 50 on the Huskers. They won’t need to though, as Nebraska hasn’t scored more than 29 points against any Power 5 opponent this season.
– Griffin Strom
Nebraska is not as bad as its record indicates, but...
Everybody has been talking all week about how this might be the best 3-6 team of all time and how this is a legitimately dangerous Nebraska team with talent on both sides of the ball that will give Ohio State a real fight.
That's all true! But that doesn't mean the Buckeyes can't or won't absolutely roll in this game.
I think Ohio State is talented enough to blow out any team in the conference if it plays its best. So on some level, it really doesn't matter all that much that Nebraska is better than its 3-6 record would indicate. Yes, this is a good team. But Ohio State's build to blast good teams, too.
– Kevin Harrish
Questions
Can Adrian Martinez cause problems for Ohio State’s defense?
Ohio State hasn’t faced many true dual-threat quarterbacks this season, but it had its worst defensive performance of the year when it faced one in Week 2, when Anthony Brown led Oregon to 505 total yards of offense and five touchdowns, including 65 rushing yards of his own on a day where the Ducks ran for 269 yards.
The Buckeyes will face the best dual-threat they've faced since Brown on Saturday in Adrian Martinez, who’s both the leading rusher and passer for Nebraska this season. He’s given Ohio State some problems with his legs before, and while the Buckeyes’ run defense has been dominant since the Oregon loss – holding its last six opponents to under 64 yards per game – Martinez will give them a different element to account for, while he can also challenge Ohio State’s defense over the middle with slot receiver Samori Touré and tight end Austin Allen being his leading targets.
Although Ohio State’s defense has played generally well in its last six games, it’s still felt as though the Buckeyes are holding on for dear life at times – especially on third downs – and this week’s game will be another measuring stick to test how good the defense actually is.
– Dan Hope
Can the defensive line continue to rack up sacks?
The defensive line made Sean Clifford’s life miserable last week, capped off with Jerron Cage giving himself a highlight he’ll remember for the rest of his life. Can they do it again against a mobile quarterback?
– Garrick Hodge
Will the quarterback run threat be an issue for the Buckeyes?
The Buckeye run defense has been nothing short of stifling since Week 2’s loss to Oregon. Ohio State has allowed just one 100-yard game on the ground to any opponent in the last six games, and Penn State’s two rushing scores were the first the Buckeyes had given up since the aforementioned defeat to the Ducks. Nebraska, however, adds a new variable to the equation.
Veteran quarterback Adrian Martinez is the Huskers’ leading rusher this season, and has already punched in 11 scores on the ground alone. Nebraska managed to gash the Buckeye defense with a couple of creative quarterback runs early in the 2020 game, and that could be an avenue for (relative) success against Ohio State in this matchup.
– Griffin Strom
How does Ohio State's red zone offense look?
Ohio State was not very good in the red zone last week, and as a result, the game was closer than it should have been for longer than it should have been.
Nebraska isn't quite as defensively dominant as Penn State, ranking No. 19 in SP+ compared to Penn State's No. 5, but it's still a good enough defense to serve as a solid barometer for improvement.
– Kevin Harrish
Predictions
Ohio State will control game, but won't quite pull away
I am confident Ohio State will avoid letting this become a trap game, and believe the Buckeyes will be the first team to beat Nebraska by double digits this season, but I don’t think this game will be a cakewalk like their previous four games before Penn State. I think the Buckeyes will play well enough on both sides of the ball to ensure they bring a win home from Lincoln, but that Nebraska will also make enough plays to force the Buckeyes to keep their starters in for four quarters.
– Dan Hope
Marvin Harrison Jr. sets a career-high in receptions
Maybe I’ve watched the highlight of him spinning two Indiana defenders out of their socks too many times, but I’m expecting Harrison Jr. to have his best collegiate game yet very early in his career.
– Garrick Hodge
Nebraska won’t lose this one by single digits
Much has been made about the fact that all six of the Huskers’ losses have come by seven points or less. Unfortunately for Scott Frost and company, that streak comes to an end on Saturday. Even an off day for the Buckeye offense resulted in 33 points against a stout Penn State defense last week, and I don’t envision Ohio State struggling quite as much against Nebraska.
– Griffin Strom
TreVeyon Henderson goes for 200
Despite looking pretty much unstoppable in every game before last weekend, TreVeyon Henderson has only one 200-yard performance on the season, mostly because he's been on the sidelines for a lot of second halves.
This week, I think he'll bust a few big runs early on and get above the two-century mark again.
– Kevin Harrish
