No. 4 Ohio State avoided a major upset from Nebraska in Columbus, Ohio on Oct. 26. The Buckeyes (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten Conference) escaped with a 21-17 victory over head coach Matt Rhule's Cornhuskers (5-3, 2-3). Ohio State struggled heavily all afternoon, but came up with crucial stops in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Will Howard also connected with running back Quinshon Judkins on a game-winning 9-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.
Game Summary
Ohio State's defense was in full bend-don't break mode for most of the contest. The Buckeyes held the Nebraska offense to three field goals before giving up the lone touchdown for the Cornhuskers early in the last quarter. Star freshman QB Dylan Raiola was able to move the ball for his offense throughout most of the game. On the other side, the Nebraska defense was outstanding. They shut down the explosive Ohio State run game and were able to consistently pressure Howard. Defensive back Malcolm Hartzog Jr. intercepted Howard on a pass that sailed over wide receiver Emeka Egbuka's hands. The defense was overall great at keeping the Buckeyes' offense behind schedule.
The Buckeyes were struggling up front with their offensive line. It was confirmed early this week that starting left tackle Josh Simmons was out for the season after suffering a knee injury against No. 1 Oregon (7-0, 4-0). Zen Michalski filled in and had difficulty holding up as a pass and run blocker. They struggled to convert on numerous short-yardage situations. Michalski would also be injured himself later in the game. That would result in them moving left guard Donovan Jackson over to tackle and brining in Luke Montgomery at LG. The offense seemed to be behind schedule all afternoon and never quite got into a consistent rhythm until late in the game. The difference throughout were the two long TD passes from Howard to wide receivers Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith. Those two first half TDs gave the Buckeyes much needed breathing room for the remainder of the matchup. The inability to run was overshadowed by the long awaited breakthrough of the deep passing attack.
Turning Point for Ohio State
After the 1-yard Dante Dowdell TD run to give Nebraska a 17-14 lead with 10:47 left in the game, Howard and his offense needed a response. Howard lead his offense on a 8-play, 75-yard drive that was capped off with a TD pass to Judkins. The Buckeyes' defense was then able to keep the lead and secured the outcome with a Jordan Hancock interception.
What It Means for Ohio State
All of Ohio State's goals are still well within reach this season. They have stressed their desire to beat Michigan (4-3, 2-2), win a B1G championship, and a College Football Playoff National Championship. If they want to reach those goals, they need to make improvements across the board. They will go on the road next week when they take on No. 3 Penn State (6-0, 3-0) on Nov. 2. That is a must-win game as they continue on their path to a B1G championship game.
What It Means for Nebraska
The Cornhuskers are a team still on the rise. Raiola has shown great promise in his first year despite some inconsistencies in conference play. Rhule seems to have his program playing hard and competing at a high level each week. They still can absolutely make a postseason bowl game as they continue working on their rebuild. They will look to get back on track next week when they face UCLA (2-5, 1-4) on Nov. 2 in Lincoln, Neb.
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