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Ohio State escaped with a narrow 21-17 win over Nebraska on Saturday afternoon in Columbus.
The Huskers had plenty of opportunities to win this game, but they weren’t ruthless enough offensively. Ohio State’s defense was able to bother Dylan Raiola enough to keep Nebraska out of the end zone in some key situations, which led Ohio State’s close victory.
Here are 3 takeaways from Ohio State’s 8th straight win over the Huskers:
Ohio State’s defense was excellent
Head coach Ryan Day made a point to say that he would be spending more time with Ohio State’s defense in advance of this game, and that extra work seemed to pay off. Ohio State held Nebraska to just over 4 yards per play on the afternoon.
Raiola struggled to the tune of just 152 yards on 32 attempts. His passer efficiency rating was 99.3, which is far below his season average. Raiola’s final throw of the day was a game-sealing interception with just over a minute left on the clock.
Ohio State’s biggest defensive moment of the game came midway through the second half. The Buckeyes got a goal line stand to retain their lead after the offense turned it over to Nebraska.
Inconsistent offense
Ohio State’s offense, however, was not nearly as productive. Although the Buckeyes did end up averaging 6.6 yards per play thanks to some explosive plays, they were not as efficient on a down-to-down basis.
The running game was a significant issue. Ohio State averaged just 2.1 yards per rush, which is easily its worst mark of the season. The Buckeyes previous 2024 low was set a couple of weeks ago against Oregon when they averaged just 4.3 yards per carry.
Quarterback Will Howard had an efficient game on paper, but he wasn’t perfect either. Howard completed 13-of-16 passes for 221 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. That pick put Ohio State in a compromising position, but its defense was able to save the day with a goal line stand.
Ohio State avoids disaster
A loss to Nebraska would have potentially ended Ohio State’s pursuit of the Big Ten title. A second conference loss before November would have been a disaster for the Buckeyes as they look for their first Big Ten Championship since 2020.
A second straight loss would have also significantly hurt the Buckeyes’ College Football Playoff hopes. At 10-2, Ohio State theoretically would have had a good case for an at-large berth — but its margin-for-error would have been erased moving forward.
Ohio State will now turn its attention to a potential top-5 showdown with Penn State in Week 10.
Spenser is the news manager at Saturday Road and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.