Ohio State: 5 things I’d like to see from Buckeyes vs. Nebraska

After a week off which must have felt eternal following a 29-point loss to Purdue, the Ohio State Buckeyes get back to action this weekend (noon ET Saturday, Fox) against Nebraska at Ohio Stadium.

OSU has not only dealt with the aftermath of its first loss this season, but the Buckeyes have again dealt with speculation regarding head coach Urban Meyer’s future.

For his part, Meyer says November represents “urgency” for his program and knows that the upcoming four-game stretch will determine OSU’s fate not only in the Big Ten East race but in the national scheme of things.

So with that vital stretch starting Saturday, here are 5 things I’d like to see from the Buckeyes against Nebraska:

Buy time for Haskins

Buckeyes quarterback Dwayne Haskins became a Heisman Trophy candidate — or at least a candidate to be a finalist and appear at the ceremony in New York; it seems the award itself has long since had a Tuscaloosa address stamped on it — in the first half of the season. But in the game Oct. 20 against Purdue, Haskins faced pressure and looked rushed on several throws. He broke school records for attempts, completions and passing yards in a game against the Boilermakers but that was window dressing. The offensive line needs to do a better job.

Get the running game going

Perhaps the single most disappointing aspect of the 2018 season for Buckeyes fans has been the way the running attack has all but disappeared in recent weeks. OSU has failed to reach 100 yards on the ground in the past two games; this is the first time since 2009 that the Buckeyes played consecutive games without reaching triple digits in rushing. J.K. Dobbins (above) and Mike Weber need more production and, just to repeat the last item, the offensive line also needs to be better.

Rush and contain Nebraska QB

True freshman quarterback Adrian Martinez is one of the most exciting young players in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes defense needs to be disciplined and worry about containing Martinez both as a passer and especially as a runner. Nebraska is coming off of three consecutive games with at least 200 yards rushing, sparked by Martinez and senior running back Devine Ozigbo. Martinez and the Cornhuskers have averaged 541.8 yards of total offense over the past five games so the best thing for the Buckeyes to do is apply consistent pressure to try to prevent Big Red from getting into a rhythm.

Make a special teams play

We have mentioned this before but Ohio State’s special teams have been nothing special this season. The Buckeyes are 61st in FBS in kickoff returns (20.86 average) and 95th in punt returns (6.39) but the good news for the Buckeyes is that Nebraska’s coverage units are ranked even worse — 118th on kickoffs, 120th on punts. This might be the week for the Buckeyes to bust one loose.

Regain focus

One thing Urban Meyer’s teams have usually done in his reign is rebound quickly from losses. Ohio State has lost back-to-back games only once in Meyer’s tenure so turning the page and moving on should not be a problem. We’ll find out if the Buckeyes can block out the naysayers and put that ugly Purdue loss behind them this weekend at The Horseshoe.

Jim Tomlin

Longtime newspaper veteran Jim Tomlin is a writer and editor for saturdaytradition.com and saturdaydownsouth.com.