Rapid Reaction: Ohio State rides monster performance from JK Dobbins to win over Nebraska

It may have gone down to the wire, but Ohio State was able to avoid getting upset by Nebraska.

The first half did not see the kind of performance the Buckeyes were hoping for heading into the game. Nebraska had plenty of self-inflicted errors that included a miserable kickoff attempt, a blocked punt for a safety, and a terrible backwards pass that Ohio State recovered.

Unfortunately, the Buckeyes had plenty of errors of their own. Ohio State turned the ball over twice in the first half and could not consistently put pressure on Nebraska’s defense. As a result, the Cornhuskers carried a 21-16 lead into halftime.

Quarterback Adrian Martinez was once again the star for Nebraska. Although he was mainly responsible for the turnover on a questionable backwards pass, there is no denying he was a problem for the Buckeyes’ defense to deal with.

Martinez completed 22-of-33 passes for 266 yards and a touchdown against the Buckeyes. He also added 72 yards rushing and two touchdowns on the ground. Though the Cornhuskers came up short in the upset bid, the efforts of Martinez are a bright spot to take away from the loss.

For Ohio State, running back J.K. Dobbins was the driving force offensively. He carried the ball 23 times for 163 yards and 3 TDs against the Huskers. Dobbins also added a 22-yard reception in the game. Mike Weber with 91 yards on nine carries rounded out a rushing attack that gained 229 yards against Nebraska.

Quarterback Dwayne Haskins did not have his best outing, but he also was able to keep the team on track in the win. He did throw a bad interception in the red zone and lost a fumble after getting hit on a blitz. The fumble should not be held against him as he was left unprotected on the blitz. Haskins completed 18-of-32 passes for 252 yards, 2 TDs, and an interception in the game. Those numbers are well below what fans have come to expect from the young quarterback. However, grinding out another win is a good step for the young QB.

Defensively, Ohio State still has plenty of work to do as Nebraska moved the ball throughout the afternoon and scored 31 points. At the end of the day, a win is a win as Ohio State looks to put together a late-season push to the College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes will travel to East Lansing to take on Michigan State next Saturday.

Paul Harvey

Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.