Five reasons Ohio State beats Nebraska Saturday

The Ohio State Buckeyes now sit at 7-1 and undefeated in the Big Ten after slipping by the Penn State Nittany Lions last week, 33-24. Now a section of the online community is poo-pooing on this win as Penn State lost to a suspect Illinois Fighting Illini team in nine overtimes, but we all know that the Nittany Lions are the most talented team on Ohio State’s 2021 schedule from a pure talent perspective.

The Buckeyes are heading to Lincoln, Nebraska to take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers next, who are having a disappointing season currently sitting at 3-6 overall, and just 1-5 in the Big Ten. The Cornhuskers are coming off a disappointing loss to the Purdue Boilermakers and are underdogs to Ohio State by over two touchdowns.

It’s time to explore five reasons why it might get ugly for Nebraska.

Nebraska's offensive line

Sep 25, 2021; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers offensive lineman Bryce Benhart (54) walks down the field after the fourth quarter against the Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

There was a time when the Cornhuskers could have made a reasonable claim at being Offensive Line U, but not anymore. Nebraska has only had one offensive lineman named all-conference the last ten years and only four in the last 18 years, which goes back to their Big 12 days. This 2021 unit was expected to be better than last year’s with three starters returning and rumored to be more athletic and bigger, but this has not been the case. This unit might even be worse.

Adrian Martinez

Oct 30, 2021; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Adrian Martinez (2) fumbles the ball as he is brought down by defenders during the fourth quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

Adrian Martinez has started for the Cornhuskers since his true freshman season in 2018 when he put the Big Ten on notice passing for 2,617 yards and rushing for another 629 yards in 11 starts. But he was also second in the FBS in fumbles with four, and he has never really solved the turnover issue and may have gotten even worse as evidenced by his four-interception performance against Purdue last week. Martinez is a great athlete but can be terribly inconsistent.

Husker Wide Receivers

Oct 9, 2021; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers wide receiver Samori Toure (3) comes down with a pass against Michigan Wolverines defensive back Daxton Hill (30) and linebacker Josh Ross (12) during the third quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

Even if Adrian Martinez was throwing dimes, the Nebraska wide receiver strikes fear into no defensive backfield. Samori Toure is the most dangerous receiver as the transfer from Montana stands at 6-foot, 3-inches, and can be fairly explosive. Another transfer, Oliver Martin, is average after transferring from Iowa, but there is nothing the Buckeyes can’t handle. This unit really misses Wan’Dale Robinson who transferred out.

Buckeyes Linebackers Improving

Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Teradja Mitchell (3) and Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Javontae Jean-Baptiste (8) come together to tackle Maryland Terrapins running back Challen Faamatau (29) during the second quarter of their NCAA college football game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on October 9, 2021. Credit: USA TODAY Sports

Every week Ohio State has gotten stronger and stronger at linebacker. We knew this unit would be the weakness of the defense due to the lack of inexperience, but guys like Cody Simon have stepped up each and every week. I look forward to another week of improvement from this unit.

Buckeyes rebound on offensive line

Ohio State Buckeyes offensive lineman Thayer Munford (75) is taken off the field after an injury in the first quarter during an NCAA Division I football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Tulsa Golden Hurricane on Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Credit: USA TODAY Sports

The Ohio State offensive line looked less than perfect last week, and I for one, do not think this is an indicator that the line is not as good as we thought. I see it more of just having an off day against a pretty good Penn State defensive front. There were a few too many penalties and guys were blatantly missing blocks, but I didn’t see anyone get dominated physically. I look forward to this unit correcting itself and being better prepared to take on this Cornhusker defensive line.

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