Big game for young Ohio State players.
Ohio State will take the field against Nebraska with a mostly veteran team, but some of the key contributors of late are freshmen and sophomores. Playing the Cornhuskers in Lincoln will be a great test for those young Bucks.
It will be especially interesting to see how the young skill position players on both sides of the ball perform. Young players in the trenches have older players next to them to lean on. And unlike the guys who play in space, mistakes often go unnoticed by the casual fan.
The young Buckeyes on offense I am most interested in watching are second year wide receivers Binjimen Victor and Austin Mack. Each have been instrumental in reviving the Ohio State passing attack.
Victor has 14 receptions for 197 yards and 4 four touchdowns and Mack’s has 12 catches for 143 yards and 2 scores. But most of their success has come before a home crowd. How will they perform when most of the 85,000 fans at Memorial Stadium are cheering for the Cornhuskers?
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The same question could be asked about freshman cornerback Jeffrey Okudah and sophomore safety Jordan Fuller. Each of the two defensive backs have played well this season but this will be a different environment than they are used to. It’s one thing to play on the road at Rutgers, but going to Nebraska will be a totally different atmosphere.
If one of these guys gets beat on a pass play it will be interesting to see how they bounce back. Will they have short memories and be aggressive on the next play, or begin to get tentative?
It will be a challenge for these young Bucks. Every seasoned veteran speaks of how difficult it is to play on the road in the Big Ten, especially for the younger players who don’t yet know what to expect.
Next: Week 7 predictions for Nebraska game
It will be a good test for these first and second year players, but a great experience as well. And what they draw from that experience could be important to the Buckeyes’ success down the road.