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Ohio State football: How Bucks beat Nebraska defensively

By Ryan Stano

LINCOLN, NE - SEPTEMBER 28: Safety Jordan Fuller #4 of the Ohio State Buckeyes and cornerback Sevyn Banks #12 combine to tackle running back Dedrick Mills #26 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium on September 28, 2019 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
LINCOLN, NE - SEPTEMBER 28: Safety Jordan Fuller #4 of the Ohio State Buckeyes and cornerback Sevyn Banks #12 combine to tackle running back Dedrick Mills #26 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium on September 28, 2019 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) /
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The Ohio State football team will take on the Cornhuskers on Saturday in their first game of the year. They will have to be sound defensively to win. This is how they can beat Nebraska defensively.

The Buckeyes lose a lot of talent defensively from a year ago. Studs Chase Young, Jeff Okudah, and Damon Arnette are gone now. While Ohio State always recruits well and has a bevy of talent to fill in, the game Saturday will be their first chance to really shine.

Nebraska has some talent on offense. They finally named a quarterback today, and it will be Adrian Martinez. Martinez regressed last year after throwing 17 touchdowns and 9 picks as a freshman, as he threw 10 touchdowns and 9 picks a year ago.

Martinez was horrendous a year ago against the Buckeyes, completing only 8 passes for 47 yards and throwing three interceptions. While I don’t expect Martinez to be that bad through the air this time, he will likely have a hard time finding open receivers.

The best bet for the Buckeyes is to force Martinez to beat them through the air. He did hurt them a bit with his legs, running 15 times for 81 yards. If they can keep him in the pocket and keep him bottled up in read-option scenarios, they should have a great deal of success.

A good pass rush is the best way to make that happen. Zach Harrison should be a big part of that pass rush off the edge. He is next in line to take the mantle of great defensive end after the Bosas and Young. Add in Tyler Friday and some edge-rushing from Baron Browning and Ohio State will be hard to block.

The one thing that the Buckeyes had trouble with a year ago was the triple option. Nebraska ran that early on and it seemed to confuse Ohio State. I would expect Greg Mattison and Kerry Coombs to be ready for that possibility this time around.

How the Bucks beat Nebraska offensively. dark. Next

It will be good to see Ohio State football happening again. If the Buckeyes keep Martinez bottled up, it could be a long day for the Cornhuskers. He may have to beat them with his arm, and I don’t think he’s ready for that.

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