Ohio State Football: Breaking down the Nebraska Cornhuskers

The time has finally arrived! With game day just a few days away, we take a look at the first opponent for Ohio State, the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

After last year’s 48-7 defeat in Lincoln, Nebraska head coach Scott Frost has a lot of work to do to compete against Ohio State. Now in his third year in charge, the high expectations that came with the 1997 Nebraska graduate have faded away and quickly turned into a warm seat, as the Cornhuskers have gone 9-15 in Frost’s first two years.

The expectations were high, but now it’s clear Nebraska is in a rebuilding phase. A 2020 recruiting class that ranked No. 20 in 247’s rankings will help a team that loses seven starters on defense.

Speaking of defense, let’s take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of the defense (or remnants of it) that gave up 48 points against the Buckeyes last year.

Defense

Although the Cornhuskers lose 7 starters on defense, among them leading-tackler Mohamed Barry (89), they return six of ten leading tacklers, meaning they have several dependable players who have plenty of experience.

Of these returning players, linebackers Collin Miller and JoJo Domann will be heavily relied upon, as both combined for 119 total tackles, 15.5 TFLs, and 3.5 sacks. Often in college football, the large yards per play numbers mean safeties lead the team in tackles, but having two linebackers who can make the play and prevent the ball carrier from reaching the secondary are vital for success.

However, the run-stopping that would be expected from this did not exist. The Cornhuskers ranked 11th in the Big Ten in rushing yards allowed per game (188.1) and scoring (27.8 points). With a three-man defensive line that loses starters in all three spots (including 2019 leader in sacks, Khalil Davis – 8), Master Teague and Trey Sermon could be set up to have a big day.

While the run defense struggled last year, the Cornhuskers secondary was solid, ranking 30th nationally with 200.8 passing yards per game allowed. In that secondary, the Cornhuskers return three starters (junior Cam Taylor-Britt, seniors Dicaprio Bootle and Marquel Dismuke) and should have senior Deontai Williams in the strong safety spot.

Although the two cornerbacks (Taylor-Britt and Bootle) have starting experience, the loss of Lamar Jackson – who had 3 INTs and 12 pass deflections – could also pose problems against Justin Fields and the rest of the Ohio State passing game.

With the defense now introduced, let’s move into the Cornhuskers offense, which returns leading passer Adrian Martinez and leading rusher Dedrick Mills.