Observations from Ohio State’s win over Nebraska

The 2020 season is finally underway, and the Ohio State Buckeyes beat the Nebraska Cornhuskers soundly, 52-17. Here are some observations from the win.

Justin Fields is in mid-season form.

Fields completed 20 of his 21 passes, the lone incompletion was a pass targeted for Chris Olave in the end zone. Olave usually would make the catch, but was unable to reel it in. 276 yards through the air for Fields today, and two touchdown passes- the first was a perfectly placed 42 yard bomb to Garrett Wilson, and the second was a five yard pass to true freshman WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who made an incredible catch in the back of the end zone and was just able to get one foot inbound for the score.

To compliment his strong passing performance, Justin showed his athleticism on the ground, as he rushed for 54 yards (one yard shy of Trey Sermon’s team-high 55 yards), and had a 17 yard rushing score.

The Defensive Line needs some improvement 

We knew the defensive line would look much different, and the loss of Chase Young would be noticeable. While there were some bright spots, such as Haskell Garrett’s sack of Adrian Martinez, there were also some plays the line would like to have back. Nebraska had five runs of 10-or-more yards, including a 39 yard run by Martinez and a 47 yard run by Luke McCaffrey. There were not too many blitz calls by Kerry Coombs today, but I would expect more to come when the Buckeyes play a stronger passing team.

Jack Miller is QB2, evidently.

If this season is anything like 2019, Justin Fields may exit games early once the score gets out-of-hand. No one knew who the back-up was all offseason, and we still didn’t know until the final offensive drive of the game. True freshman Jack Miller III came in with just under three minutes remaining in the game, and took the Buckeyes 40 yards on six plays, and ran in a two yard touchdown. Miller accumulated 23 total yards, all on the ground. The QB2 spot could change quite a bit this season depending on the situation, fellow freshman C.J. Stroud and senior Gunnar Hoak will be competing with Miller throughout the season.

J.K. Dobbins is missed

Earlier this week Ohio State guard Thayer Munford told reporters “I don’t think Buckeye Nation has anything to worry about at all” when asked about Master Teague and Trey Sermon replacing J.K. Dobbins. Trey Sermon was the leading rusher today with 55 yards on 11 carries, while Master Teague added 41 yards on 12 carries and two touchdowns. Sermon did look to have more athletic plays than Teague, but it may take a few games before either one really develops into being the go-to guy. Justin Fields was perhaps the best overall rusher for the Bucks, as he ran for 54 yards on 15 attempts and added a rushing touchdown. Steele Chambers did come in late in the game and looked impressive with 32 yards on just four carries, perhaps he will see more playing time against Penn State next week.

Ohio State’s Receivers are next-level

Garrett Wilson has moved over to the slot position, and it seems to be working out well. Wilson had seven receptions for 129 yards and a touchdown. Chris Olave added 105 yards with six catches, and true freshman Jaxson-Smith Njigba had perhaps the most impressive first career touchdown catch anyone could ever ask for.

Final Stats

Total Yards: Ohio State 498, Nebraska 377

Rushing Yards: Ohio State 222, Nebraska 217

Passing Yards: Ohio State 276, Nebraska 160

Total First Downs: Ohio State 28, Nebraska 17

Total Plays: Ohio State 69, Nebraska 56

Turnovers: Ohio State 1, Nebraska 2

Time of Possession: Ohio State 33:14, Nebraska 26:46.