Scarlet and Game
Fansided

Ohio State football team looks sluggish vs. Nebraska, barely survives an upset

The Ohio State football team was supposed to come out and be dominant in this game after the bye week. Instead, they looked sluggish and barely won the game.

By Ryan Stano

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Carnell Tate (17) heads up field against Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive back Isaac Gifford (2) after a catch during the first quarter of their game at Ohio Stadium on Oct 26, 2024, in Columbus.
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Carnell Tate (17) heads up field against Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive back Isaac Gifford (2) after a catch during the first quarter of their game at Ohio Stadium on Oct 26, 2024, in Columbus. / Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
facebooktwitterreddit

The Ohio State football team was coming out of a bye week against Nebraska. They were expected to be an angry team that was going to dominate an average Cornhuskers team. That was the exact opposite of what happened. The Buckeyes only were able to win the game 21-17.

Ohio State looked extremely sluggish, specifically on the offensive side of the ball. The offensive line was absolutely horrendous. Zen Michalski made his first start of his career. It likely will be his last. Before he got hurt, he was torched in both the run and pass game. He just couldn't block.

The inability of the entire offensive line to move the line of scrimmage was a problem. The Ohio State Buckeyes ran the ball for just 64 yards on 31 carries. That's just 2.1 yards per carry. That's not anywhere near good enough. It almost cost them the game against a bad Nebraska defense.

The Ohio State football team almost saw the end of the Ryan Day era

Had the Buckeyes lost this game, we could have seen the end of the Ryan Day era. Fans on social media were calling for him to be fired throughout the game. I was one of them. It's clear that this team isn't good enough to compete for championships the way they are coached now.

Defensively, Ohio State played better. They didn't allow many big plays and they were able to get after the quarterback. They sacked Dylan Raiola three times and they had a game-winning interception. They'll still need to play better next week against Penn State.

manual

This game does not inspire any confidence that the Buckeyes are going to be able to win on the road against Penn State next week. It's a poorly-coached team that has all of the talent in the world. I'd be shocked if they win that game.

Home/Ohio State Football