Nebraska at Ohio State Preview & Prediction (CollegeFootballNews.com)

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Nebraska at Ohio State Preview & Game Prediction
by Pete Fiutak, CollegeFootballNews.com

It's been a LONG two weeks for these two.

Ohio State has had to kick back and groove on the 32-31 loss to Oregon, and now it has to get back up to speed with the date at Penn State up next. This still might be the best team in college football, but now it has to show it.

Indiana just scored against Nebraska again.

The Husker defense went bye-bye in a 56-7 loss in Bloomington, and it's not like things are about to get easier in Columbus.

UCLA is up next with at USC, Wisconsin and at Cockeye to close. Nebraska will get that sixth win to go bowling, but it could use a confidence boost against a Buckeye team this good.

Nebraska (5-2) at Ohio State (5-1)
Saturday, October 26 - 12:00 PM (ET) - FOX

Why Nebraska Will Win
Nebraska has to bring the heat from the start.

The defense is good, but it needs to generate pressure and be disruptive for everything to work. Indiana was able to run at will, Illinois ran well, and Ohio State will likely be able to pound away, but the Huskers have to own third downs with the pass rush.

Everyone flies into the Colorado backfield, but still, Nebraska tackling Shedildo Sanders mattered in the team's best win of the season.

There wasn't enough pressure on Indiana's Kurtis Rourke in last week's blasting from IU -- although the start QB did hurt his hand -- and for this team, the big plays will be everything.

In the six games against FBS teams, Nebraska is 4-0 when it comes up with nine or more tackles for loss, and came up with a total of six in the two losses. But ........

Why Ohio State Will Win
.....Ohio State might be hurting a bit on the offensive line, but it comes into this No. 1 in the Big Ten in both sacks allowed and tackles for loss given up.

The Huskers weren't able to hold up against the Indiana offensive balance. On the year, the two losses came when the defense allowed more than 140 yards on the ground.

Ohio State's worst rushing output of the year was against Oregon when it was held to 141.

Even though QB Dylan Raiola is amazing, Nebraska isn't quite sharp enough. It doesn't score like it'll need to, there are too many penalties, the punting game -- at least statistically, although this is misleading -- is the worst in the nation, and there are too many empty trips into the red zone.

Big Red has to pitch a perfect game, and even that might not be enough.

What Will Happen
Ohio State won with gliding ease over the first five weeks of the season, and it was really, really close -- it would've helped if Will Howard tried to be Lamar Jackson throwing the ball on the final play instead of running it -- to getting out of Oregon unbeaten.

It might take a little while to get the engine revved back up, but after Nebraska plays well over the first 20 minutes -- and doesn't have a ton to show for it -- then the Buckeye explosion will kick back up.

That, and don't think the Ohio State defense will be in a good mood after sitting on that performance in Autzen for the last two weeks.

Prediction
Ohio State 41, Nebraska 13

Spread
Ohio State is favored at home by 25.5 points

 

[Alum-Ni]

Other Big Ten game picks

ILLINOIS at OREGON (-21.5)
Yeah, Illinois tends to be a thorn in the sides of the big-time teams looking ahead to bigger and better things, but most of the time those games were against Penn State, Cockeye or Wisconsin. By the way, the Illini haven't faced Ohio State since 2017. Oregon will start fast and it'll look like uh-oh time midway through the first quarter, and then everything will settle in. Illinois will hang around.....hang around.....hang around and then comes the big takeaway. It won't be enough to pull off the upset, but the No. 1 team in the land will be tested. Oregon 34, Illinois 20

MARYLAND at MINNESOTA (-4.5)
You know how this works. Minnesota will be relatively painful offensively, and the defense will be just okay with lots and lots of bending -- it's not good enough on third downs -- and then it'll come down to a few big plays late. Maryland doesn't have the running game to hammer away, and all the yards coming in the passing attack won't be enough to pull this off. Minnesota 24, Maryland 20

MICHIGAN STATE at MICHIGAN (-4)
Not only is Michigan's offense awful, but it's becoming a turnover disaster giving it up five times in the last two games and 15 times on the year. It's this simple: The team that wins the turnover battle and runs the ball a wee bit better will pull this off. Michigan's defense will hold up just enough, and the ground game will pound away to control the clock in a low-scoring fight. It won't be anything pretty. Michigan 23, Michigan State 20

NORTHWESTERN at Cockeye (-13.5)
Try this one out. Cockeye allowed 32 points to UCLA and 35 to Ohio State. Before that, it allowed more than 31 points in just two regular season games since the 38-14 loss to Wisconsin on November 11, 2017. It took four takeaways for Northwestern to put 37 up on Maryland -- the only time all year the Wildcats have scored more than 31. Cockeye won't look like the Cockeye of the past few years, but the ground game and D style will show up against the punchless 'Cats. Cockeye 26, Northwestern 13

PENN STATE (-6.5) at WISCONSIN
Penn State isn't Purdue, Rutgers or Northwestern. As is, the Badger defensive front isn't making enough plays behind the line, and now it's dealing with a Nittany Lion offensive line that has been fantastic at keeping the backfield clean. Like everything else with Penn State this season, it won't be an easy win, but it'll be effective. Penn State 31, Wisconsin 17

RUTGERS at USC (-13.5)
WOW does USC need a nice and breezy no-drama win, and it's not going to get it. Oh it'll get the victory, but it'll go through a lull when the Rutgers running game and defense rise up to take over for a stretch. But there won't be enough Scarlet Knight offense and the Trojans will finally be able to breathe easier early in the fourth quarter. By the way, that will happen around 1:30 a.m. Saturday morning on the East Coast. USC 34, Rutgers 20

WASHINGTON at INDIANA (-6.5)
It'll be interesting to see what happens if Indiana starts to get pushed a little bit. No, Washington won't crank up big numbers on the ground, but Will Rogers will hit at least 65% of his passes for well over 200 yards, and the defense should keep this within range. Will backup quarterback Tayven Jackson be good enough? He'll be okay, but it'll be the defense and the running game that keep the IU magic going. Indiana 30, Washington 24

 

[Irv]

I could live with 41-13 at this point.

 

[Havoc34]

I could live with 41-13 at this point.

I assume we get there from a missed XP and not two FG's

 

[huskin1]

I’m a child but every time I see those autocorrects in these I laugh my ass off