No. 5 Buckeyes hang on to win over Huskers

LINCOLN, Neb. – A ninepoint win over the lastplace team in the Big Ten West might not satisfy Ohio State’s fan base.

Buckeyes coach Ryan Day was just fine with it.

C.J. Stroud threw for 405 yards and two touchdowns, Ohio State’s defense came up with a pair of stops after Nebraska had pulled within six points, and the sixthranked Buckeyes got out of Memorial Stadium with a 26-17 win on Saturday.

“We’re going to watch it and think we could have won by three touchdowns or more if we clean some things up,” Day said. “But (Nebraska) is a good team, this is a good defense. We knew that coming in, I said that, and I believe that. It’s great to get wins on the road. It’s not easy to do.”

The Buckeyes’ nation-leading offense managed only two field goals in the second half, allowing the Cornhuskers – a two-touchdown underdog, according to FanDuel Sportsbook – to make it a one-score game until Noah Ruggles kicked a 46yard field goal with 1:29 left.

Ohio State (8-1, 6-0 Big Ten) won its 24th straight game against a conference opponent but couldn’t have impressed the committee that made it No. 5 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings.

The Huskers (3-7, 1-6) dropped their fourth straight game and are assured of a fourth consecutive losing season under Scott Frost and a fifth in a row overall.

“I hate losing more than anybody in that locker room,” Frost said. “But I just love being the coach here, I love these kids. They battled through a lot. This is going to pop at Nebraska. It just is. We’re doing too many good things right. We have too many good young players. We’re putting ourselves in position to win too many games and just not making a play or catching a break.”

The Buckeyes played without top receiver Garrett Wilson for an undisclosed reason but got a school-record 15 catches from Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a career-high 240 yards.

Stroud completed 36 of 54 passes but threw two interceptions after having gone four straight games without being picked off.

His 3-yard touchdown pass to Chris Olave and Smith-Njigba’s 75-yard catch-and-run for a TD helped put the Buckeyes up 20-10 at half.

The Huskers scored late in the third quarter to pull within 23-17 and got the ball right back when Myles Farmer intercepted Stroud’s deep ball intended for Olave. Nebraska drove to the 13, but Chase Contreraz missed a 30-yard field goal attempt.

The Buckeyes were forced to punt and Nebraska began its next possession at its 10 with 6:11 left. Adrian Martinez started it with a 21-run but threw three straight incomplete passes to bring on the punter.

Martinez was 16 of 31 for 248 yards and a touchdown, with his lone interception coming in the final minute. He ran 18 times for 51 yards and a score.

Nebraska’s Samori Toure had four catches for 150 yards and a touchdown.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Ohio State could get dinged by AP Top 25 voters, and the CFP committee also might do a double-take after the flat performance.

UP NEXT

Ohio State hosts Purdue next Saturday.

Nebraska visits Wisconsin on Nov. 20.