3 keys to Ohio State-nebraska game
Finish drives
Until last week, Ohio State showed little issue punching the ball into the end zone. It boasted one of the nation's best red-zone offenses. But it had trouble coming away with seven points inside the 20-yard line against Penn State. On six trips, the Buckeyes left with only one touchdown, otherwise settling for four field goals and once turning the ball over on downs. They figure to bounce back. The Nittany Lions have an elite red-zone defense, likely contributing to their troubles. But if the issues linger, Ohio State could be in another tight affair.
Cause takeaways
Nebraska is mistake-prone, ranking No. 94 in the FBS with a minus-3 turnover margin. The issue was noticeable in the loss to Purdue last week when the Cornhuskers committed four turnovers. All were interceptions thrown by quarterback Adrian Martinez, who has had an up and down career in Lincoln. The Buckeyes have been causing plenty of disruption on defense in recent weeks, including forcing three turnovers against Penn State, and should look to take advantage.
Find early success
Despite a difficult schedule, Nebraska has been competitive in each week in 2021. One of the reasons is that its defense has shown up early. The Cornhuskers shut out both Michigan and Michigan State in the first quarter and held Oklahoma to only a touchdown over the first 15 minutes. They have rarely faced a big deficit in games. But if the Buckeyes can get ahead early, it could overwhelm a team that is riding a three-game losing streak and is led by a coach in Scott Frost who is firmly on the hot seat. Especially since OSU has won the teams' past two meetings by margins of 35 and 41 points.
Key matchup
Treveyon Henderson vs.
Nebraska’s rush defense
While running back Treveyon Henderson rushed for 152 yards in Saturday's win over Penn State, his most since running for a school freshman record 277 yards against Tulsa, it took him a career-high 28 carries. The Nittany Lions made him earn every inch of turf. Maybe Nebraska will, too. It's allowed a 100-yard rusher only twice this season and held Michigan State's Kenneth Walker III, the Heisman Trophy frontrunner, to only 61 yards. The Cornhuskers' front seven features run-stuffing linebacker Luke Reimer, the Big Ten's second-leading tackler.
Key stat
5.5: The average margin of defeat for Nebraska this season. All six losses have been by one score.
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Contact him at jkaufman@dispatch.com or on Twitter @joeyrkaufman.