We are just one day away from the much-anticipated start of the Ohio State and Big Ten football season. The fact that we are here is quite amazing when you look back at it all, but don’t pinch yourself, you’re not dreaming.
Nothing would spoil the anticipation and wait more though than a loss to the Nebraska Cornhuskers at high noon on FOX. It can’t just be a show up and let the talent do its work type of affair. With so much time off, the Buckeyes have to have a solid game plan and go out and execute to start the season on the right foot.
Five Reasons Ohio State beats Nebraska on Saturday https://t.co/Uf0AJLF2km
— Buckeyes Wire (@BuckeyesWire) October 23, 2020
As is customary, we give you three keys to an Ohio State victory. Time to set it off …
NEXT … Hit the ground running
Get off to a quick start
WATCH: Ohio State drops first game day trailer of 2020, and it’s fantastic https://t.co/NKYNMrH3NV
— Buckeyes Wire (@BuckeyesWire) October 22, 2020
If we’ve seen it once, we’ve seen it before. The main ingredient that often goes into an upset is letting the underdog hang around. Nobody will argue with Ohio State being the highly favored team in this one, and as long as the Buckeyes take care of business, what’s on paper should end in a win over a Cornhusker team that’s still trying to get the band back together again.
The Buckeyes have to get out to a quick start, execute, and put this game away early. The more a proud Nebraska squad hangs around, the more belief begins to creep into the game and the more confidence Big Red plays with.
Ohio State has to play like the team that it is and kill the will of Nebraska early on.
NEXT … Contain Adrian Martinez
Don’t let Adrian Martinez beat you
Everyone expected Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez to build on his sensational freshman season and become a Big Ten player of the year candidate last year as a sophomore. It never happened for various reasons, but his inability to take that next step limited the Cornhuskers’ development as a program.
Still, Martinez has enough talent and experience to show that he’s one of the best playmakers in the league, and if he can find that potential magic that’s in the hat, he could make life miserable for a rebuilt Ohio State defense.
The OSU defense has to contain Martinez in the pocket, get pressure on him, and not let him get comfortable back there becoming a difference-maker. Do that, and I’m not sure there’s enough talent around the junior QB to spring the upset.
NEXT … Get the ground game going
NEXT … Establish a presence on the ground
Running backs Trey Sermon, Master Teague expected to split carries for Ohio State football https://t.co/xJtyGinxbZ
— Columbus Dispatch (@DispatchAlerts) September 28, 2020
Look, we know what Justin Fields and a talented wide receiving corps can do through the air. But make no mistake, the Ohio State program is an offensive line driven program. That means OSU is going to want to be balanced and drive Nebraska off the ball, open up lanes, and let the running backs move the chains on the ground.
When you are the more talented team with a dominant offensive line, continuing to lean on the other squad has a wearing down effect that will take a toll as the game wears on.
There’s going to be plenty of yards available through the air, but if we see Trey Sermon and Master Teague have a great day as well, that’s going to be the winning recipe almost every time out.
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