Ohio State is set to break open the seal on the football season Saturday and everyone is excited to see what the Buckeyes are able to do. The team is once again expected to contend for some pretty special things, and a struggling Nebraska team looks to be just a speedbump in the way.
However, these things often do not play out like we expect on paper, and there can be reasons to believe the game in the ‘Shoe on Saturday will be closer than many anticipate — especially in a 2020 year that has brought us the unexpected across all angles of life.
Can Nebraska make this a game? Is there any chance of pulling off a shocking upset to send shockwaves through the college football universe? It’s not likely, but here are three reasons the Cornhuskers could make life difficult for Ohio State.
NEXT … Adrian Martinez
Will the real Adrian Martinez please stand up?
Number 2 on our countdown list of the Most Important Huskers for 2020 is QB Adrian Martinez!
Martinez had a down year last season, but is still our guy. Many expect a big bounce-back performance from him in 2020. If that’s the case, this offense has a chance to be special. #GBR pic.twitter.com/8zJpmCItj1
— FOOTBALL IS BACK! (@GBRFootball8) October 23, 2020
Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez showed everyone why Ohio State had an eye on him during the recruiting cycle of 2018. He had a sensational freshman campaign for the ‘Huskers in 2018. He threw the ball well, had poise, and showed an ability to keep plays alive when options broke down on offense. He was expected to contend for some individual hardware in 2019 but it never materialized. So much so that he barely won the starting spot going into 2020.
But the skillset and athletic ability is still there, and if he can find the magic he pulled out of the hat his freshman season, he can make life difficult on an Ohio State defense that is retooling its secondary. All he needs is some confidence and time, and he can help will his team to a big game.
NEXT … Too much emotion
Ohio State could be “too high”
We back‼️ pic.twitter.com/yWa34KzGM8
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) October 24, 2020
College football is a game of emotion and energy. There is a point though when having too much of it can have a negative effect on performance. Ohio State fought hard for the season, has a bad taste in its mouth from the controversial Fiesta Bowl loss against Clemson, and has pacing back in forth waiting to be unleashed from the cage.
It could be too much. You still have to play with discipline, purpose, and instincts. Some of that can go out the window if not channeled correctly. Look to see if the Buckeyes make too many aggressive mistakes and penalties early to see what kind of emotional mindset they are in. OSU has to settle into this game the right way and not just throw up all over the game when it begins.
NEXT … When will the pendulum swing
Is this the year Scott Frost turns it around?
Sunday column: Casting Scott Frost as 'surefire savior' minimizes difficulty of his undertaking https://t.co/754hHG6beE pic.twitter.com/s3BgCU0MKH
— Steven M. Sipple (@HuskerExtraSip) April 29, 2018
At some point, there’s a good chance Scott Frost is going to turn the program back to a winning culture. There’s just too much positive evidence there from his other stops to not believe he’s going to make a difference in schematics and culture. Is this the year?
If so, look for a much improved Nebraska team, one that is flying a little bit under the radar and surprises folks. The program might not have the talent in places that it wants still, but Frost came from a winning culture at Oregon as an assistant and was the architect of what UCF became and still is today.
It still remains to be seen if this team is the one to plant the flag for the program, but if it is, what better way to show the world than giving this Ohio State team a game in 2020 and using it as a catapult to program restoration?
Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion.
Download the USA TODAY SportsWire app to follow Buckeyes Wire and your other favorite teams in the Apple Store for iPhones and Google Play for Android devices.
