No. 4 Ohio State will try to shake off loss to Oregon and turn attention to Nebraska
Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith, left, celebrates his touchdown with teammate Jelani Thurman against Iowa during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. Credit: AP/Jay LaPrete
Nebraska (5-2, 2-2 Big Ten) at No. 4 Ohio State (5-1, 2-1), Saturday, 12 p.m. ET (FOX)
BetMGM College Football Odds: Ohio State by 25 1/2.
Series record: Ohio State leads 7-1.
What's at stake?
Ohio State let a 32-31 game slip away to Oregon on Oct. 12, then had an off week to stew in it. With a 12-team College Football Playoff this season, Ohio State is still a player, but its margin of error is now smaller. Nebraska was blown out last week by an Indiana team that is one of the big surprises of the Big Ten. The Huskers’ 56-7 loss was their most lopsided since they got walloped 62-3 at Ohio State in 2016.
Key matchup
Ohio State passing game against Nebraska defense. The Buckeyes are sixth in the country averaging 503 yards per game, including nearly 300 passing yards. The ‘Huskers are allowing just over 200 yards per game through the air, including 280 to Indiana Saturday.
Players to watch
Nebraska: Freshman QB Dylan Raiola faces a big mental challenge going into the Horseshoe off two straight poor performances. He combined for four interceptions and no touchdown passes and just 5.2 yards per attempt against Rutgers and Indiana.
Ohio State: Freshman WR Jeremiah Smith continues to dazzle. He had nine catches for 100 yards in the loss to Oregon. He's for 553 receiving yards and seven TDs through six games and has rushed for 33 yards and another score. Smith has been a fixture on the highlight reels with one-handed catches.
Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola (15) throws against Indiana during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Bloomington, Ind., Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. Credit: AP/AJ MAST
Facts & figures
Nebraska has lost 26 straight games against Top 25 opponents since beating Oregon in 2016. The Huskers have dropped 17 straight against ranked opponents on the road since winning at No. 12 Penn State in 2011. … The Huskers have lost 14 straight against top-five opponents. … Raiola’s pass efficiency rating of 90.0 since Week 6 is third-lowest among FBS quarterbacks with at least 35 attempts over that span, according to Sportradar. … The Huskers hadn’t allowed 400 yards in 13 straight games before Indiana amassed 495 last week. ... Ohio State RBs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson have combined for more than 900 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns. ... WRs Smith and Emeka Egbuka have combined for 1,079 yards receiving and 13 TDs. ... Buckeyes QB Will Howard threw for a season-high 326 yards against Oregon, completing 80% of his passes.
