COLUMBUS — Victories over two-win teams aren’t supposed to be this tough, but this has not been a typical Ohio State football season.
The record, 8-1 overall, 5-1 in the Big Ten, is fine. The Buckeyes’ spot in the top 10 is secure for one more week.
But this appears to be the most vulnerable outfit Urban Meyer has piloted in seven years on the OSU sideline, and they proved it again on Saturday.
Three turnovers, two of them by quarterback Dwayne Haskins, kept Nebraska much too close in a 36-31 decision at Ohio Stadium on Saturday.
“I’m very upset with the turnovers. That would have been a different game,” Meyer said. “I thought special teams was awesome. We blocked a punt. Our punter did a great job. He had four kicks, averaged almost 50 yards per kick. Kickoff return wasn’t great.
“But the biggest thing to get that darned bad taste out of your mouth from a couple weeks ago and go win the game. It was a close game against a team that was hitting stride now.”
Nebraska coach Scott Frost believed his team could'”ve, maybe even should’ve pulled the upset. A turnover deep in Ohio State’s end robbed the Cornhuskers’ of almost certain points.
“We had every chance in the world to win that game,” Frost said. “We put one on the ground in the redzone that prevented another score and that would have been the difference.”
This wasn’t coach-speak. Nebraska gashed Ohio State with 450 yards, and had more first downs than Ohio State, 27-23.
But the Buckeyes’ got their running game untracked for the first time in months, with J.K. Dobbins racking up 163 yards and 3 TDs. Haskins threw for 252 yards but had a 48.2 QB rating, fumbled after a sack, tossed an interception in the end zone and looked out of sorts most of the day.
This time the running game picked up the slack with 229 yards on the ground and 5.7 yards per carry.
“I thought the backs worked on pad level,” Meyer said. “And even when there was a free player, which is going to be when you learn more of a pro-style offense like we are, you’re going to have a free player at times. And they have to run over those guys and drop their pads. And I thought they did a good job with that.”
It was a game of streaks, with Nebraska taking the opening kickoff and driving 75 yards for a 7-0 lead.
But Ohio State responded with a blocked punt and a couple of TDs for a 16-7 first-quarter edge. Nebraska dominated the second period and earned a 21-16 halftime advantage.
OSU regained control with a 14-0 scoring margin in the third quarter. But Nebraska put 10 more points on the board in the final quarter to make it uncomfortable to the end.
“The passing game wasn’t as sharp today. We threw a pick and we had a sack where sack/fumbled, it was just a missed assignment by a tight end. Shouldn’t have happened,” Meyer said. “And then K.J., he is very tight with the ball usually and had a fumble. The other guys, Mike Weber had two times he laid it on the ground. We have to get those fixed.
“It never ends, you’ve just got to prioritize and emphasized and get it fixed.”
If it doesn’t get fixed, next week’s game at Michigan State and its stout defense looms as a land mine.