What to Expect

A Crossroads?
Some have marked Saturday as a crossroads for Ohio State, meaning that a loss on Saturday would send the program into a unrecoverable tailspin, or perhaps that it will be a sign of the end of the world. I think those fans are putting too much emphasis on one game, and that everyone should calm down and enjoy the game. The young Ohio State offense is not hitting on all cylinders, and the off-the-field suspensions do continue to be a distraction. However, the team needs to continue to improve and go into Lincoln thinking it has a chance to win. The team can only control one thing, and that is how it plays on Saturday. That being said, it will be a tough game for Ohio State. On paper it appears they are overmatched, but not by as much as expected.

No Blackshirts...yet
The defense of Nebraska has not earned the "Blackshirts" yet, because they are allowing teams to rush 152 yards/game and pass for 168 yards/game, while allowing teams to score 27 points/game. Wisconsin made it look pretty easy, and 21 of those Badger points were off Nebraska turnovers. OSU should be able to run for 200 yards, assuming they also pass for 150 yards. And obviously if the passing game does not develop, it will be tough running the ball (as you will no doubt hear over and over from the ABC commentator Matt Millen.) I think OSU will have more luck running the ball up the middle, and Carlos Hyde should have some decent yards based on his style and size. Nebraska's defense was not able to handle the power running game of Wisconsin.

What to Expect
The OSU offense can only get better, and the defense has kept them in games. I expect the OSU defense to limit Nebraska to 200 rushing yards and 125 passing yards. You will see Martinez run a lot, and he should toss at least one interception. I believe the OSU defense matches up well against the run attack of Nebraska. The Nebraska defense has not been great, but it is probably strong enough to force OSU to punt quite a bit. Special teams could prove important, as both teams have decent punters and explosive guys returning the ball. I may be in the minority, but I expect OSU to escape with a 21-20 win, with a turnover or two being the difference in this night homecoming game in Lincoln.