What to Watch For: No. 5 Ohio State vs. Nebraska
As the Buckeyes and Cornhuskers prepare to kick off the 2020 season in a couple hours, here are a couple things I am looking for in particular. If the Buckeyes are taking care of these things, you can feel pretty good about their chances to start the season with a win.
WORK AHEAD OF THE CHAINS
Ohio State's offense averaged 6.9 yards per play last year, which is a ridiculous number and was seventh-best in the nation. More often than not, they were able to overcome any negative plays because their offense was so powerful. But Coach Day has preached fundamentals in just about every media appearance he's had the last several weeks. If Ohio State can consistently put themselves in manageable second and third downs, they could stifle any kind of hope Nebraska's defense has at slowing them down.
GET OFF THE FIELD ON THIRD DOWN
Ohio State is replacing seven starters on defense that were drafted in the 2020 NFL Draft last April. There's plenty of talent coming on the field this year for the Scarlet and Gray, but it's time to see how this unit will gel under new defensive leadership with Kerry Coombs running the defense with Greg Mattison.
Nebraska likes to play with tempo and they predominantly run the football. Long drives can really wear down defenses. One way to break the spirit of your opponent is to give them no hope in sustaining drives. Ohio State's third down defense last year allowed only a 29% conversion rate, which was top five in the nation. Nebraska was 4-of-12 on third downs last year against the Buckeyes, but they were 3-of-6 in the second half when the game was out of reach. If Ohio State can stomp out Nebraska's offensive hopes before they gain any real traction, they could cruise to a victory.
BUCKEYES GENERATE PASS RUSH
Along the defensive theme, perhaps the biggest question this year is whether or not the Buckeyes can still generate the same kind of pass rush without Chase Young. Nebraska has its entire offensive line returning, which should present a nice challenge. Considering the question marks on the defensive line - especially at defensive tackle - if the Buckeyes can consistently get in the backfield, expect it to be a good day.
---
Click Here to visit our Game Day hub to find all the information you'll need to get ready for the game.
