Buckeyes at Pedsters at noon, Ducks at tCun and WLOCP at 3:30, and 4 road tests for playoff contenders in the evening time slots.

Week 10​

Tuesday, Oct. 29

Florida International vs. New Mexico State, 7 p.m. | CBSSN
Texas State vs. Louisiana, 7:30 p.m. | ESPN2
Sam Houston vs. Louisiana Tech, 8 p.m. | ESPNU

Wednesday, Oct. 30

Jacksonville State vs. Liberty, 7 p.m. | CBSSN
Western Kentucky vs. Kennesaw State, 7:30 p.m. | ESPN2

Thursday, Oct. 31

Charlotte vs. Tulane, 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
South Carolina State vs. North Carolina Central, 7:30 p.m. | ESPN2

Friday, Nov. 1

UConn vs. Georgia State, 7 p.m. | CBSSN
Columbia vs. Yale, 7 p.m. | ESPNU
Florida Atlantic vs. South Florida, 7:30 p.m. | ESPN2
No. 15 Boise State vs. San Diego State, 8 p.m. | FS1

Saturday, Nov. 2

No. 3 Penn State vs. No. 4 Ohio State, 12 p.m. | FOX
No. 5 Miami (Fla.) vs. Duke, 12 p.m. | ABC/ESPN+
No. 19 Ole Miss vs. Arkansas, 12 p.m. | ESPN
No. 24 Illinois vs. Minnesota, 12 p.m. | FS1
No. 21 Army vs. Air Force, 12 p.m. | CBS/Paramount+
Purdue vs. Northwestern, 12 p.m. | BTN
NC State vs. Stanford, 12 p.m. | ACCN
Syracuse vs. Virginia Tech, 12 p.m. | The CW Network
Akron vs. Buffalo, 12 p.m. | CBSSN
Eastern Michigan vs. Toledo, 12 p.m. | ESPN U
Memphis vs. UTSA, 12 p.m. | ESPN2
Brown vs. Pennsylvania, 12 p.m. | ESPN+
Central Connecticut vs. Wagner, 12 p.m. | TBA
Duquesne vs. Mercyhurst, 12 p.m. | TBA
Robert Morris vs. Merrimack, 12 p.m. | TBA

Georgetown vs. Lehigh, 12:30 p.m | ESPN+
Vanderbilt vs. Auburn, 12:45 p.m. | SEC Network
North Carolina A&T vs. William & Mary, 1 p.m. | FloSports
Hampton vs. Villanova, 1 p.m. | FloSports
Bryant vs. Stony Brook, 1 p.m. | FloSports
Rhode Island vs. Monmouth, 1 p.m. | TBA
UAlbany vs. New Hampshire, 1 p.m. | FloSports
Indiana State vs. North Dakota, 1 p.m. | ESPN+
Presbyterian vs. Dayton, 1 p.m. | ESPN+
Butler vs. Stetson, 1 p.m. | FloSports
Morehead State vs. St. Thomas-Minnesota, 1 p.m. | ESPN+
Princeton vs. Cornell, 1 p.m. | ESPN+
Howard vs. Delaware State, 1 p.m. | ESPN+
Morgan State vs. Norfolk State, 1 p.m. | ESPN+
Bucknell vs. Lafayette, 1 p.m. | ESPN+
St. Francis (PA) vs. Stonehill, 1 p.m. | TBA
Fordham vs. Colgate, 1 p.m. | ESPN+

VMI vs. Furman, 1:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Dartmouth vs. Harvard, 1:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Richmond vs. Towson, 2 p.m. | FloSports
Elon vs. Campbell, 2 p.m. | FloSports
Charleston Southern vs. Gardner-Webb, 2 p.m. | ESPN+
Marist vs. Drake, 2 p.m. | ESPN+
West Georgia vs. Lincoln (CA), 2 p.m. | ESPN+
Oklahoma vs. Maine, 2:30 p.m. | ESPN+/SEC Network
App State vs. Old Dominion, 2:30 p.m. | ESPN+
UAB vs. Tulsa, 2:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Western Carolina vs. Chattanooga, 2:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Tennessee Tech vs. Lindenwood, 2:30 p.m. | ESPN+

Eastern Illinois vs. Western Illinois, 3 p.m. | ESPN+
Incarnate Wood vs. Houston Christian, 3 p.m. | ESPN+
Mercer vs. East Tennessee State, 3 p.m. | ESPN+
Samford vs. Wofford, 3 p.m. | ESPN+
Illinois State vs. Youngstown State, 3 p.m. | ESPN+
Missouri State vs. Southern Illinois, 3 p.m. | ESPN+
South Dakota State vs. Murray State, 3 p.m. | ESPN+
Alabama A&M vs. Southern, 3 p.m. | TBA
Jackson State vs. Arkansas Pine-Bluff, 3 p.m. | ESPN+
Bethune Cookman vs. Grambling, 3 p.m. | TBA
Mississippi Valley State vs. Prairie View A&M, 3 p.m. | TBA

No. 1 Oregon vs. Michigan, 3:30 p.m. | CBS
No. 2 Georgia vs. Florida, 3:30 p.m. | ABC
No. T11 Iowa State vs. Texas Tech, 3:30 p.m. | ESPN
No. 13 Indiana vs. Michigan State, 3:30 p.m. | Peacock
No. 17 Kansas State vs. Houston, 3:30 p.m. | FOX
Nebraska vs. UCLA, 3:30 p.m. | BTN
Florida State vs. North Carolina, 3:30 p.m. | ACCN
UCF vs. Arizona, 3:30 p.m. | FS1
UTEP vs. Middle Tennessee, 3:30 p.m | CBSSN
Marshall vs. UL Monroe, 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+
North Dakota State vs. Northern Iowa, 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+

Navy vs. Rice, 4 p.m. | ESPN2
New Mexico vs. Wyoming, 4 p.m. | truTV/Max
Troy vs. Coastal Carolina, 4 p.m. | ESPN+
Utah Tech vs. Central Arkansas, 4 p.m | ESPN+
Abilene Christian vs. Southern Utah, 4 p.m. | ESPN+
Lamar vs. SE Louisiana, 4 p.m. | ESPN+
Eastern Washington vs. Montana State, 4 p.m. | ESPN+
Northern Arizona vs. Weber State, 4 p.m | ESPN+
UC Davis vs. Northern Colorado, 4 p.m. | ESPN+
Florida A&M vs. Texas Southern, 4 p.m. | ESPN+
San Diego vs. Davidson, 4 p.m. | ESPN+
Nicholls vs. Stephen F. Austin, 4 p.m. | ESPN+
Mississippi State vs. Massachusetts, 4:15 p.m. | SEC Network
North Alabama vs. Austin Peay, 5 p.m. | ESPN+
Cal Poly vs. Montana, 5 p.m. | ESPN+
Alcorn State vs. Alabama State, 5 p.m. | ESPN+
Tennessee State vs. UT Martin, 6 p.m. | ESPN+

Oklahoma State vs. Arizona State, 7 p.m. | FS1
Fresno State vs. Hawai'i, 7 p.m. | TBA
Tarleton State vs. Eastern Kentucky, 7 p.m. | ESPN+
No. T11 Clemson vs. Louisville, 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
No. 10 Texas A&M vs. South Carolina, 7:30 p.m. | ABC/ESPN+
Iowa vs. Wisconsin, 7:30 p.m. | NBC
Washington vs. Southern California, 7:30 p.m. | BTN
South Alabama vs. Georgia Southern, 7:30 p.m. | ESPN U
No. 7 Tennessee vs. Kentucky, 7:45 p.m. | SEC Network

No. 18 Pitt vs. No. 20 SMU, 8 p.m. | ACCN
Baylor vs. TCU, 8 p.m | ESPN2
Nevada vs. Colorado State, 8 p.m. | CBSSN
McNeese vs. Texas A&M-Commerce, 8 p.m. | ESPN+
Sacramento State vs. Portland State, 9 p.m. | ESPN+

Ohio State’s close call against Nebraska revealed a weakness that could derail title hopes - The Athletic - The New York Times
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

Ohio State’s close call against Nebraska revealed a weakness that could derail title hopes - The Athletic The New York Times

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Using Warren Buffett’s portfolio to recap Ohio State’s 21-17 win over Nebraska
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The head of Berkshire Hathaway was a graduate of Nebraska back in 1950.

Ohio State wrapped up the month of October by hosting the Nebraska Cornhuskers on the final Saturday of the month. Entering the game as 25.5-point favorites, the Buckeyes had their hands full with Matt Rhule’s team, needing an interception late in the fourth quarter by Jordan Hancock to seal the 21-17 victory, extending their winning streak over Nebraska to eight games. Now Ohio State can fully turn their attention to Penn State, who they’ll face next Saturday in State College.

Before we turn the page on Nebraska here at LGHL, we are going to take another look at what we saw in Saturday’s game but put a different spin on it. Since one of Nebraska’s most famous alums is Warren Buffett, an interesting way to recap the game is to use some of the assets owned by Berkshire Hathaway to describe some of the key points from the nail-biter at Ohio Stadium. Buffett graduated from Nebraska in 1950 with a degree in business administration, and a little more than a decade later he took control of Berkshire Hathaway, which at the time was a textile company.

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Pilot Flying J​

Jeremiah Smith continues to impress, scoring another long touchdown where he left the opposing defense in the dust. Midway through the second quarter Smith found his way behind the Nebraska secondary and Will Howard found the wide receiver for a 60-yard touchdown to push Ohio State’s lead to 14-3. Smith finished with three catches for 70 yards in the victory, recording at least 70 yards receiving and a touchdown in each of his first seven collegiate games.

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It’s only a matter of time before Smith stands alone at the top of Ohio State’s freshman receiving lists. With his touchdown on Saturday, Smith now has eight receiving touchdowns, tying Cris Carter’s school record, which he set back in 1984. Along with his scoring prowess, Smith sits second on the freshman receptions list. After catching three passes against Nebraska, Smith has 35 receptions, moving past the 33 catches David Boston hauled in during his freshman season. Standing between Smith and the top spot is Cris Carter, who caught 41 balls in 1984. Soon “Flying J” Smith will be the captain when it comes to output for Buckeye freshman receivers.

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Duracell​

Cody Simon keeps going and going and going. Wait, maybe that’s the Energizer slogan but you catch my drift. Since missing the season opener against Akron, Simon has been all over the field for Ohio State. The linebacker led the team on Saturday, registering eight stops against the Cornhuskers, marking the second straight week that Simon has been the team’s top tackler.

Even more will be needed for one of the team captains next week since Ohio State will be short-handed at linebacker for the first half against Penn State. In the fourth quarter against Nebraska, Arvell Reese was ejected on a very questionable targeting call that resulted in head coach Ryan Day coming unglued. Simon now has 33 tackles in the six games he has played in this year, putting him 25 away from moving past his career-high of 57 tackles, which he recorded in 2023. With 20 more stops Simon will hit 200 tackles during his time in the scarlet and gray.

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Acme Brick Company​

Following the Oregon game there was a lot of criticism of Jim Knowles and his defense. Credit to the defensive coordinator for having his unit ready to play on Saturday. Had it not been for the efforts of the Silver Bullets Ohio State would have likely been riding a two-game losing streak right now. There are still some issues to iron out with the defense but it was a nice bounce-back performance to restore some of their confidence ahead of next week’s showdown at Penn State.

It was obvious early that Nebraska wanted to use some screen passes to try and crack the Ohio State defense. The Buckeyes were ready for what the Cornhuskers were trying to do, stopping a number of those plays behind the line of scrimmage. Ohio State finished the game with 13 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. The biggest stop of the game for the Buckeyes wasn’t actually a TFL, as they stuffed Nebraska running back Dante Dowdell at the one-yard line on 4th and goal in the third quarter to keep the score 14-9. The stop was crucial because it came after a Will Howard interception that the Cornhuskers returned inside the 10 of Ohio State. Jordan Hancock would seal the victory for the Buckeyes late in the fourth quarter with an interception of a Dylan Raiola pass.

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General Motors​

The automobile maker only makes up a small portion of Berkshire Hathaway’s portfolio, as Buffett’s company owns a four percent share of GM. Yesterday the Ohio State rushing attack didn’t look anything like a high-performance machine, only rushing for 64 yards against a game Nebraska defense. Both TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins failed to rush for more than 30 yards in their most frustrating performance of the season.

A major reason for the struggles was that it was obvious Zen Michalski wasn’t ready to replace the injured Josh Simmons at tackle. Michalski routinely looked lost before he was injured in the second half. It is unknown if Michalski will be available against Penn State on Saturday. No matter if Michalski is to play against the Nittany Lions, Ohio State needs to quickly find an answer at the position because it is hard to see the Buckeyes being a serious title contender if what we saw against Nebraska in trying to replace Simmons is the best they can do. It might be time to see if Justin Frye still qualifies for the Lemon Law since what he has done since arriving in Columbus as the offensive line coach has been underwhelming.

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Kroger​

Much like General Motors, Berkshire Hathaway only owns a small portion of the grocery giant, as they are responsible for eight percent of the company. Last year Ohio State Ryan Day said he was heckled in the produce section at Kroger. If Day isn’t careful, he might soon be working in the produce section. Of course, I’m being dramatic but patience in Buckeye Nation with Day continues to wear thin.

What exactly have Day and the coaching staff been doing since the loss to Oregon? It’s understandable how teams might have some rust to knock off after a bye week but what they showed on Saturday was inexcusable. Nebraska came into the game coming off a 56-7 loss at Indiana, which makes what Ohio State showed against the Cornhuskers even more puzzling. Matt Rhule thoroughly outcoached Day and put Day’s streak of not yet losing to an unranked team in serious jeopardy.

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ohio State fans might sound spoiled calling for the job of a head coach who is 62-9. This Buckeye has the chance to be special but they almost saw their national title hopes take a major hit against a team they were 25-point favorites over entering the game. The loss to Oregon was tough to stomach but that’s just because it was so close and there is a path for revenge later in the year. A loss to Nebraska would have been catastrophic. Then there was Day’s meltdown after the targeting call on Arvell Reese. It feels like Day is falling into some of his old habits and coaching scared. If Day can’t regroup and make some noise in the playoff he’ll just be new-age John Cooper.

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Buckeyes Barely Beat Huskers as Blackshirts Battle Back and Baffle the Bettors - Sports Illustrated
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

Buckeyes Barely Beat Huskers as Blackshirts Battle Back and Baffle the Bettors Sports Illustrated

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All the news, analysis from Ohio State’s 21-17 win over Nebraska
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.

Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.

Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.

You’re welcome!

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For your Earholes...​

Subscribe to the Land-Grant Podcast Network for all of your Ohio State needs
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land


Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio

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Recapping Ohio State’s 21-17 win over Nebraska​

No. 4 Ohio State Stages Late Comeback, Defeats Nebraska 21-17
Ohio State Athletics

Ohio State Survives Near-Upset with 21-17 Win over Nebraska
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors

Ohio State football survives scare, overcomes 4th-quarter deficit to top Nebraska
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch

Ohio State rallies late to turn back upset-minded Nebraska with 21-17 win
Steve Helwagen, Bucknuts

No. 4 Buckeyes avoid disaster against Nebraska, deliver worst offensive performance of 2024
Noah Weiskopf, The Lantern

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News From Ohio State’s 21-17 win over Nebraska​

Ohio State suffers another blow at left tackle in win over Nebraska
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch

Ohio State vs. Nebraska Notebook: Jordan Hancock and Jaylen McClain Fill in at Safety, Carnell Tate Has His First 100-Yard Game and Jeremiah Smith Ties Freshman Touchdown Record
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors

Ryan Day brushes off targeting penalty, credits Ohio State defense for ‘leaving no doubt’ in win over Nebraska
Carter Bahns, 247Sports

Ohio State QB Will Howard eager to face Penn State: ‘They didn’t think I was good enough’
Brad Crawford, 247Sports

What Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said postgame about Buckeyes
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

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Analyzing Ohio State’s 21-17 win over Nebraska​

Ohio State ran twice as much as they threw against Nebraska. Chip, what are we doing?
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land

Ohio State: Snap Judgments as Buckeyes grind to ugly win over Nebraska
Austin Ward, Dotting The Eyes

Ohio State football’s run game struggles, but deep passes arrive
Rob Oller, The Columbus Dispatch

Three Key Stats: Ohio State’s Defense Racks Up 13 Tackles For Loss, Carnell Tate Has a Career Day and the Buckeyes Convert Just One of Their 10 Third-Down Attempts
Josh Poloha, Eleven Warriors

Quick Takes: Ohio State’s defense bounces back, offense sputters against Nebraska
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

Ohio State defense not perfect vs Nebraska, but made stops when it had to
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch

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Looking at the Performances From Ohio State’s ​

Moment of the Game: Jordan Hancock sealed Ohio State’s win with game-saving interception
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land

Ohio State Offensive Line Struggles Without Josh Simmons, Creating Major Concern for Penn State Showdown
Andy Anders, Eleven Warriors

Buckeye Leaves: Five Ohio State players who stood out against Nebraska
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row

Ryan Day reaffirms confidence in Jayden Fielding despite missed field goal
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

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Ohio State stays at No. 4 in coaches poll before showdown at No. 3 Penn State - NBC4 WCMH-TV
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

Ohio State stays at No. 4 in coaches poll before showdown at No. 3 Penn State NBC4 WCMH-TV

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Nebraska-Ohio State game officials missed call on Buckeyes coach Ryan Day, rules experts says - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

Nebraska-Ohio State game officials missed call on Buckeyes coach Ryan Day, rules experts says 247Sports

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Ohio State is a 3.5-point favorite over Penn State
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images

The Buckeyes head to Happy Valley to take on the No. 3 Nittany Lions.

Ohio State managed to get back in the win column on Saturday against Nebraska to move to 6-1 on the year, though it was anything but pretty. Despite having two weeks to learn from the loss to Oregon and make improvements ahead of the matchup against the Cornhuskers, the Buckeyes looked tremendously unprepared as Ryan Day and his staff continue to raise more questions than they are answering.

Things will only get significantly harder from here, as Ohio State now must travel to Happy Valley for a battle with No. 4 Penn State.

Betting Odds: Ohio State -3.5 | O/U 47.5 (per FanDuel Sportsbook)​

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Ohio State needed a bounce back performance after its loss to Oregon two weeks ago, and while the Buckeyes emerged victorious against Nebraska on Saturday, the performance did not inspire any confidence. Ohio State defeated the Cornhuskers 21-17 in a game they were favored by more than three scores, trailing 17-14 in the fourth quarter before a Quinshon Judkins touchdown with six minutes remaining put the Buckeyes back on top for good.

It’s clear that the injury to Josh Simmons is going to hamstring Ohio State’s offensive line the rest of the way, and the unit as a whole looked completely out of sorts without its starting left tackle. The Buckeyes mustered only 64 yards rushing against Nebraska, with neither Judkins nor TreVeyon Henderson managing more than 30 yards despite taking 10 carries each. After totaling at least 400 yards of offense as a team in each of the first six games of the season, Ohio State tallied only 285 yards against the Huskers.

Things were a little better for the Buckeyes’ defense, who after struggling to do much of anything against Oregon did make some plays against Nebraska. The Silver Bullets finished with 13 tackles for loss and three sacks as a unit, led by Cody Simon’s three tackles for loss in addition to his team-high eight total tackles. Ohio State forced one turnover in the game, a game-sealing interception by Jordan Hancock in the final two minutes, and made a fourth down stop on the goal line in the third quarter.

Penn State, meanwhile, hit the road for a battle with Wisconsin at Camp Randall. The Nittany Lions knocked off the Badgers 28-13, but the big story of the game was the injury to quarterback Drew Allar. The junior missed the entire second half, and was seen wearing a brace on his left knee on the sideline. It is unclear whether or not Allar will be able to return for the Ohio State game next weekend, but that is obviously a storyline to keep an eye on.

Even without Allar, Penn State was able to overcome a 10-7 deficit at the half thanks to some strong defense and an impressive showing from backup QB Beau Pribula. The Nittany Lions regained the lead in the third quarter on a 19-yard pick-six by safety Jaylen Reed, and added a pair of touchdowns in the fourth on a 1-yard pass by Primula and a 24-yard run by Kaytron Allen to stave off Wisconsin’s upset attempt and move to 7-0 on the year.

This defensive unit is legit, led by guys like Abdul Carter and Dani Denis-Sutton up front, the duo having combined for 13.5 tackles for loss and six sacks on the season. It is a less than ideal matchup for an Ohio State team that was already missing its starting left tackle, and may now have lost its backup for an extended period of time after Zen Michalski was carted to the locker room on Saturday against Nebraska.

Ohio State will have to find a way to recapture its early-season success if it wants to escape Happy Valley with a victory. The RPO-heavy offense that once looked unstoppable and led to immense production both through the air and on the ground has seemingly disappeared from the playbook, and the defense that at one time looked impenetrable has since sprung several leaks and now appears mediocre at best.

The Buckeyes are in desperate need of a big win, and will have to play their best game of the season thus far to earn in next weekend.

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Aggies Sitting Pretty, Buckeyes Less So And Penn State Could Win It All - Outkick
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Aggies Sitting Pretty, Buckeyes Less So And Penn State Could Win It All Outkick

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Several Stars Emerge In Poor Ohio State Performance Versus Nebraska - Sports Illustrated
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Several Stars Emerge In Poor Ohio State Performance Versus Nebraska Sports Illustrated

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2024 Ohio State football schedule: Dates, times, TV channels, scores - NCAA.com
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2024 Ohio State football schedule: Dates, times, TV channels, scores NCAA.com

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What are Ohio State’s options at left tackle moving forward? - cleveland.com
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What are Ohio State’s options at left tackle moving forward? cleveland.com

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Watch: Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes | COLLEGE FOOTBALL HIGHLIGHTS | 10/26/24 - Yardbarker
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

Watch: Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes | COLLEGE FOOTBALL HIGHLIGHTS | 10/26/24 Yardbarker

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Buckeyes hold on to beat Nebraska 21-17 - Ironton Tribune
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Buckeyes hold on to beat Nebraska 21-17 Ironton Tribune

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College Recap: Iowa Wins Big; Huskers Scare Buckeyes But Come Up Short - KSOM
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College Recap: Iowa Wins Big; Huskers Scare Buckeyes But Come Up Short KSOM

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Dylan Raiola: 'Disrespects Football' When OSU Fans Throw Debris on Field vs. Nebraska - Bleacher Report
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

Dylan Raiola: 'Disrespects Football' When OSU Fans Throw Debris on Field vs. Nebraska Bleacher Report

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Husker247 Postgame Pod: NU hangs around in close loss to Buckeyes - 247Sports
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Husker247 Postgame Pod: NU hangs around in close loss to Buckeyes 247Sports

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Ohio State ran twice as much as they threw against Nebraska. Chip, what are we doing? - Land Grant Holy Land
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

Ohio State ran twice as much as they threw against Nebraska. Chip, what are we doing? Land Grant Holy Land

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Moment of the Game: Jordan Hancock sealed Ohio State’s win with game-saving interception
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Dylan Raiola had the ability become a Big Red legend, but under-threw his target dramatically

With No. 4 Ohio State up 31-17 with just 1:23 remaining in regulation, Jordan Hancock sealed the Homecoming win for the Buckeyes. On 3rd-and-long, Nebraska quarterback (and one-time OSU commit) Dylan Raiola threw a ghastly interception that sealed the often perilous victory for the Scarlet and Gray.

With starting safety Lathan Ransom out for the game (and potentially longer), Hancock moved from his traditional nickel position to the back of Ohio State’s defense and ended up being in the perfect place when Ohio State needed him the most.

OHIO STATE PICKS OFF RAIOLA

The @ohiostatefb defense does it again! pic.twitter.com/Su5tQEYDqG

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 26, 2024​

Click to expand...

After nearly unforgivably timid offensive playcalling gave the ball back to Nebraska with 3:36 remaining, the Huskers’ true freshman quarterback had a chance to pull off an epic upset and cement himself in both Big Red and Buckeye Nation lore.

Penalties on three consecutive plays (Nebraska offensive pass interference and a false start calls sandwiched a ridiculous targeting penalty against Ohio State’s Arvell Reese) put the ball on Nebraska’s 41-yard line with just over two minutes remaining. The Huskers had one timeout, plus the two-minute break, so they had more than enough time to score and pull off the win.

However, after back-to-back negative completions for Raiola, Nebraska found itself in 3rd-and-19, forcing the young QB into a tough spot. He certainly didn’t need to get all of the yardage in one play, but he went for a big gain anyway, and it ended up costing him.

It appears that Husker wide receiver Jaylen Lloyd (I can’t fully see his number) beat Buckeye cornerback Davison Igbinosun on the third down, so if Raoila had hit him in stride deep, it could have resulted in the game-winner. Instead, the freshman inaccurately under-threw his man and OSU’s veteran DB secured the win. It appears that Raoila expected Lloyd to come inside after beating the corner, but instead, the WR was thinking end zone. Igbinosun did a good job of recovering, so a touchdown wouldn’t have been guaranteed even on a perfect throw, but it certainly wasn’t out of the question.

Nebraska’s offensive line had given Raoila a clean pocket, so it’s not like he was under pressure on the throw, but the errant pass might help explain why Nebraska only averaged 7.2 yards per completion on the game; if Raiola had been able to properly place a deep ball, the Huskers very likely would have left Ohio Stadium as winners.

Instead, Hancock comes up with a game-saving INT and the Buckeyes maintain the ability to control their own postseason destiny heading into Happy Valley next week. It might not have been pretty, and the game certainly brought up more questions than it answered, but a win’s a win. Hancock finished the day with five tackles, including three solo stops to go with this interception. So, if Ransom is out for a prolonged period of time, it seems like Hancock moving back, and Lorenzo Styles taking over the nickel might work for the Buckeye defense.

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Ohio State Buckeyes: 5 takeaways from the win over Nebraska - Dayton Daily News
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Ohio State Buckeyes: 5 takeaways from the win over Nebraska Dayton Daily News

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Ohio State fans throw debris on field after controversial targeting call against Buckeyes is upheld - Saturday Down South
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Ohio State fans throw debris on field after controversial targeting call against Buckeyes is upheld Saturday Down South

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Poor Performance From Ohio State Buckeyes' Offense Leads To Close Call Over Nebraska - Sports Illustrated
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Poor Performance From Ohio State Buckeyes' Offense Leads To Close Call Over Nebraska Sports Illustrated

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Ohio State defense not perfect vs Nebraska, but made stops when it had to - The Columbus Dispatch
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Ohio State defense not perfect vs Nebraska, but made stops when it had to The Columbus Dispatch

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Ohio State ran twice as much as they threw against Nebraska. Chip, what are we doing?
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images

Will Howard was as close to perfect as you could expect him to be, and yet the coaches actively took the ball out of his hand in the second half.

There was a lot to be concerned and disappointed about in No. 4 Ohio State’s (6-1) 21-17 win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-3), and I am sure that we will dive into all of them over the next six days leading up to next Saturday’s game against the No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions. However, I want to focus on just one of my major complaints coming out of that thoroughly disjointed and uninspiring game.

To do so, let’s look at some stats:

Ohio State quarterback Will Howard completed 81% of his passes, averaged 17.0 yards per completion (13.8 per attempt), and finished the game with a QB rating of 246.7.

The Ohio State rushing game averaged 2.1 yards per carry (2.6 sack adjusted) and didn’t have a single run over 15 yards.

And yet, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly decided that the best course of action in a game where the Buckeyes were breaking in a new left tackle (emphasis on the word “breaking”) would be to lean on an ineffective rushing attack when the game hung in the balance.

At halftime, Howard was 9-for-9 for 167 yards, and yet, as the Buckeyes were unable to pull away from Big Red in the second half, the QB only attempted seven passes, completing four for 88 yards. Instead, OSU rushed the ball 17 times for 24 yards after intermission.

To emphasize the point, let’s look at one offensive series. While this is not a wholly offensive set of play calls, it is emblematic of the larger problem.

With the score 21-17 in favor of OSU with just 4:35 left in regulation, the Buckeyes had the ball at their own 37. Kelly called three straight runs; a one-yard gain and a no-gain by Quinshon Judkins, then a seven-yard gain by TreVeyon Henderson. That series resulted in a punt that gave Nebraska the ball back with 3:36, just 74 yards away from a go-ahead score.

The one positive on the drive was that it did force Husker’s coach Matt Rhule to spend two of his three second-half timeouts, but with his one remaining TO and the two-minute non-warning, there was plenty of time for Dylan Raiola and company to put together a game-winning drive; it also got me to drop an F-bomb on Elon Musk’s Twitter.com.

WHAT THE ABSOLUTE FUCK WAS THAT?

— Land-Grant Holy Land (@Landgrant33) October 26, 2024​

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It seemed very clear from this set of calls — as well as the vast majority of the second half — that Ohio State’s staff was coaching scared. I understand the strategic rationale to run the ball in order to force Nebraska to use their timeouts, but Will Howard literally did not throw an incompletion in the first half, and yet, Kelly decided not to put the game in his hands, but rather to let it rest with a nearly completely ineffectual running attack.

This quickly after the game, I haven’t had a chance to rewatch and see how many of the second-half runs were RPOs, scrambles, or sacks — which would all change the play-calling stats to certain degrees — but with Zen Michalski obviously struggling in his first career start in place of Isaiah Simmons (before he himself was injured resulting in additional o-line tumult), there is no excuse to have 17 rushes to seven passes in a back-and-forth second half, especially when Howard was about as close to perfect as you could reasonably expect him to be.

Early in the fall, we saw an exciting level of creativity from Kelly’s play calling, with different motions, sets, and misdirections, but in only half a season, it seems like his better angels have been polluted by the overly cautious, predictable demons that we witnessed during the latter years of Ryan Day’s play-calling era. We saw nearly no surprising calls and nary a trick play against Nebraska, despite coming out of an off week following a heartbreaking loss. Thus is when Ohio State should have been establishing its identity as a national title contender as they opened up the second half of the season; instead, they raised even more questions about their ability to compete at the highest levels.

Despite all evidence to the contrary, I expected more from this coaching staff. However, time and time again, regardless of the specific personnel configuration, coming off of a bye and in the biggest games, OSU’s coaches come up short. Certainly, there is an element of this that is tied to player execution, but I think an objective evaluation would show that the coaches continually fail to put the players in the best positions to succeed when being more talented won’t win games om its own.

There is no doubt that Ohio State had the far more talented roster on the field today, but Nebraska had the superior coaches and might have even had the better complete team. However, OSU’s talent won the day, despite the coaches actively steering away from the things that had been proven successful all afternoon.

My confidence in this team’s potential to win the College Football Playoff, the Big Ten, or even against Penn State next week has precipitously declined over the last two games and the players’ performances represent only a small percentage of that sea change.

I was exceedingly optimistic at the beginning of this season that Ryan Day giving up play-calling duties, rebuilding his coaching staff, and being more aggressive in the transfer portal would represent a seismic change in the intensity and intentionality of this team. However, that does not seem to have happened. Instead, we are stuck watching an immensely talented fall victim to the exact same issues that have plagued it for the totality of Day’s tenure in Columbus.

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What the heck did Ohio State football do for two weeks to fix its problems? - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

What the heck did Ohio State football do for two weeks to fix its problems? cleveland.com

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