Nebraska’s highest statistical ranking (among the most often listed stats) is 21st in FBS for their 3rd down defense. Second is their 25th ranked total offense. But this ranking, more than most, illustrates just how limited statistical rankings are at the end of September.
After the mostly non-conference portion of the season, Nebraska’s 490 ypg is only good enough for 25th best in the country. For a full season, 490 yards would have put you in first place in the 70s, 5th place in 1989, and 12th place last year. But after the non-conference portion of the schedule, 490 yards per game means little.
So even though there are 15 categories where OSU’s ranking is 21st or better, and even though a fair few of those are in the single-digits, and even though OSU has arguably played a schedule comparable to Nebraska’s, we really don’t know anything yet.
Most importantly, we don’t know if this team is susceptible to the kind of let down its 2017 and 2018 predecessors succumbed to in general and to Western road trips in particular. As usual, we will find out more about this team in the fifth game than in the previous four combined. And we’ll find out how they fare against a good defense a week later.
The next two weeks won’t answer everything, of course, but they will determine whether the demons of 2013 and 15 AND 2017 and 18 have been exorcised.
Whatever happens, it’s great to be a Buckeye
