by Chuck Sommers
Monday, Nov 01, 2021
Game time: Noon ET
Venue: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, NE
Where to watch: FOX
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Ohio State -14.5
BetMGM: Ohio State -15.5
Caesars: Ohio State -15
Season record
No. 6 Ohio State: 7-1 (5-0 Big Ten)
Nebraska: 3-6 (1-5 Big Ten)
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Ohio State - Nebraska preview and analysis
Last week
Ohio State: won 33-24 vs. Penn State on Saturday
Nebraska: lost 28-23 vs. Purdue on Saturday
The Ohio State Buckeyes will look for their seventh consecutive victory on Saturday against the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Ohio State comes into this matchup as two-touchdown favorites against a lowly Cornhuskers team that has lost three in a row and five of their last six since starting the season 2-1.
But this is more about Ohio State and its ability to bounce back since losing to the Oregon Ducks in Week 2. Not only have the Buckeyes won every game since then, they’ve dominated. In five of six games, they’ve scored over 40 points, and four times they’ve gone over 50 points.
The Buckeyes were held to just 33 points last weekend against the Penn State Nittany Lions, but had yet another stellar passing day from quarterback C.J. Stroud (305 yards, one touchdown) in a nine-point victory in Columbus.
It was also the first time Ohio State ran into trouble for the first time in a long while, but the Buckeyes did more than enough to thwart Penn State’s hopes for a fruitful December. That’s what happens when you lose to Illinois in nine overtimes.
“We weren’t trying to get style points against Penn State,” said Ohio State coach Ryan Day. “That’s not how it works.”
That’s not how any of this works, but neither did Ohio State dominate the way that it has over the past month and a half. I honestly was in the minority of Ohio State having another conference loss before the eventual showdown against the Michigan State Spartans. The good news is it’s not happening against Nebraska.
But if there was a way for Huskers head coach Scott Frost to make a last-minute play to keep his job, it would come with a win against Ohio State. You have to wonder if one of these last six weeks could have resulted in something coming to fruition. Nebraska’s last five losses have all come by single digits and have included the following; a one-touchdown loss to the Oklahoma Sooners; an overtime loss to Michigan State; a 3-point loss to the Michigan Wolverines; and a 5-point loss last week to the Purdue Boilermakers.
In short, Nebraska should have a win against a ranked opponent in some capacity to this rate, and there is that opportunity. But it comes down to the arm of quarterback Adrian Martinez and his need to be out of this world. Last week at Purdue, he completed only 14 of 29 passes, but threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns. The caveat was four interceptions.
If Nebraska wants a chance at this upset, Martinez and his improved arm need to be at their absolute best. The Cornhuskers can’t be held to just 130 total rushing yards and let Martinez fend for himself.
Prediction
The month and a half has to have some sort of draining effect for Nebraska, and that’s where they run into this wall that is Ohio State. Nebraska’s defense will have a tough time containing Stroud and this will not end well. Ohio State by 21
Betting trends
Ohio State is 9-1 ATS as a road favorite.
Ohio State is 11-3 ATS in its last 14 following a win at home.
Nebraska is 3-2 ATS as a home dog this season.
Statistical leaders
Ohio State:
Passing: C.J. Stroud -- 2,270 yards, 23 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: TreVeyon Henderson -- 845 yards, 12 TD
Receiving: Garrett Wilson -- 687 yards, 6 TD
Defense: Ronnie Hickman -- 66 tackles, 2 INT
Nebraska:
Passing: Adrian Martinez -- 2,264 yards, 12 TD, 7 INT
Rushing: Adrian Martinez -- 451 yards, 11 TD
Receiving: Samori Toure -- 568 yards, 3 TD
Defense: Deontai Williams -- 4 INT
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
