The Ohio State Buckeyes hosted the Nebraska Cornhuskers was the only matchup between top 10 teams on the schedule this weekend, but it proved to be a rather lopsided game. Ohio State dominated from start to finish on their way to a 62-3 win, giving a big boost to their College Football Playoff resume. Here are three things we learned from the game:
3) Ohio State's passing problem might be J.T. Barrett
One area of Ohio State's offense that became abundantly clear over the last month was the need for them to improve their vertical passing game, but no one was ever able to really diagnose what exactly was causing the problem. The Buckeyes receivers were blamed for not being able to create separation (which is true) and not having a real go-to threat, but J.T. Barrett showed in this game that his inaccuracy down the field is perhaps the biggest reason for this.
He just flat out missed more than a handful of wide open receivers down the field on several occasions, including a few that were in the end zone. The good news is that Barrett has shown in the past that he can make those throws - as shown by his 75-yard TD pass to Curtis Samuel. He just has to be MUCH more consistent.
2) The Buckeyes can get by without a downfield passing attack
That being said, Ohio State showed in this game they can get by without it. Barrett is extremely effective in the short/intermediate passing game, and both Samuel (8.2 yards per carry against Nebraska) and Mike Weber (6.5 yards per carry) give them a dynamic rushing attack. Plus, their defense proved once again that they not only stop opponents, but they force turnovers - and can score themselves off of those turnovers. It's a recipe that works when Urban Meyer and the coaching staff play to their strengths, and that's what they did in this one.
1) Nebraska was outclassed
The Huskers have had an excellent season to this point and will continue to do so going forward. They proved against Wisconsin last week that they are a very good team, but tonight showed they were overmatched when going up against an elite team. Their offense failed to move the ball consistently and turned it over. Their defense was shredded time and time again.
A lackluster second half could be expected after quarterback Tommy Armstrong was carted off with a head injury, but these things were happening before then, too. Nebraska just doesn't have the horses to keep up with the Buckeyes and other teams at the top of the rankings.
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