Ohio
Ohio State vs. Nebraska score prediction by expert college football model
An important Big Ten football matchup kicks off on Saturday as No. 4 Ohio State returns home against Nebraska in college football’s Week 9 action. Let’s take a look at the latest prediction for the game from an expert model that projects scores and picks winners.
Ohio State fell to 2-1 in Big Ten play after a 1-point loss at Oregon and is back in the Horseshoe looking to build some confidence heading into another tough road date against Penn State next weekend with the team’s playoff hopes potentially hanging in the balance.
Nebraska skidded to a 2-2 mark in conference games after getting punched in the mouth by Indiana in a 56-7 decision and embarks on the second straight road game against a ranked conference opponent looking to make what would be one of the biggest upsets of the season.
What do the analytical models suggest for when the Buckeyes and Cornhuskers meet in this Big Ten clash?
For that, let’s turn to the SP+ prediction model to get a preview of how Ohio State and Nebraska compare in this Week 9 college football game.
As expected, the models are siding strongly with the Buckeyes over the Cornhuskers this week.
SP+ predicts that Ohio State will defeat Nebraska by a projected score of 33 to 11 and to win the game by an expected margin of 22 points in the process.
The model gives the Buckeyes a strong 92 percent chance of outright victory.
SP+ is a “tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency” that attempts to predict game outcomes by measuring “the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football.”
How good is it this season? So far, the SP+ model is 211-194-4 against the spread with a 52.1 win percentage after going 31-27-1 (53.4%) last weekend.
Ohio State is a 25.5 point favorite against Nebraska, according to the lines at FanDuel Sportsbook.
FanDuel lists the total at 47.5 points for the game (Over -115, Under -105).
And it set the moneyline odds for Ohio State at -7000 and for Nebraska at +2000 to win outright.
If you’re using this prediction to bet on the game, you should take …
If you do, you’ll be in the minority of bettors who are taking the Cornhuskers this week, according to the latest spread consensus picks.
62 percent of wagers currently project that Ohio State will win the game and cover the spread in the process.
Nebraska is getting 38 percent of bets to either win the game in an upset, or more likely, to keep the final score under this generous line.
Ohio State has been 41.3 points better than its opponents when playing at home so far this season.
And the Buckeyes have been 19.3 points better than the opposition on average over its last three games overall.
Nebraska has averaged 15.5 points worse than its opponents when playing on the road in 2024.
And the Cornhuskers are averaging 8 points worse overall over the last three games, with last week’s 49-point loss at Indiana playing a big role in determining that average.
Most other analytical models are also favoring the Buckeyes over the Cornhuskers in this game.
That includes the College Football Power Index, a computer prediction model that uses data points from both teams to simulate games 20,000 times to pick winners.
Ohio State is projected to win the game in the overwhelming 96.5 percent of the computer’s most recent simulations of the matchup.
That leaves Nebraska as the expected winner in the remaining 3.5 percent of sims.
Ohio State is projected to be 29.5 points better than Nebraska on the same field in both teams’ current composition, according to the model’s latest forecast.
Ohio State is second among Big Ten teams with a 77.2 percent chance to qualify for the College Football Playoff, according to the FPI’s metrics.
That model gives the Buckeyes a win total prediction of 10.6 games this season.
Nebraska is expected to have an 85.3 percent chance at becoming eligible for a bowl game this year.
FPI gives the Cornhuskers a win total projection of 6.5 games in ‘24.
When: Sat., Oct. 26
Time: 12 p.m. ET | 11 a.m. CT
TV: Fox network
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Ryan Day explained the hiring process that led to former Falcons head coach and NFL assistant Arthur Smith becoming the offensive coordinator of Ohio State football.
Appearing as a guest on “The Jim Rome Show” March 3, Day emphasized the importance of hiring a someone with an extensive body of work to coach the Buckeyes’ offense.
“When Brian [Hartline] moved on to South Florida [we] wanted to go bring in somebody with great experience,” Day said.
Day said the Buckeyes first looked at coaches with collegiate coordinator experience, then the NFL. Smith’s three-year tenure as a head coach in the NFL, along with his extensive time with the Tennessee Titans as an assistant and offensive coordinator, made him stand out as a candidate, Day said.
“…[I] had a chance myself to sit down and talk with him. It was excellent,” Day said. “He’s a great communicator, very intelligent, and really loves the game of college football. When you hear a story about growing up and how much time he spent around college football, you could just see it in his eyes.”
Day added that the new role has been almost “refreshing” to Smith when given the chance to work with college players and young talent.
Smith has spent the majority of his coaching career in the NFL. He served a year as a graduate assistant at North Carolina, his alma mater, and brief stint with Ole Miss as an administrative assistant.
Smith was then hired by his hometown Titans in 2011 and spent the the rest of the decade with them, rising from quality control coach to assistant offensive line coach to tight ends coach. Promoted to offensive coordinator in 2019, he led Mike Vrabel’s Titans to proficient offensive seasons with running back Derrick Henry.
Day said hiring Smith will allow him to take a back seat on the offense.
“It was great to have Matt [Patricia] on defense, and Brian [Hartline] did a great job as well, but I think this year will allow me to even step back even more and try to do as much as I can from the head coaching seat,” Day said.
After Hartline accepted the South Florida head coaching job, Day stepped in to call plays during the Cotton Bowl against Miami. Ohio State lost 24-14.
Smith joins Buckeyes defensive coordinator Matt Patricia as an Ohio State coordinator hire with previous NFL head coaching experience. Smith went 21-30 as the head coach of the Falcons for three years.
Ohio
Woman dies after saving grandchild playing in driveway from out-of-control car, Ohio officials say
A woman in Pickaway County, Ohio, died after moving a child out of the way of an out-of-control car, authorities said.
The Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office said in a post on Facebook that 52-year-old Laura J. Hammond of Mt. Sterling was fatally struck by the vehicle on Feb. 27 on Walnut Creek Pike in Circleville.
The sheriff’s office said officials were called to the area for a report of a crash around 10 a.m. At the scene, investigators learned that the driver of a Nissan Sentra was headed southbound on Walnut Creek Pike when they went off the west side of the road. The car then careened through two yards before hitting a Chevrolet Equinox parked in the driveway of a home, officials said.
The Nissan, at the same time that it smashed into the Chevrolet, hit Hammond, pinning her between the two vehicles. Before being hit, the sheriff’s office said Hammond moved a child out of the way, which “more than likely saved his life.” CBS affiliate WBNS reported that the young child Hammond saved was her grandson.
“Laura actually picked up the child and tossed him. At the end of the day, it saved his life,” Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office Capt. John Strawser told the news outlet. “And when Laura tossed him, very unfortunately, she took the brunt of the vehicle.”
Hammond was taken to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The young child was taken to a local hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
The driver of the vehicle was also taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office and the Ohio State Highway Patrol are investigating the crash. The sheriff’s office did not release any additional information about the crash.
First Brands closing corporate office in Cleveland, three other Ohio facilities amid bankruptcy. Its CEO is facing federal fraud charges
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A major auto parts supplier is laying off more than a thousand workers and closing four facilities around Ohio, including its corporate offices in Cleveland.
First Brands, whose founder and former CEO is facing charges in multi-billion dollar fraud scheme, notified the state in late February of its intent to permanently close the facilities by April 30. The layoffs created by these closures are also permanent, according to the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act notices filed with Ohio Job and Family Services.
The company — which supplies Fram oil filters and Anco wiper blades, among others — filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September 2025. In January, First Brands had started winding down some of its operations in North America while seeking a buyer, according to Reuters. However, several potential buyers “have suddenly and unexpectedly withdrawn or narrowed their bids” according to one of the recent WARN notices.
Which facilities are closing? And how many jobs are being lost? Here’s what to know.
First Brands closing four Ohio locations, cutting more than 1,200 jobs
According to WARN notices, First Brands is closing the following facilities:
- Corporate Office, 127 Public Square, Suite 5300, Cleveland. In the first round of layoffs here, 146 workers were cut on Feb. 23, according to a WARN notice sent that date. A second notice dated Feb. 27 for this address advises that the facility will close on April 30, and the remaining 110 workers will be laid off.
- FRAM facility, 851 Jackson St., Greenville. According to a WARN notice sent Feb. 27, this facility will close April 30 and 302 jobs will be lost.
- TMD facility, 1441 N. Maule Road, Tiffin. All 407 employees will be terminated when this facility is permanently closed on April 30, according to a Feb. 27 WARN notice.
- TMD facility, 515 E. Gypsy Lane Road, Bowling Green. First Brands will also close this facility on April 30, laying off 302 workers, according to another Feb. 27 WARN notice.
In total, First Brands is laying off 1,267 workers in these four closures.
Indictment alleges Cleveland auto supplier CEO, VP defrauded lenders. Both plead not guilty
First Brands Group founder and former CEO Patrick James and his brother, Edward, a senior vice president, are accused of defrauding lenders out of billions of dollars before the auto parts supplier fell into bankruptcy according to an indictment made public Jan. 29 in Manhattan federal court.
The nine-count indictment includes charges of running a continuing financial crimes enterprise, bank fraud, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy. Both pleaded not guilty on Feb. 4, Reuters reports. A trial is set in July. Both could face decades in prison if convicted.
Prosecutors said the defendants “perpetrated a series of fraudulent schemes” against First Brands’ lenders and financing partners, Reuters reported, including allegedly inflating invoices, double- and triple-pledging loan collateral, falsifying financial statements and concealing substantial liabilities.
“It is very much Mr. James’ intent to go into court and proclaim his innocence,” said Scott Hartman, a lawyer for Patrick James, according to Reuters.
Patrick James and Edward James are Malaysian-born U.S. citizens.
Seth DuCharme, a lawyer for Edward James, told Reuters that his client is not going to “run off to Southeast Asia where he allegedly has all this money.”
What is First Brands Group? Company filed for bankruptcy in September
First Brands, founded in 2013, was one of the world’s largest suppliers of auto parts such as brakes, filters and lighting systems, according to Reuters. It had $5 billion in sales last year.
Prosecutors say First Brands borrowed billions to finance its growth. Those loans were secured by inventory and physical assets like plants and equipment. Reuters reports that this left First Brands vulnerable to cash flow issues and dependent on its access to the capital from those loans.
The company filed for bankruptcy in September 2025. Patrick James stepped down as CEO that October, according to Crain’s Detroit Business.
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