Football: No. 4 Buckeyes aim to bounce back against Nebraska

The Buckeyes are hoping to get back on track this weekend and avoid the infamous “trap game” — a game that separates two likely top-five matchups.

No. 4 Ohio State will welcome Nebraska to Columbus Saturday for a noon contest. The Cornhuskers are fresh off a disappointing, 49-point beat down at the hands of undefeated Indiana. 

The point spread favors Ohio State by nearly 25 digits against the Cornhuskers, meaning bettors would need the Buckeyes’ margin of victory to be more than 25 to win their bet, according to most major sportsbooks.

Many key storylines will surround Nebraska’s freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola, who previously committed to Ohio State during his initial recruitment process.

Throughout his first seven collegiate games, Raiola has thrown for 1,592 yards, which places him at No. 6 in the Big Ten with nine touchdowns and six interceptions.

“I think he’s got an opportunity to be a great player,” head coach Ryan Day said about Raiola. “I think he’s already playing at a high level; he’s got a lot of talent.”

Defensively, Nebraska is led by two veteran senior defensive linemen in Nash Hutmacher and Ty Robinson, both of whom earned Honorable Mention All-Big Ten honors in 2023.

In his sixth collegiate season, Robinson leads the Cornhuskers in tackles for loss and is tied for a team-high four sacks.

But the Nebraska defense won’t feel too unfamiliar for Buckeyes graduate quarterback Will Howard.

The Cornhuskers defense is similar to what Howard has previously faced at Kansas State, before he transferred to Ohio State this season.

Howard said he knows Ohio State will be hungry for a win after its blowout loss last week, and he’s ultimately focusing on his own squad.

“They got some young guys that are doing some good things,” he said. “It’ll be fun; it’ll be a good challenge back at home, and [we can] get the ball back rolling again.”