Buckeyes Choke in Near-Upset of Nebraska

It seemed like the game was in the bag for the Buckeyes. They were leading by 21 with just 23 minutes left in the game. It almost seemed impossible for Ohio State to blow such a commanding lead, but with the way things have been going this season, you knew they'd find a way. And they did, losing what might be the most disappointing Buckeyes game I've watched for years.

Ohio State entered this game as a heavy underdog for the first time in a very, very long time. Going on the road to #14 ranked Nebraska is a challenge for any team, but for a Buckeyes team that's been struggling like they have, especially on the offensive side of the ball, it didn't seem like they stood any chance at all. Braxton Miller and the Buckeyes' offense apparently didn't hear any of this criticism because they went out there looking like a championship caliber offense. Braxton Miller was nearly unstoppable, throwing for 95 yards and rushing for 91 more. He was helped tremendously Carlos Hyde, who is emerging as Ohio State's top running back. He ran for 104 yards and two TD's, including a 63 yard touchdown run in the second quarter. It was all going great, with the Buckeyes leading 27-6 after their first possession of the second half. But everything changed after that.

It started with a Braxton Miller fumble. As he was falling to the ground, he had the ball stripped out of his hands by a Nebraska defender. This turned into the first touchdown for the Cornhuskers, but the better result for Nebraska was that it gave them some hope. Hope was the last thing the erratic Buckeyes offense needed the Huskers' defense to get. On the ensuing Ohio State possession, Braxton Miller went down with an ankle injury. Ohio State's hopes of pulling off this season-changing upset went down with him. His injury forced in the incredibly ineffective Joe Bauserman, and nothing sucks the life out of the Buckeyes' offense like Joe Bauserman. After Bauserman entered the game, the offense gained just three more first downs. They were led by Bauserman's 1 for 10 performance in which he racked up a total of 13 yards for a passer rating of 0.9. No, that's not a typo, his passer rating was actually 0.9. Meanwhile, the defense was getting tired and letting up big plays, which just added fuel to Nebraska's fire. After they tied the game up at 27 apiece, you could just feel that the Buckeyes would blow it. Of course, that feeling was right and they gave up the go-ahead touchdown drive on Nebraska's ensuing possession.

If Ohio State even wants to become bowl eligible, they're going to need to get a few signature wins in the upcoming games. This is the perfect week for that win against #16 Illinois. This game gives the Buckeyes a chance to do what Illinois did to us in 2007: go into their house and ruin their undefeated season. If the Buckeyes can get revenge against Illinois this week, it could end up being a game where we will look back and see where they turned their season around.

Spartans Smother Buckeyes' Offense

The Michigan State Spartans absolutely manhandled the Buckeyes' offense in yet another embarrassing loss for the Buckeyes. The fire in the Spartans' defense combined with the apparent listlessness in the Ohio State offense for another painful to watch performance by the declining Buckeyes.

Out of all of the Buckeyes games I've watched over the past few years, this was easily the most depressing. I could tell from the get-go that the offense was going to be flat, but what ended up unfolding on the field was even worse than I expected. The Bucks were limited to just 178 yards on offense, and even that low number is padded by a meaningless last-second drive that resulted in the only points for the Buckeyes. There were pretty much no positives to take out of this game from the offense point of view. The passing numbers were poor at best with 143 yards with an interception and a meaningless touchdown. The rushing numbers were even worse, amassing a dismal 35 total yards.

This game snapped the fifth-longest home winning streak in the nation at 16 games. The last-second touchdown saved the Buckeyes from their first shutout at home in the last 183 games and their last shutout at all in the last 17 years. The only good thing that could be taken out of this game was the defense and its ability to force critical turnovers. Their two turnovers saved the Buckeyes at least 10 points and were the only reason they still had a chance of winning at all.

The offense is going to need to pick it up soon if the Buckeyes even want to become bowl eligible this year. As of now they have yet to play ranked opponents Nebraska, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan and they still have to play Penn State who is on the verge of being ranked. It's not going to be an easy road to a bowl game for the Buckeyes, but if it's going to happen, the charge needs to be led by Braxton Miller and this young Ohio State offense.