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The Turning Point: Nebraska Football at No. 4 Ohio State

The Blackshirts had a chance to get off the field with a lead in Columbus, but the fourth-down effort from Ohio State was successful, ultimately leading to a touchdown.

Matt McMaster

Ohio State Buckeyes running back Quinshon Judkins (1) makes a touchdown catch against Nebraska Cornhuskers linebacker Mikai Gbayor (42) during the fourth quarter of their game at Ohio Stadium on Oct 26, 2024, in Columbus.
Ohio State Buckeyes running back Quinshon Judkins (1) makes a touchdown catch against Nebraska Cornhuskers linebacker Mikai Gbayor (42) during the fourth quarter of their game at Ohio Stadium on Oct 26, 2024, in Columbus. / Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The Horseshoe was quiet. The game laid in a position that no one anticipated before the first snap of the game. Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard, in shotgun on 4th and 1, down by three points. 

In retrospect, this was the game. Everything that occurred over the previous 52 minutes led to this moment. Ohio State converts, they walk away with at least a field goal and a tie game. If they fail, they give the ball, and most importantly, the momentum to the Huskers with seven minutes to play and a chance to secure a season saving upset

Every Husker fan knew this was it. Every fan who’d endured the countless agonizing close defeats over the last decade understood the importance of this moment. They had seen opportunities like this one before. They’d seen so many chances and opportunities to close out big games be wasted. 

This moment was the game. Stop them and win. Stop them and capture your biggest win as a program in 20 years.  Stop them and the embarrassing defeat from just a week ago gets swept under the rug. Stop them and a team that was declared frauds seven days ago would become media darlings once again. Stop them and complete one of the biggest upsets of the year.

The moment was lost. 

Howard dropped back in the shotgun and hit future NFL wideout Emeka Egbuka for the first-down conversion. The Buckeyes did the inevitable. They marched down the field and scored seven to take a 21-17 lead. 

From that point on it was an uphill battle for NU. Ohio State, in a manner of minutes, went from having their backs against the wall to having a four-point lead, their home crowd behind them, and all of the momentum. 

Nebraska got the ball back two more times with chances to take the lead but failed at both attempts. A win that would not only turn the season, but the entire program around became just a valiant effort as the Huskers fell to the Buckeyes 24-17.

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Matt McMaster
MATT MCMASTER

Matt McMaster grew up as a die-hard Cubs, Blackhawks, Bears, and Bulls fan in Skokie, Illinois. Matt's passion for sports led him to a career in broadcasting, where he began announcing high school sports when he was 16. Matt continued to pursue broadcasting by earning an undergraduate degree in broadcasting and sports media at the University of Nebraska. During Matt's final two years of school, he covered the Cornhusker football with Husker Max and hosted his weekend radio show, "The Husker Hour." Matt has now graduated from UNL and is excited to continue to create content with Huskermax!

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