Five Things To Know About Nebraska Before Ohio State Buckeyes' Matchup

Here are five things to know about the Nebraska Cornhuskers before the Buckeyes' Week 9 matchup.

Oct 19, 2024; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola (15) performs his pregame celebration before a game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images / Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

With the Ohio State Buckeyes coming off a bye week, head coach Ryan Day and his squad will be on the hunt for a victory this Saturday against the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Here are five things to know about the Cornhuskers before Week 9's con

Prolific Freshman Quarterback

Nebraska's main calling card is freshman phenom Dylan Raiola.

Buckeyes fans are quite familiar with Raiola, as the former five star quarterback was committed to Ohio State in 2022. He would then decommit months after, and commit to the Georgia Bulldogs before ultimately signing with the Cornhuskers in 2023.

In his first collegiate season, Raiola has grabbed the attention of everyone in the college football community. Through seven games this season, he has thrown for 1,592 yards while completing 66.2 percent of his passes. Ohio State will look to capitalize on Raiola's recent struggles, as the young quarterback threw three interceptions against Indiana in Week 8.

Inefficient Run Game

Part of the reason why the Cornhuskers' offense has lacked firepower is because of an inefficient run game.

Nebraska ranks 14th in the Big Ten Conference in rushing yards per game with 127.1. The team's leading rusher, sophomore Dante Dowdell, has averaged 4.3 yards per carry on 81 attempts. Sophomore Emmett Johnson has also started to carve out a role this season, but he has coming off an eight carry, 24 yard performance against the Hoosiers.

The added pressure of a slow run game has clearly put more pressure on Raiola, which could benefit the Buckeyes' on defense.

Stout Front Seven On Defense

Nebraska has been completely dominant within the trenches in 2024. Over the course of the season, the Cornhuskers' defense ranks in the top 20 in total yards allowed per game (304.3) and rushing yards allowed per game (102.9).

The success in defending the run was prevalent against Colorado, as Nebraska allowed a total of 16 yards on 22 attempts. Thanks to the veteran linebacker duo of John Bullock and Mikai Gbayor, the Cornhuskers have been able to control most rushing attacks this year.

There's still a chance the Buckeyes are able to generate offense on the ground, as Indiana finished with 215 rushing yards in Week 8. Both Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson will have to find a way to get past the second level in order to create explosive run plays.

Potential Flaw In Defense

Ohio State's veteran quarterback Will Howard is due for another big week after the team's recent bye.

Howard had a solid performance against the Oregon Ducks, throwing for 326 yards and two touchdowns. He will now face a defense that has allowed an average of 201.4 passing yards per game, which ranks 10th in the Big Ten Conference.

Expect for the Buckeyes to rely on Howard once again to led the team to a bounce-back victory over the Cornhuskers in Week 9.

Struggle Against Top 25 Teams

Despite the Cornhuskers posting a 5-2 record in 2024, head coach Matt Rhule's squad has struggled against top 25 teams this season.

In games where Nebraska has gone up against teams within the AP 25 Polling, the fellow Big Ten team has gone 0-2. Illinois managed to put up 31 points in the team's victory over the Cornhuskers, while Indiana dominated Nebraska in Week 8, 56-7.

This bodes well for the Buckeyes, as both Illinois and Indiana are veteran-heavy teams like Ohio State.