Ups and downs on defense
The Ohio State defense produced some great plays against the Cornhuskers, but it also gave up 437 yards in total offense. There are two problems holding back the Buckeyes defensively. First, although the team has shown improvement in the last two weeks, tackling is still a problem. Second, the Buckeyes are taking too many stupid penalties. Ohio State was penalized nine times for 76 yards against Nebraska, including multiple personal fouls. That’s not what I want to see from the Buckeyes’ defense.
Despite all this, I believe that the Ohio State defense was a success on Saturday night. They forced four turnovers and recorded a touchdown on an interception return. Furthermore, the Buckeyes’ defense stiffened at one of the most critical moments of the game. With the score 42-31 midway through the third quarter, Nebraska had another chance to cut into the Ohio State lead. The defense held, and the Buckeyes forced the Cornhuskers to punt. Corey Brown returned that punt 76 yards for a touchdown, and the rest is history. The Buckeyes may have put up 63 points in the game, but it was their defense that stepped up at the right time to put the game out of reach.
Continue Reading: Three Thoughts on Ohio State’s 63-38 Victory Over Nebraska (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
