Ohio State led 14-3 about halfway through the second quarter thanks to touchdown passes of 40 and 60 yards, respectively, from quarterback Will Howard to Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith:

However, things started to go south from there, as the Buckeyes missed a 42-yard field goal with just over two minutes left in the half, allowing Nebraska to respond with a successful 54-yard field goal before advancing to the went to the locker room.

Coming out of the half, the Buckeyes allowed another field goal to cut the lead to 14-9, and their first three offensive series of the second half couldn’t have gone much worse.

Howard threw an interception when Nebraska defensive back Malcolm Hartzog Jr. caught an airborne pass and returned it to the OSU 7-yard line:

However, the defense saved Ohio State’s offense by stopping the Huskers on a fourth-and-goal at the 2-yard line.

However, OSU went three and out on its next two drives, and Nebraska finally took advantage early in the fourth quarter when running back Dante Dowdell scored from one yard out. With a successful two-point conversion, Nebraska went up 17-14:

The pressure was firmly on the Buckeyes’ shoulders after Nebraska took the lead, but Howard came through in the clutch and orchestrated an eight-play, 75-yard drive, culminating in a nine-yard touchdown pass to running back Quinshon Judkins to put OSU back to put. top:

While Day’s coaching has often been questioned in recent years, he has also been praised for his ability to bring big-name recruits and transfers to the program.

Two of the biggest additions during the offseason came through the transfer portal in Howard and Judkins, so it was fitting that they connected on the go-ahead touchdown.

Aside from the one major miscue, Howard had another strong game, going 13-of-16 for 221 yards with three touchdowns and one pick, but the defense was the biggest difference maker for OSU.

The Buckeyes held Nebraska to 273 total yards in the game, and quarterback Dylan Raiola struggled for the most part, going 21 of 32 for 152 yards with no touchdowns and the game-clinching interception for Hancock:

Although the Buckeyes fell to No. 1 Oregon in their last game and didn’t play near their best Saturday, it seems highly unlikely that Ohio State would achieve coaching status, meaning Day will almost certainly be at the helm for the crucial match next weekend. clashing with Penn State on the road.

Penn State entered Saturday with a perfect 6-0 record, and the winner of next week’s game against Ohio State will have the upper hand in the CFP race.