The Buckeyes wouldn’t have had to rely on their defense to make two fourth-quarter stops to earn a four-point win over Nebraska, a team they had to beat by 25.5 points. But on a day when Ohio State’s offense posted by far its worst performance of the season, allowing a season-high 21 points and averaging just 2.1 yards per rushing attempt, while the offensive line struggled without Josh Simmons, the defense of the Buckeyes what they expected. which Oregon could not do to fend off Nebraska’s upset bid.

The fourth quarter got off to a precarious start for the Buckeye defense as they allowed Nebraska to drive 74 yards for a go-ahead goal in nine plays. But Ohio State’s defense could hardly be blamed, even if that turned out to be a game-winning touchdown. After all, the Buckeyes had kept the Cornhuskers out of the end zone on all nine of Nebraska’s drives before that, including back-to-back possessions in the third quarter that started in OSU territory and yet yielded no Nebraska points. One of those drives started at the 7-yard line on a Will Howard interception and ended with Davison Igbinosun and Cody Simon stuffing Dante Dowdell on 4th-and-goal at the 1-yard line.

DENIED ON 4TH & GOAL

The @OhioStateFB defense comes up with a HUGE stop pic.twitter.com/CgGlPqp2fN

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 26, 2024

Still, Ohio State’s defense had something to prove when they took the field for Nebraska’s next possession with 6:04 to play after the Buckeyes’ only touchdown drive of the second half put them back in front, 21-17. When the defense was put in a similar position two weeks earlier in Oregon, where they took the field with exactly six minutes remaining to preserve a two-point lead for Ohio State, the Buckeyes allowed the Ducks more than four minutes bleeding one after the other. the clock before kicking what would ultimately be a game-winning field goal.

This time, Ohio State left the field in just three plays, forcing a 3-and-out with a second-down JT Tuimoloau tackle for loss and a third-down forced incompletion.

Ohio State’s defense was forced to hold the lead one more time when the Buckeyes’ offense went three-and-out on the ensuing possession. After a controversial targeting penalty against Arvell Reese moved Nebraska to the 46-yard line, Ohio State’s defense stepped up again. Simon blew up two consecutive screen passes for tackles for loss before Jordan Hancock – who moved up from his unusual ‘nickelback’ position to play safety against Nebraska with Lathan Ransom out due to injury – picked off Dylan Raiola with a throw over the middle for a game -sealing. interception.

THE STATE OF OHIO CHOOSES RAIOLA

The @ohiostatefb Defense does it again! pic.twitter.com/Su5tQEYDqG

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 26, 2024

After a game where he acknowledged shouldn’t have been as close as it was, Ryan Day was proud of his defense for responding to the struggles in Eugene — where the Buckeyes allowed Oregon to rack up 496 yards of offense — and getting the job done had. when the state of Ohio needed it most.

“We put the defense in bad spots … but I really like the way the defense played,” Day said. “I thought we played with energy. We played with fire. We kept fighting even though there were some difficult moments.”

RELATED Presser Bullets: Ryan Day says offensive line is ‘not even close’ to good enough on the ground, thought defense played angry

The intention was always for Ohio State’s defense to be the unit it could lean on the most this season, but there were serious questions about whether the defense was that unit because of the way it played in the 32-31 loss in Oregon. However, Ohio State defensive tackle Ty Hamilton said the Buckeyes never stopped believing they were.

“We know we’re the best defense in the country and we just weren’t playing at the level we played at Oregon,” said Hamilton, who recorded five tackles with a sack against the Ducks. “We definitely shot ourselves in the foot (at Oregon), but it won’t stop us from continuing to play the best defense we can.”

That’s not to say Saturday’s performance against Nebraska will eliminate questions about Ohio State’s defense from outside the program. The Cornhuskers weren’t exactly an offensive juggernaut, averaging just 18 points per game in Big Ten play, and Raiola had a few missed throws to open up receivers who could have gone for big plays. Lorenzo Styles Jr. got away with contact that easily could have been a defensive pass interference penalty on the third down incompletion, clearing the defense off the field on the stop in the fourth quarter. Ohio State did a better job of applying pressure against Nebraska than it did against Oregon, recording three sacks and thirteen tackles for loss, but Hancock’s interception was the only forced turnover of the game.

Ohio State’s defense knows it could have played better than it did against Nebraska and will have to play better with tougher tests to come, one of which comes next week when the Buckeyes play Penn State, whose offense averages 13 yards per game amounted to. then Oregon coming in on Saturday.

“It can always be better. There are still so many areas where we could have taken action, and we could have helped our offense more,” said Simon, who led the Buckeyes with eight tackles and three tackles for loss. “We need to make more turnover. We need to create more stops, give up fewer rushing yards and keep the quarterback in the pocket. There are many things we can work on. So I mean, I’m happy because guys are not going to get complacent about this because we know we can do so much better.

That said, proving it could lead the Buckeyes to a fourth-quarter victory was a test that Ohio State’s defense desperately needed to pass after failing to convert a single punt or turnover in the fourth quarter in each of Ohio State’s last three games decided. by fewer than 14 points, dating back to last year’s losses to Michigan and Missouri. And the Buckeyes believe this is something they can build on against Nebraska.

“We didn’t have the experience to go out there and know what it takes to win in the two-minute drill, so it’s huge for us to have these two games under our belt,” Hamilton said.