Ohio State vs. Nebraska: Spread Info, Line, BCS Impact and Predictions

The Ohio State Buckeyes will limp their way to Nebraska this weekend to take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers in what will be the start of a new Big Ten rivalry. 

Both schools have historic football programs, but the Buckeyes are down right now thanks to an NCAA scandal. 

They're doing their best to fight through it, but they'll still be without Dan Herron and DeVier Posey on offense. Ohio State has had very little offensive success this season against tough opponents, and they thought they'd be getting these two guys back. But, unfortunately, new issues came to light, which forced them to be suspended once again. 

This new Big Ten matchup had very high expectations, but recent problems at Ohio State have made it less than intriguing. 

Ohio State still has talent on both sides of the ball, and if the coaching is solid on Saturday then perhaps this could be a game. Buckeyes fans would sure love to see a little life from their offense, otherwise it's going to be a long season. 

With that said, let's dig into some specifics about this Big Ten showdown. 

When: Saturday, Oct. 8 at 8:00 p.m. ET 

Where: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, NE

Watch: ABC

Spread 

The Cornhuskers are favored at -11, and while that may seem high, the Buckeyes are coming off a tough loss where they only managed seven points against an OK Michigan State defense, and those points came in the final seconds.  

Yes, Nebraska also struggled a week ago, but they'll bounce back because the Ohio State offense is nothing compared to Wisconsin.

Ohio State will have to face a stout Nebraska defense on the road, and it's going to be a very hostile environment for some of these inexperienced Buckeyes. The Cornhuskers should cover easily, as long as Taylor Martinez doesn't make any mistakes. 

Over/Under 

The over/under is set at 45, and while I could see it going over with the Cornhuskers winning a blow out, I'll take the under because this should be a tough defensive battle.

The Buckeyes defense is their strong suit right now, and they have to play to their strengths. They would have greatly benefited from having Herron and Posey back, but since they're out, the offense will be rather sluggish. 

Key Injuries

 Ohio State defensive end Nathan Williams is likely to be on the sidelines this week with a knee injury that he kept him from seeing the field at all this season. It's a huge blow for the Buckeyes because they were looking to him to step up and be a big time player for their defense. 

For the Cornhuskers, defensive tackle Jared Crick was back in the lineup last week after missing Week 4, and thankfully he avoided getting hurt again. He'll be back this week and ready to terrorize the Buckeyes.

BCS/Top 25 Implications

 If the Buckeyes want to get back into the Top 25 then they need to win this weekend. It would give them four wins on the year instead of three losses, which would be very a difficult hole to climb out of.

Ohio State cannot suffer another Big Ten loss or else they'd have a near impossible chance of catching Wisconsin for the top spot in the Leaders division.

Nebraska is ranked at No. 14 right now, and they need this win to prove they belong in the Top 25 after being thrashed a week ago at the hands of the Badgers.

A win here gives the Cornhuskers good faith for the rest of the season, and it also keeps them in the hunt for a BCS bowl berth.

Keys to Ohio State Win

 The Buckeyes have to play sound defense and force Taylor Martinez to make mistakes. If they can create turnovers they have a very good chance of winning.

Braxton Miller cannot let the crowd get to him, but the freshman could struggle in the early going. The Buckeyes need to come out strong and play smash-mouth football. Miller has to make plays with his feet because the Ohio State line hasn't done a good job of protecting him.

Keys to Nebraska Win

 As mentioned before, Martinez cannot make mental mistakes, or the Cornhuskers will pay. Nebraska must use the crowd to their advantage and protect home field.

Continue to feed the ball to Rex Burkhead, and the Cornhuskers will be just fine. Burkhead is averaging six yards a carry, but it's the breakaway speed that needs to be featured on Saturday night.

Prediction 

The Cornhuskers have a great chance to take a big step towards the Big Ten Championship with this win. After a horrible showing last week from both teams really, I expect a better performance and a close game in the first half.

However, the Cornhuskers will pull away in the end because they are a strong second-half team. You may not have seen it a week ago, but now that they're back at home, Bo Pelini will have his squad ready to protect their house.

Cornhuskers 30, Buckeyes 17