Ohio State at Nebraska: 5 Things We Learned About the Buckeyes

As the Buckeyes traveled to Lincoln for the first time in both programs' storied histories, each team looked to avoid the dreadful 0–2 conference start. The Buckeyes came out swinging after not scoring for the first 59:50 of last week's game, and jumped out to a 27–6 lead early in the third quarter.

What was supposed to be the glorious return of the Buckeye offensive talent in running back Daniel Herron and wide receiver Devier Posey instead turned into longer suspensions for each star player. However, the offense still thrived against the Blackshirts defense, which is clearly not up to the usual Nebraska defensive standard.

But then the whole game changed on two critical plays involving freshman quarterback Braxton Miller. Miller had the ball stripped from him near his own red zone, which pushed the momentum back to Nebraska despite the 21 point deficit.

Then Miller was injured on the following drive and could not return. The Cornhuskers took full advantage of the lapse in offensive effectiveness, ripping off 28 straight points to win 34–27.

So cutting through the debris of the Ohio State football season and all the shellshocked fans, what did we learn about the Buckeyes in Lincoln?

1. Mike Adams Was a Bigger Loss Than Posey and Herron

For a team that has perennially underperformed on the offensive line, perhaps the loss of a senior all–conference left tackle for five games should have sent up more warning bells than the other suspensions (Terrelle Pryor, Dan Herron and Devier Posey). Yet Mike Adams was usually forgotten when discussing the five game suspensions of the "Tattoo 5."

Clearly that oversight was folly.

Mike Adams not only filled the starting spot at left tackle, his return reconfigured most of the offensive line as Andrew Norwell moved from left tackle to left guard, and Jack Mewhort moved from left guard to right guard. The difference in performance from the first five weeks was staggering as over half the line settled back into more normal roles.

The Buckeye offensive line pushed the Nebraska defensive line backwards all game, which opened big running lanes and allowed freshman quarterback Braxton Miller plenty of time to make good reads and escape the pocket when necessary. Nebraska may not have brought as much pressure as Michigan State, but the Cornhuskers were burned when they did.

If the offensive line plays this well the remainder of the season, Ohio State will no longer be lifeless on offense. Mike Adams was the most crucial missing piece of the Buckeye offense. With his return, Ohio State is at least a threat once again.

2. Braxton Miller Is Critical to the Buckeye Offense

When quarterback Braxton Miller turned the ball over in his own red zone with a 21 point lead in the third quarter, most Buckeye fans were unhappy. On the next drive, the entire Buckeye Nation held their collective breaths as Miller was carried off the field and put no weight on his right leg.

Although Miller returned from the locker room taped up and walking normally, he would not return in an abundance of caution for his future as the starting quarterback. Senior Joe Bauserman came into the game to try and hold onto the 14 point lead, but the offense sputtered with Bauserman's slow decision–making and overthrows.

In just two-and-a-half quarters of play, Miller racked up 95 yards passing and 91 rushing. More importantly, he really made the most out of some broken plays to keep drives alive throughout the evening. Bauserman could not do the same, as Ohio State only racked up three first downs after Miller left the game.

Although Miller will be subject to freshman mistakes like the third quarter turnover that shifted momentum to Nebraska, he is the only good option Ohio State has shown at quarterback. With a more effective offensive line, Miller will continue to grow as a quarterback as long as he stays healthy.

The future is bright for Miller, and hopefully he will be back in there next weekend against Illinois.

3. The Silver Bullets Lose Focus Too Much on the Road

Ohio State's defense completely shut down Nebraska on offense until Braxton Miller's injury in the third quarter. Until that juncture, the Silver Bullets had only surrendered three points that were not caused by a turnover or a breakdown in kickoff coverage.

It seemed like Miller also played for the defense, as the Buckeyes chose that point to completely collapse. Nebraska ripped off over 150 yards on the ground on the next three possessions, all touchdowns to go from a 14 point deficit to the lead.

The defensive line stopped plugging holes and the linebackers stopped making good plays in space against Rex Burkhead and Taylor Martinez. The Cornhuskers ran away with the game, which is the second time this season Ohio State has lost focus against an opposing running game on the road.

Just like the game against Miami, a quick 14 or 21 points is simply too much for the Buckeye offense to overcome, even on a good night. The Buckeye defense surrendered a 21 point lead, which appears to be the biggest lead ever lost by an Ohio State football team.

These types of defensive breakdowns on every level cannot happen anywhere, let alone on the road with a fragile offense. The supposed strength of this Buckeye team has been anything but at Miami and Nebraska.

4. The Luke Fickell Era Will Be Short–Lived

Interim coach Luke Fickell looked like a good potential long term hire to carry the Ohio State football program through turbulent times back in the summer. However, Fickell has quickly proven he is not quite ready for a head coaching position, especially in the hot spotlight of Columbus, Ohio.

The biggest change from the Jim Tressel era to this season has been the severe lack of adjustments that happen at halftime and during the game. Fickell looks lost at times on the sideline, and he could not motivate his defense to step up and make stops when needed late in the game against the Cornhuskers.

Furthermore, Fickell continues to make questionable calls in key situations. In the first half Ohio State had Nebraska's defense on their heels and refused to go for a 4th–and–1 in their own territory despite only needing perhaps three inches to pick up the first down and continue the deluge.

More points were left on the table in the second half when Nebraska had cut the lead to seven points. With a third down from the 32-yard line (i.e., a 49 yard field goal), Fickell chose to bomb away instead of picking up a few yards to make a field goal possible to extend the lead back to 10.

The Buckeyes punted on the next play and never saw the lead or Nebraska's side of the field again. Decisions like these and a historic "come from ahead" loss will be too much to overcome, even if Ohio State shocks Michigan at the end of the season.

5. This Might Be a Good Year for a Bowl Ban

Thanks to the additional violations of Mike Hall, Dan Herron and Devier Posey announced this past week, the NCAA ruling on infractions may be delayed from this month to the end of the regular season. Considering the breakdowns on both offense and defense, the Buckeyes will likely be lucky to escape with six or seven wins this year.

Although the lower-tier bowl games with Big Ten conference teams would jump at the chance to host Ohio State in a down season, the fans would probably rather sacrifice a bowl game this year if it meant lesser sanctions in future seasons. Ohio State has clearly suffered in a similar manner as USC, so a multiple year bowl ban and/or scholarship reductions would simply be salt in the wound.

While it seems crass to punish yourself in a bad season, this is yet another opportunity for the Ohio State athletic department to take a gamble and ban themselves from postseason play this year. While this punishment will not look as sincere as it would have two weeks ago, such a move could convince the NCAA that Ohio State takes the series of violations much more seriously than it has appeared so far.

There is a ton of young talent on this team, and keeping the future bright must be the primary goal for both the football program and the athletic department. Rather than being embarrassed on yet another national stage, 2011 is a year to avoid bowl season.

Looking Forward: Illinois

The October grind continues with a road game at Illinois next week. Illinois improved their record to 6–0 with a blowout victory against Indiana this weekend.

Ohio State always seems to struggle with their Illibuck rival, and Nathan Scheelhaase almost led the Illini back to victory when Terrelle Pryor was dinged up at Champaign last season. The score of both teams will almost certainly be less than this week, but that does not mean the pressure will be any less on Luke Fickell and his Buckeyes.

Considering that Ron Zook has won his two hardest games by rushing young quarterbacks early and often, expect a similar type of game as was seen against Michigan State. Hopefully the offensive line continues to play better, as Braxton Miller or Joe Bauserman will need all the time they can get against the Illini.

Despite the Illini being undefeated and this being another road game, this will be the easiest game on the October schedule for the Buckeyes. Without a win next week, the gloomy season in Columbus will officially hit Defcon 5, as the Wisconsin game looms at the end of the month.