1.ÌýOhio State's offense should be one of the best in the country. If Justin Fields isn't the best quarterback in college football, he's one of the top two, along with Clemson's Trevor Lawrence. Fields has oodles of talent at receiver, including Chris Olave, who last season led the Buckeyes in receiving yards, yards per catch and touchdowns. The offensive line will be one of the best in the Big Ten, and while there's talent to be replaced at running back, it's not like OSU is going to have to put a walk-on there; you can bet there's a whole list of four and five-star players itching for their chance.
2.ÌýThe defense has to replace some big-time star power but should be motivated and talented. You can bet Ohio State's coaches have made it abundantly clear that those outside the program have questions about how good the Buckeyes will be on that side of the ball after losing so much talent, including unstoppable defensive end Chase Young. That unit will be going up against an offense with veterans on the line, at quarterback and at running back. A shutdown performance there would say a lot.
3.ÌýThe Buckeyes only have nine games to try and make their case to be a part of the College Football Playoff again. Winning them all is a key, but it's not the only one. Ohio State will be looking to make a statement every time it takes the field. And what better way to set the narrative than on national television on the first Saturday of Big Ten football this season? If Nebraska shows any weakness; if there's even a hint the Buckeyes can run away, you can bet OSU will do everything it can to turn the result into the ones Nebraska fans have seen so many times over the years.
Why you might chill
1.ÌýNebraska has a three-year starting quarterback, a two-year starting running back, and an offensive line with five returning starters and more than 100 combined starts. The Huskers have been through the Big Ten wringer at some really key positions, and now they'll face a defense that, while still very talented, has to retool a bit. If NU can establish the running game, chew up the clock, and keep Justin Fields and company off the field, do the Buckeyes start to get impatient if Nebraska is able to punch a couple of touchdowns in early on?
2.ÌýIf you're going to play Ohio State, you might as well play them early. And to get them in an empty Ohio Stadium? Well, all the better. It's obviously going to be the same for every Big Ten team, including the Huskers, when it comes to home games. But what kind of juice will the Buckeyes have out of the gate? Can Nebraska throw the first punch? Perhaps more importantly, is it a little easier to withstand Ohio State's first punch without the roar of 105,000-plus urging them on? Nebraska still has to block and tackle and all the other stuff. But maybe that's a hair less difficult than normal.
3.ÌýIt's 2020, man. Weird things can happen. No one is expecting Nebraska to win. The betting line for the game opened somewhere north of three scores and has only gone up since then. But in a year like no other, wouldn't it be something if the Huskers got up early, ran the ball, got it to the second half and then held on? There's no reason to rule anything out right now. The outcome may very well be the same as it has in the past between these teams. But stranger things have happened.
By the numbers
1:ÌýThis year is believed to be the first time Nebraska has returned its entire starting offensive line since two-platoon systems were first allowed under NCAA rules in 1964.
0:ÌýNU has no players on its roster who have long snapped in a college game. Chase Urbach handled the duties last season and started every game.
24,490,880:ÌýThe number of seconds that will have elapsed between 4:52 p.m. on Nov. 29, 2019, when Nebraska's game against Iowa ended, and 11 a.m. Saturday, when the game against the Buckeyes begins.
Press coverage
Bill Rabinowitz covers Ohio State football for the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch.
What are Ryan Day’s biggest concerns right out of the chute?
I'm not sure he has any but the expected ones. How will his team play in the opener when spring practice and the offseason and even camp were so greatly affected? I think he feels pretty good about most of his team, especially quarterback Justin Fields and the offensive line. But there are question marks at defensive tackle and in the secondary.
I know we’re all guessing right now, but how do you think a largely empty Horseshoe affects things?
It will be surreal. That's the word I used when talking with athletic director Gene Smith, and he agreed. The Buckeyes have practiced several times in the Horseshoe in an attempt to get acclimated to it, but it still will be strange having only parents and relatives in the stands, along with a few thousand cutouts. The simulated crowd noise will help, but it will still look like the end of a spring game.
There are obviously some talented guys that need to be replaced, but do you see this team looking much different than last year’s, at least stylistically?
I wouldn't think so. Kerry Coombs returned to Ohio State as defensive coordinator after a stint with the Tennessee Titans. The pressure will be on him to have the kind of success that Jeff Hafley had last year as DC. Hafley used more zone coverage than the Buckeyes had, and it was effective. I suspect Coombs won't change much from what was successful last year. On offense, I don't think much will change. It starts with Fields and the offensive line, and the Buckeyes have plenty of talent at running back and wide receiver.
Do you sense any new camaraderie between Ryan Day and Scott Frost as two of the coaches who pushed hardest for the Big Ten to return to play?
Yes. Frost mentioned it in his Zoom call on Monday. The coaches talked often this summer as they tried to figure out a way to push back against the Big Ten's original decision to cancel. I know that Day has a lot of respect for Frost, and the feeling is mutual.
On Monday, Frost expressed a lot of confidence in Nebraska’s ability to meet the Big Ten’s COVID-19 testing standards on a week-to-week basis. How does Ohio State feel about where it is in that process?
The same. Ohio State's protocols were the ones Dr. Jim Borchers cited in persuading the Big Ten to reconsider its decision. Several Buckeyes — coaches and players — have said they feel safest when inside the team's facility. They've taken all kinds of precautions. Of course, the media isn't allowed inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, so we have to go by what they say.
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