COLUMBUS, Ohio — Try as they might, the horns and the woodwinds and the percussionists from Ohio State ‘s famous marching band couldn’t drown out the boos as the third quarter drew to a close on Saturday afternoon. Clinging to an increasingly fraught five-point lead, the Buckeyes’ offense had just gone three-and-out for the third time in a span of four possessions, with the only reprieve coming in the form of a gobsmacking interception by quarterback Will Howard . The latest irritant to the crowd of 104,830 at Ohio Stadium was a failed third-down carry from running back TreVeyon Henderson , who was enveloped for negative yardage while the offensive line capitulated. Smatterings of fans let their exasperation be heard as the punt team readied for duty and the band played on like nothing was wrong.
But there were plenty of problems with Ohio State’s harrowing 21-17 survival against Nebraska, a middling Big Ten foe that, seven days prior, was garroted by 49 points in a nationally televised implosion against then-No. 16 Indiana. The Cornhuskers arrived here as underdogs of more than 25 points and losers of their last 26 games against ranked opponents, a streak that predates head coach Matt Rhule. And yet there stood the Buckeyes, dumbfounded and dazed and disbelieving what they were seeing, trailing by three with 10:47 remaining once Nebraska tailback Dante Dowdell soared across the goal line for a 1-yard score. In that moment, and with all the warts that had been exposed, the idea that Ohio State should be viewed as one of the best teams in college football — a bonafide contender to win its first national championship since 2014 — felt rather farcical.