Ohio State Nebraska Betting: Ohio State Limps Into Lincoln With Its Pride On The Line
The Ohio State Buckeyes might have lost by only three points this past Saturday, but the scoreboard didn’t tell the story of a poor outing. A wounded team tries to rebound this weekend.
Ohio State Buckeyes @ Nebraska Cornhuskers - Saturday, October 8
Sports betting line: Nebraska -10 1/2
Why Ohio State Will Win
If you asked MLB baseball betting experts about the worst pitcher in the month of October, what kind of answer would you get? Some people might say Freddy Garcia of the New York Yankees, while others might look to Kyle Lohse of the St. Louis Cardinals. Other baseball pundits would say Daniel Hudson of the Arizona Diamondbacks. However, if you talked to these baseball gurus about the worst college football pitcher in the month of October, they might offer the following answer: Taylor Martinez.
Yes, the performance of Ohio State’s quarterbacks this past weekend against Michigan State was dreadful, but Martinez proved to be awful in his own right against Wisconsin. The Nebraska quarterback, who was very much under the gun when this season began, shriveled in the prime-time spotlight of a nationally-televised marquee game in Madison against the defending Big Ten champion. Martinez threw three interceptions that opened the floodgates for Wisconsin; the parade of poor throws from Martinez’s right arm allowed the game to snowball. What had been a competitive game for one and a half quarters turned into a 48-17 Wisconsin rout. Martinez continues to be a major liability for his team; if he can’t at least avoid big mistakes, the Cornhuskers will be in trouble for the rest of the season. Ohio State’s offense can’t do much of anything, but with three interceptions of Martinez this Saturday night in Lincoln, Nebraska, the Buckeyes could create 17 or 21 points. Martinez is the biggest (and second-biggest, and third-biggest) reason why Ohio State really could win this game.
Why Nebraska Will Win
When you make your sports bet on this contest, you do need to realize that Taylor Martinez is a ticking time bomb, but you also need to account for the fact – and it is a fact – that Ohio State’s offense is a stink bomb. The Buckeyes have been using two quarterbacks this season, Braxton Miller and Joe Bauserman. A two-quarterback platoon is usually a sign that neither quarterback has taken ownership of the position, which is a distinctly discouraging development for a team and a coaching staff. Last Saturday against Michigan State, Miller and Bauserman showed just how far the Buckeyes have fallen in this broken season overshadowed by the loss of former coach Jim Tressel. The two young men combined to hit just 12 of 24 passes for 143 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Moreover, the one touchdown (thrown by Bauserman) came with 10 seconds remaining in a game the Buckeyes trailed by 10 points. The touchdown also averted what would have been Ohio State’s first home shutout loss since a 1982 face-plant against Wisconsin. Ohio State collected just 178 total yards against Michigan State, with many of those yards coming in garbage time, leading to that cosmetic touchdown in the final seconds. Nebraska might have issues with turnovers, but Ohio State can’t even move the ball. The Huskers’ defense is poor, but Ohio State does not have an offense which can take advantage of Nebraska’s secondary.
Who Will Win
It’s unfortunate for Ohio State that its quarterbacking is so lousy. Nebraska’s back seven is quite vulnerable, but the Buckeyes just can’t throw the ball. As long as Taylor Martinez can show a little bit of discipline in his decision making processes, Nebraska should win this game comfortably.
College Football Betting Pick: Nebraska
