There’s a reason the Buckeye Watch went away for a while and that’s because it’s tough to find time to clean it up during weeks when the Buckeyes are on the road, which is the situation I’ve run into following the Nebraska game, but you aren’t interested in reading me whine.
Actually, over the dozen years or so that I’ve done this, roughly 18% of each Buckeye Watch is me whining about stuff, so maybe you are interested in reading it.
But I figured I had to get this posted before the Buckeyes played again because Buckeye Watches don’t work as double albums.
So what follows is the Buckeye Watch from last Saturday’s 48-7 Ohio State win at Nebraska, which is a tremendous place to experience a football game.
I apologize for the delay and promise that it will never not happen again.
4:32 Had my first Runza today, but I couldn’t finish it because we had lunch two hours after I ate breakfast. Am I ashamed of myself? Of course I am. Do you think I want people knowing that I couldn’t finish a mushroom and swiss beef concoction in a roll of some kind? Of course I don’t. I have street credit. I’m a known guy. And now they’ll know that I threw a third of my Runza away. I accept the penalties as decreed by the local Midwesterners 402. But I can’t wait until 2021 to totally redeem myself.
4:51 There is now 0% chance of rain at 7:00 pm per the Nebraska scoreboard.
5:17 I’m told by somebody who would know that Nebraska’s linebackers are “not gooooood.” They stretched out the “-ood,” so you know they have issues.
5:52 Now the scoreboard says 30% at 7:00 pm. I thought these people were professionals.
6:22 Look, there is going to be rain tonight. I’m just going to have to deal with it. I can do this. I have prepared for this. I practiced all week by dipping my laptop in a bucket of water.
6:23 I need a new laptop, by the way.
6:41 Brian Hartline with a long hug and talk in the ear of Austin Mack. Mack talked earlier in the week that it only takes a “Noah Brown Game” to become a known name. Maybe a “Noah Brown Game” can also be known as an “Austin Mack Game.”
6:42 Ohio State wins the toss. Will defer.
6:45 Holding during the return. Half the distance. Here’s my view.
Buckeyes are warming up now. They look ready. pic.twitter.com/C9g6J30p5x
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) September 28, 2019
6:46 Here’s Tom’s view.
Tom's seat pic.twitter.com/hb90el4KS4
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) September 28, 2019
6:46 Adrian Martinez immediately escapes pressure and gets hit late out of bounds by Malik Harrison. Not a smart play by a smart player. Chase Young was immediately in the backfield. Nebraska might want to start snapping the ball with Martinez on the move because there will be no pocket tonight.
6:48 Third and seven. Martinez rolls out and throws it to Wan’Dale Robinson, but Jeff Okudah swoops in front and picks it off. Hard to imagine a better finish to this drive after the inauspicious start.
6:49 Buckeyes open under center with two tight ends. They bring motion and Justin Fields fires a play-action pass to Austin Mack for 10 yards. Told you this was going to be the Austin Mack Game.
6:53 Justin Fields drops back, nobody open, so he heads upfield and scores from 15 yards out. This has been a perfect start for the Buckeyes, who now lead it 7-0. This crowd is now quiet-ish. They don’t ever get totally quiet. But maybe tonight is the night.
6:59 Third and seven. Martinez drops back — or tries to — but gets thrown down for a loss of two by Baron Browning and Jashon Cornell. I knew the Nebraska offensive line was going to have a tough night, but it’s still impressive to watch what Ohio State can do on defense this year.
6:59 Nebraska punts it to Demario McCall, who returns it for one yard. Tom Orr, who has been advocating for Garrett Wilson to get the return job following a 52-yard return in his only attempt, remarks, “Oh look, a less than 52-yard return.”
7:03 JK Dobbins picks up 15 yards around the right side. It’s almost like the Buckeyes are completely comfortable running behind Josh Alabi at right tackle.
7:05 Fields may be changing the play. The crowd gets into it. The ball again goes to Dobbins for 13 yards as he bounces off of guys like a bumper car with four-wheel steering.
7:07 Third and 10. This is the Buckeyes’ first third-and-long. So they go with a quarterback run to the right and Fields picks up the first down untouched with a 14-yard gain.
7:08 Justin Fields finds KJ Hill in the flats and Hill races into the end zone for the touchdown. I’m not saying it’s too easy, but it just ain’t that damn difficult right now. Buckeyes lead it 14-0 and the crowd is starting to look nervous.
7:09 This has been like an open book test and the answers are written right after the questions in the book, and so you look at the teacher and you’re like, “What exactly are we learning here?” And your teacher says, “Life is just a charade. The Buckeyes, however, are not.”
7:11 I don’t think Fields gets fazed by environments. He’s like a sturdy houseplant.
7:12 Nebraska is going to some option and they just handed the ball off to the fullback for two yards. They should go to the diamond formation like they did in 2011 and rush for like 300 second-half yards against Joe Bauserman and the Buckeyes.
7:13 Nebraska is in the I-formation. Is Tom Osborne calling the plays? The give goes to Dedrick Mills at fullback for 12 yards. I don’t think Nebraska has shown this all year. I’m not sure how far back the Buckeyes went to watch film, but I doubt it left this decade.
7:16 Mills for another 12 yards up the middle giving Nebraska a first down at the Ohio State 26-yard line. Ryan Day calls a timeout. This is a good timeout. They’ve got to find an answer to this right now.
7:17 Interception! Adrian Martinez’s pass goes off of Wan’Dale Robinson’s hands and somehow lands in Jeff Okudah’s hands as Okudah snatches the ball while he’s sitting on the turf. That’s his second interception of the game, but his first in a reclined position. Robinson isn’t the biggest receiver, so that’s on Martinez. Or maybe it was on the Ohio State defensive line.
7:19 There goes JK Dobbins for 17 yards on a perfectly blocked run to the left side. These lanes are extra wide tonight.
7:19 Shotgun. Two tight ends. Justin Fields rolls out and fires it to Austin Mack, who catches it for 38 yards but can’t maintain his footing. Yep, this is the Austin Mack Game, and that was the final play of the first quarter. Buckeyes lead it 14-0 for now.
7:20 Austin Mack was gonna try the Okudah and catch the ball from his butt, but he couldn’t completely get to the ground before the ball got to him.
7:27 Ohio State’s running game is going to wear Nebraska out by the third quarter. They don’t have the depth for what Ohio State is doing to them.
7:31 I’m not going to tell tales out of school, but Tom and I are sitting right next to Gene Smith’s suite and even though we’re separated by a pane of glass, we can hear him telling everybody in the room what is going on and he knows his football. He’s called out the plays at least twice already and just mentioned KJ Hill on third and eight right now. What happens? Fields looks at Hill and KJ picks up 20 yards and the first down. Why didn’t Gene Smith name himself head coach instead of taking a risk on Ryan Day?
7:33 Buckeyes are held to a 23-yard field goal by Blake Haubeil and Ohio State leads it 17-0 with 9:32 remaining in the first half. When the best thing that’s happened to you is a field goal by your opponent, things just aren’t going that well for you.
7:37 Holy moly. Adrian Martinez dropped back and overthrew his intended receiver, which allowed Jordan Fuller to come flying into the picture for the interception. That’s three for Martinez in this half. The Buckeye defense has completely taken Nebraska out of this game. Buckeyes will take over at the 50-yard line.
7:38 Master Teague is in. Ha! That’s what Ryan Day wanted the defense to be focused on as well, as Justin Fields keeps it on the read and bolts for 41 yards down to the Nebraska 9-yard line.
7:40 And Master Teague finishes it off with an 8-yard touchdown run around Josh Alabi. Buckeyes lead it 24-0 with 8:26 remaining in the first half. This is starting to get impressive. Like all of it. From game one to now.
7:44 It’s time for Chase Young to do something. This crowd paid for blood!
7:46 Third and eight. Chase Young forces Adrian Martinez up inside where Malik Harrison is waiting for him and drops him for a sack. This defense is so complete. Nebraska will punt.
7:51 Play-action for Fields, looking deep, dumps it to Master Teague who goes tearing off down the sideline for 28 yards. It is difficult to not think ahead to what Teague is going to look like next year getting 20 touches a game.
7:52 And this is even more reason why as Teague gets the carry and zips through the Husker defense for 26 yards down tot he 1-yard line. If Ryan Day doesn’t give the ball to Teague here, I’d advise Teague to hit the portal at halftime.
7:52 There you go. Teague takes it in from one yard out for the score. That was the Master Teague Drive. Buckeyes lead it 31-0.
7:53 Tom: I have no words right now. Me: Well, you better.
7:55 Adrian Martinez makes a great read on the keeper and only picks up five yards. He did exactly what he should have, there was a bit of daylight, and then it get shut down almost immediately. You just have to feel bad for Greg Schiano that all of these players just weren’t talented last year.
7:55 Third and one. Jet sweep to Wan’Dale Robinson and Baron Browning and BB Landers throw him down for a loss of one. With this defense, is this the best team in the nation?
7:58 Nebraska has 10 yards passing.
7:58 Another 13 yards for JK Dobbins who is driving his legs like Roger Craig with Restless Leg Syndrome.
7:59 Dobbins now goes over the left side for 24 yards, giving him 114 on the night. I had him for at least 117 yards in this one, but I was sandbagging. Dobbins doesn’t believe in sandbagging. He hardly ever gets to play in the second half, so he knows if he doesn’t do it in the first half, he won’t get a chance to do it in the second half.
8:01 Fields hits Austin Mack in the end zone from 23 yards out. Great sliding catch in traffic. Buckeyes lead it 38-0. This really is The Austin Mack Game. He has three catches for 66 yards and a touchdown.
8:04 High snap and Martinez immediately has to escape from Chase Young. Every snap for Martinez has to feel like he’s jumping down from a fence into a junkyard that is protected by the meanest dog in the county and he has to find a carburetor for an ’87 Cutlass Supreme in the dark.
8:04 Didn’t find the carburetor that time because Chase Young just sacked him and forced another fumble. Nebraska recovers.
8:05 Ryan Day sends Garrett Wilson out to return this punt for a touchdown, but it goes out of bounds at the Ohio State 48-yard line with 32 seconds to play.
8:06 Master Teague is out there, so Day will try to score immediately.
8:07 Four wides. Deep to Chris Olave and it is just out of his reach. He just outran double coverage. The dude is unreal. I’m not sure how well it showed on TV, but he had two defenders running stride for stride with him until he decided to run fast and then gained three or four yards in the span of the last 15 or 20 yards.
8:08 We have reached the end of the half with Ohio State leading it 38-0. Just as I predicted. It’s just too bad I didn’t predict it anywhere other than my locked personal blog.
8:09 Nebraska has just 10 yards passsing and that was a screen pass to Dedrick Mills.
8:24 Everybody keeps saying the next game will be a test for Ohio State, but what if there are no tests?
8:26 Ohio State has scored 66 points total in their last two second quarters.
8:28 Ohio State has 230 rushing yards at the break, its most in a half since Week 1 of 2018 vs Oregon State.
8:31 The second half is now under way…and the Buckeyes get the ball. If Nebraska is going to make a comeback, it starts here. (Actually, it started way back in the first quarter.)
8:33 Another 13-yard run for JK Dobbins. That’s all he does. It’s pretty boring. Or maybe it’s just an homage to Maurice Clarett.
8:33 Play-action throwback to Binjimen Victor for 28 yards or so. That’s what you can do when the running game is dominating.
8:35 Fields gets sacked for a loss of eight yards on third and nine. He tried to muscle out of it, but eventually decided to keep his lower leg connected to his upper leg.
8:36 Blake Haubeil drills a 36-yard field goal to make it 41-0.
8:46 Nebraska is trying the option again, but it’s not working like it did in the first half. The pitch just went to Wan’Dale Robinson for four yards. There’s just no there there.
8:46 Oh dear God. Pete Werner just decleated Wan’Dale Robinson and bobbleheaded him off of a teammate. They might want to check Robinson for whiplash. Pete Werner — unsafe at any speed.
8:47 Third and seven. Adrian Martinez runs the quarterback draw but Chase Young erases it. Nebraska will punt.
8:51 Fields and Dobbins are both back in the game. Is this their last drive? Probably, as Dobbins rips off another 26 yards. He’s now at 156 yards.
8:53 Dobbins for another 14 yards. There are more lanes here than a Super Wal-Mart.
8:55 They have stayed ahead of the chains so well tonight. Their longest third down was a second and 2.
8:55 Overheard from a Husker ambassador above us: “Fromm must be pretty good if he’s better than this guy.”
8:56 First and goal at the 8-yard line. Fields gives it to Dobbins and then takes a huge shot, popping right back up. No flag. You’re gonna make Ohio State mad if you’re not careful.
8:57 Fade to Garrett Wilson for the touchdown from six yards out. You simply can’t defend him in the end zone. Buckeyes lead it 48-0.
8:58 Wilson is so good in the end zone. And you get him for another 2.5 years.
9:03 Ohio State has emptied the bench and the second-team defense is now in. Adrian Martinez escapes a sack and tears off up the field for 56 yards. It is not a coincidence that Nebraska’s first big play comes once the starters are out of the game. Those starters, by the way, allowed just 91 yards of total offense.
9:04 Nebraska finally reaches the end zone via a 9-yard run by Dedrick Mills. The Husker fans finally get to release their balloons. Float ‘em if you got ‘em. 48-7
9:07 Jameson Williams muffs it, then recovers it, then gets destroyed. Was hoping to see him running in the open field there. Darn.
9:09 Justin Fields is back in. For what reason? To keep the momentum from being too much for Chugz?
9:10 We have reached the end of the third quarter. Ohio State has over 300 yards rushing. Nebraska is trailing 48-7, so why are their players talking right now?
9:16 The crowd is going crazy as Ohio State will punt for the first time. Gotta love this crowd. Chrisman booms it 59 yards for the touchback. I’m going to go ahead and call it a day on the Buckeye Watch because I have to get this game story written and get down to the field here in a bit. If you ever have the opportunity to come here and watch a game, do it.
