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OSU defensive back Damon Webb intercepted Nebraska quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. on the third play of the game and returned the pick 36 yards for the touchdown. The rout was on from there as No. 6 Ohio State cruised to win 62-3.
The scariest moment for the No. 10 Huskers came when Armstrong hit his head on the turf in the second quarter after a tackle. He laid motionless on the sideline for a few moments before he was taken to an ambulance via a stretcher. But he thankfully returned to the sideline in the third quarter in street clothes after he was checked out by a local hospital.
But the game was 38-3 when Armstrong returned to the Nebraska bench. It was 38-3 at halftime and Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett hit wide receiver Curtis Samuel for a 75-yard touchdown on the Buckeyes’ first possession of the second half. There was little hope for a Nebraska comeback at halftime. That flicker of hope was extinguished as the second half began.
It was a statement conference win for the Buckeyes, who haven’t been dominating in conference play. Sure, Ohio State had a great win over an Oklahoma team that is the class of the Big 12 so far, but its wins since beating Rutgers 58-0 haven’t been blowouts.
This game certainly was. Barrett finished 26-38 passing for 290 yards and four touchdowns. Two of those went to Samuel, who had eight catches for 137 yards.
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Nebraska’s passing game wasn’t as sharp. Armstrong and Ryker Fife combined to go 9-33 passing for 126 yards and two interceptions.
The blowout almost assuredly means Ohio State will be the top one-loss team in the College Football Playoff rankings and possibly even as high as No. 4. Texas A&M falls from that spot thanks to its loss to Mississippi State, and there’s little chance Louisville will vault ahead of the Buckeyes.
Yeah, the Cardinals beat Boston College by 45, but there’s little comparison between the Eagles and the Huskers. And if we learned one thing from the inaugural set of rankings it’s that the committee likes strength of schedule.
And did we mention that Ohio State is still on track for a mammoth showdown with Michigan on Nov. 26? Only Maryland and a reeling Michigan State stand between the Buckeyes and entering the game vs. the Wolverines with one loss.
But while Ohio State will be in the thick of the playoff conversation on Tuesday when the next set of rankings come out, Nebraska won’t be anywhere near the top 10 again. And the loss puts the Big Ten West in a three-way tie.
Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin are all tied at the top of the division at 4-2. Though the tie won’t last very long — the Huskers play Minnesota next week. And even worse for Nebraska fans, it doesn’t control its own destiny any longer. Wisconsin still has to play Minnesota too. If both schools win out and end up in a head-to-head tie, the Badgers get the tiebreaker because of last week’s win.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!Follow @NickBromberg