Ohio State draws Big Ten sleeper team that could make 'The Game' meaningless in Week 14

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Ohio State draws Big Ten sleeper team that could make 'The Game' meaningless in Week 14 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Ohio State’s season always bends toward one Saturday. No matter how many College Football Playoff debates surround the Buckeyes, no matter how many ranked opponents appear elsewhere on the schedule, the conversation in Columbus eventually becomes consumed by Michigan.

That reality is exactly what makes the Buckeyes’ late-November trip to Nebraska so dangerous.

CBS Sports college football analyst Brad Crawford identified Ohio State’s road game in Lincoln as the classic look-ahead spot on the Buckeyes’ schedule. It comes one week before “The Game,” when Ryan Day’s team will almost certainly be asked about Michigan constantly, regardless of what Nebraska has become by that point.

“Ah, the game before The Game,” Crawford wrote. “Ohio State’s late-season trip to Nebraska has all the makings of a classic look-ahead trap. The Buckeyes visit Lincoln one week before facing Michigan, and that rivalry will undoubtedly dominate the conversation leading into kickoff.”

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On pure talent, Ohio State should have a clear advantage. The Buckeyes rarely lose to teams they are supposed to beat, and their roster will again be built with national championship expectations. But November road games in the Big Ten are rarely clean, especially when the opponent has nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Nebraska may not be ready to go punch-for-punch with Ohio State over an entire season, but Memorial Stadium can become a problem when the Huskers are competitive. If Matt Rhule has Nebraska fighting for bowl positioning or chasing a signature win, the energy in Lincoln could turn this into a far more uncomfortable test than the standings suggest.

“Nebraska may not match Ohio State’s talent, but Memorial Stadium remains one of the Big Ten’s toughest venues when the Huskers are competitive, and the last two meetings in this series have been nail-biters,” Crawford wrote.

The Buckeyes will also have to manage the psychology of the week. Every answer from players and coaches will eventually circle back to Michigan, and that can make Nebraska feel like an obstacle instead of a legitimate threat. That is exactly when road underdogs become dangerous.

That is the part Ohio State cannot ignore. Slow starts become dangerous in stadiums like that. One early turnover, one special teams mistake or one sleepy offensive quarter could give Nebraska belief and force the Buckeyes into a fourth-quarter fight they never expected.

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“By November, Nebraska should be battle-tested, physical and desperate for a signature win,” Crawford wrote. “If Ohio State arrives distracted or starts slowly, this could become a fourth-quarter fight.”

For Ohio State, the warning is obvious. The Buckeyes cannot beat Michigan twice in one week. If they spend the trip to Lincoln already thinking about their rival, Nebraska has enough toughness to make them pay.

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