Ohio State football: 3 reasons Buckeyes will flatten Nebraska

1. Bucks bring back familiar faces

Justin Fields brings continuity to the Buckeyes who need it most. With an offseason full of nothing but turmoil in the Big Ten, to say the least, Fields has continued to be outspoken as a leader. He could have been one of the many college athletes to opt-out of this season with a foot out the door to the next level but he stayed committed when his team needed him.

Fields has displayed no signs of looking ahead to the next level as he’s vouched for his teammates time and again. Fields’ commitment speaks volumes in regards to not only his goals as a player but as a competitor as well. It does not take a rocket scientist to see that Fields is a gifted football player and will eventually be taking snaps as an NFL quarterback. With that in mind, Fields knows his potential but still wants to give back to his team that has believed in him and gave him every opportunity to be successful.

As a Buckeye, it’s a depressing topic to bring up the final game of last season against Clemson where the Buckeyes fell just short of a national championship appearance but there is some good that came from it. Fields is a loyal competitor who is also extremely talented. He was not about to end his career as a Buckeye in that manner so now he’s determined to return stronger than ever to get another shot at a championship, the Heisman trophy, or both.

Meanwhile, the Cornhuskers are returning quarterback Adrian Martinez for a third season. Martinez has been starting for the Cornhuskers since head coach Scott Frost signed on with the team in 2018. College football buffs have been calling for Martinez to breakout in the Big Ten since he began but he’s been hardly average.

Martinez threw just 10 touchdowns last season and had nine interceptions. His 1,956 passing yards placed him merely ninth in the Big Ten. These stats pale in comparison to Fields as he had 41 passing touchdowns and just three interceptions. Fields led the conference in efficiency and rating but the Buckeyes were more of a rushing offense anyway.

The Buckeyes absolutely throttled the Cornhuskers early last season en route to a victory exceeding 30 points in differential. Fields threw for three touchdowns while rushing for one. Martinez threw for under 50 yards while tossing three interceptions. It is actually rather confusing that the Cornhuskers would start Martinez once again this season. Nevertheless, the Buckeyes are in line to see much of the same look from Cornhuskers’ offense as they have in the past two seasons.