Nebraska Report Card: Defense

LINCOLN, Neb. – In their toughest test of the season, the Ohio State defense suffocated Nebraska, putting the offense in a position to put the game away early.

The Buckeyes rolled to a 48-7 victory, and Adrian Martinez was unable to provide any magic for the upset-minded Cornhuskers. Martinez was forced into turnovers early and often, and the Nebraska offense was unable to move the ball until Ohio State’s second strings entered the game. Nebraska would get its only score with just over two minutes left in the third.

Let’s take a look at how each unit graded out in the second game of the year. The grades will compare the Buckeyes to the rest of college football, so a C grade is average, but a prestigious team like Ohio State has set a higher bar than being average.

While it was not an eye-popping day for the defensive line statistically, they were able to fluster Martinez and limit his playmaking abilities. Speeding up Martinez forced him into bad throws, which resulted in interceptions on three different occasions.

Chase Young lost his four-game streak of recording multiple sacks, but he was able to get his third strip-sack of the season. Although the Buckeyes were unable to recover it, his presence was felt throughout the game. He would finish with three tackles.

Jashon Cornell would get half a sack to highlight his performance, and it was Zach Harrison who would lead the team with 1.5 tackles-for-loss.

In the most difficult test to date, the defensive line was able to make their presence felt.

This group may have had the most difficult test in limiting Martinez. Overall, they did a very solid job, and if you remove his 56-yard run, he would only have rushed for 25 yards on 14 carries.

The tandem of Baron Browning and Malik Harrison dominated the game for the Buckeyes. They would combine for 14 tackles on the day, and their athleticism helped bottle up Martinez. Harrison would get in on a sack, and Browning would finish with a tackle-for-loss.

The play of the game was not delivered by either Harrison or Browning, however. Instead, a crushing hit by Pete Werner was a good representation of how the game itself was going. The hit itself also represented the aggressiveness and discipline held by the linebackers throughout the game and throughout this season.

The secondary was the story of the first half. On three of the first four possessions, the Buckeyes were able to force Martinez into an interception. Jeff Okudah, who got his first interception last week against Miami (Ohio), caught fire against Nebraska, and he showed why he could be a high selection in the upcoming NFL draft. He would intercept two passes in the game, including one from his back that showed a great deal of concentration.

The third interception would come by way of an overthrow from Martinez. Jordan Fuller would capitalize on the errant throw and pick up his first interception of the year.

Even when he wasn’t throwing interceptions, Martinez wasn’t doing any damage. He would enter halftime with only 10 passing yards on two completions. The second half would not go much better, and he would finish the game with 47 passing yards and a completion percentage of 47.1 percent.

This defense is the real deal. They finally were forced to show what they were made of against a Nebraska squad that was not short on offensive playmakers, and the Ohio State defense made the Cornhuskers look inept.

The three levels complimented each other well, and the chemistry of the defense seems to be at an all-time high. With each successful performance, the group's confidence continues to grow.

The defense is suffocating and dominating, and if they continue to get better, the rest of the nation is in serious trouble.