COLUMBUS, Ohio - After countless weeks spent waiting and wondering when the Big Ten and Ohio State would take the field once more, football finally returned to Columbus. Ohio State pulled away late in the first half, taking down Nebraska 52-17.

It was a shaky defensive performance for the Buckeyes, but the Ohio State offense lived up to high expectations and took away Nebraska's hope early in the second half, running away with the game behind its Heisman finalist quarterback. There was plenty to observe in an empty Ohio Stadium on Saturday. Let's take a look at everything we learned in Ohio State's season-opening win over Nebraska.

After finishing No. 3 in the Heisman vote last season, Justin Fields made his return known against Nebraska. Fields finished the game with 276 yards passing and two touchdowns, showing patience and poise behind an inconsistent offensive line. The junior quarterback started the afternoon with a career-best 11 completed passes in a row before Chris Olave barely missed a 40-yard touchdown grab on a perfectly placed pass. It was Fields' only incomplete pass of the day. The unspoken communication between the quarterback and his wide receivers was evident from the very first drive.

For everything Fields provided through the air, he was perhaps even more valuable on the ground, running for 54 yards and bailing Ohio State out on a number of fourth-down calls. Ohio State was not helped much by its pair of running backs early on- Trey Sermon and Master Teague combined for just 96 yards rushing in the game. Fields carried the offense in the first half when Ohio State was clinging to a lead. He was accurate on nearly every throw, making quick reads and balancing his work through the air with timely scrambles. He opened the second half with a 17-yard scramble capped off by a spin into the end zone, and was efficient and effective in ensuring a comfortable Ohio State victory.

The Nebraska defense was not bad; Fields simply made the right throws at the right time, almost every time. He controlled the tempo of games and was able to evade a Nebraska defensive line that controlled the Ohio State front men at times. As expected, Ohio State’s top-tier quarterback owned this game.

Entering this season, much was made of how an inexperienced Ohio State defense would fare jumping straight into Big Ten play. The lack of experience was apparent from the very beginning against Nebraska. On the third play of this season, Nebraska backup quarterback Luke McCaffrey took a hand-off and blasted through the Buckeye defense for 47 yards- Ohio State gave up just one run of 40 or more yards last season. Starter Adrian Martinez took his own run straight into the end zone on the very next play.

The middle of the defense looked out of place on Nebraska’s first drive and continued to show confusion with the host of looks it saw- a concerning sign considering the linebacking unit contains most of Ohio State’s defensive experience. The group was consistently behind plays and the defensive line wasn’t able to create enough pressure to contain those quarterback runs, repeatedly being pushed back by a physical Nebraska offensive line. McCaffrey and Martinez were able to cut through the heart of the defense and force missed tackles consistently. Nebraska had 82 yards on the ground through one quarter and the pair of quarterbacks combined for 164 yards rushing. Nebraska ended up rushing for 217 yards in the contest.

When it counted, the defense did what it had to do to hang on. Lineman Haskell Garrett and safety Sevyn Banks created some game-changing plays when it appeared Nebraska had some momentum working in its favor. Garrett sacked Martinez to set up a huge Ohio State score late in the second quarter, and Banks took a Martinez fumble 55 yards to the end zone to put Ohio State up 24 early in the third quarter.

There were evident issues with the defense on nearly every Nebraska drive, however. It’s a young group that the dynamic Nebraska offense took clear advantage of throughout the game. There is plenty to work on.

Fields put the ball on time and on target, but the Buckeye receivers ran fantastic routes and caught everything thrown their way. Garrett Wilson impressed in his first contest since moving to the slot, catching seven passes for 129 yards and a touchdown. Chris Olave was as consistent as ever before an injury in the third quarter, making a number of big first-down catches. The pair of Olave and Wilson proved to be Fields’ go-to targets (if that already wasn’t obvious entering the season), and Wilson’s five receptions in the first half already marked a new career-high for the sophomore.

Entering the young season, Ohio State appeared to have one of the most talented groups of receivers in the country. That prediction held true on Saturday. Even without consistent contributions from anyone outside of the top two names, the group dominated Nebraska’s secondary from the start. Olave finished with six receptions before leaving the game with an injury, Jaxson Smith-Njigba added a spectacular touchdown grab, and the Buckeye offense doubled Nebraska's output through the air.

The Ohio State passing attack dominated when given time behind a shaky offensive line. This group of receivers, combined with the man throwing to them, is a deadly combination.

Opening games aren't usually pretty. Add that to over 300 days without competitive football for Ryan Day and company, and you have the formula for a rusty day. Still, Ohio State was in control after Fields' rushing touchdown to open the second half, even with a shaky defensive performance.

The win was No. 21 in a row for Ohio State in season-openers, though the Buckeyes had not played an October opener since 1939. Day is now 3-0 as a season-starting head coach for Ohio State.

Next week presents a larger challenge: a Halloween date with No. 8 Penn State. The Nittany Lions return quarterback Sean Clifford and a large part of a roster that lost just two games in 2019. Ohio State pulled away late in the matchup last season, securing the Big Ten East with a 28-17 win in Columbus. The lack of fans in Happy Valley next week will take away some of the intimidation, but the game remains one of the largest on the Buckeyes’ schedule.