NCAA: Ohio State Buckeyes win a nervous battle against Nebraska Cornhuskers

Ohio State Buckeyes registered a nine-point win over the last-placed Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Big Ten West of the NCAA College Football on Saturday.

CJ Stroud threw for 405 yards and two touchdowns, Ohio State’s defense came up with a pair of stops after Nebraska had pulled within six points, and the sixth-ranked Buckeyes got out of Memorial Stadium with a 26-17 win.

The Buckeyes managed only two field goals in the second half, allowing the Cornhuskers to make it a one-score game until Noah Ruggles kicked a 46-yard field goal with 1:29 left.

This was Ohio State’s 24th straight victory against a conference opponent but it can be deemed a rather unconvincing one.

“Some things were not clicking right, and they put it on me to execute the passing game, and I felt we did that well. We have to start executing and finishing drives,” Stroud said

The Huskers lost their fourth straight game and are assured of a fourth consecutive losing season under Scott Frost and a fifth in a row overall.

The Buckeyes played without top receiver Garrett Wilson for an undisclosed reason but got a school-record 15 catches from Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a career-high 240 yards.

Stroud completed 36 of 54 passes but threw two interceptions after having gone four straight games without being picked off.

His 3-yard touchdown pass to Chris Olave and Smith-Njigba’s 75-yard catch-and-run for a Touchdown helped put the Buckeyes up 20-10 at the haltimef.

The Huskers scored late in the third quarter to pull within 23-17 and got the ball right back when Myles Farmer intercepted Stroud’s deep ball intended for Olave. Nebraska drove to the 13, but Chase Contreraz missed a 30-yard field goal attempt.

The Buckeyes were forced to punt and Nebraska began its next possession at its 10 with 6:11 left. Adrian Martinez started it with a 21-run but threw three straight incomplete passes to bring on the punter.

Martinez was 16 of 31 for 248 yards and a touchdown, with his lone interception coming in the final minute. He ran 18 times for 51 yards and a score.

Nebraska’s Samori Toure had four catches for 150 yards and a touchdown.

(With AP inputs)