Ohio State beat Nebraska, 36-31, in a Big Ten win that improved the team to 8-1 on the season. Early in the game, fans of the Nebraska Cornhuskers were getting excited, with thoughts of an upset crossing their minds. It wasn't meant to be, though, as Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins just ran all over the Nebraska defense.

On the day, Dobbins had 163 rushing yards and three touchdowns, including a game-long run of 42 yards. He ended up averaging 7.1 yards per carry, showing how well the Ohio State line was doing against the front line of Nebraska.

No matter what Nebraska threw at him, Dobbins made it look easy.

Ohio State in running for Big Ten title

With this win, Ohio State keeps pace with a hot Michigan Wolverines team in the battle for the Big Ten East. The Buckeyes still trail the Wolverines by one game in the conference standings, but it will all come down to their head-to-head game to close out the season. Maryland is a distant third in the division, leaving it up to Ohio State and Michigan to decide who will play against the Big Ten West champions.

Over in the West, Northwestern is 5-3 on the season, but 5-1 in the Big Ten Conference. That puts them ahead of Iowa 6-2 (3-2), Purdue 4-4 (3-2), and Wisconsin 6-3 (4-2). It shows that nothing is settled in the Big Ten this year and that there are going to be some very exciting games down the stretch.

Ohio State will get bump in college football rankings

Entering play on Saturday, Ohio State was ranked No. 8 in the AP Top 25, No. 8 in the Coaches Poll, and No. 10 in the Colllege Football Playoff rankings. With this win, OSU is going to get a nice boost, but it is also going to lead to Buckeyes fans cheering on the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Alabama plays against LSU in an extremely important SEC game. Alabama is 8-0 on the season, just ahead of the 7-1 record boasted by LSU. If LSU loses to Alabama, it will be their second loss of the season, likely dropping them below Ohio State in next week's rankings.

Ohio State Buckeyes schedule

There are just three games left on the regular season schedule for Ohio State.

Next week, they will play on the road against the Michigan State Spartans. After that, they have to play Maryland on the road and then at home against Michigan. Beating Michigan State, Maryland, and Michigan would get the Buckeyes into the Big Ten Championship Game. Winning that game would likely also place Ohio State in the College Football Playoff.

With the victory, Ohio State will also retain its spot in the Big Ten power rankings. Surviving what some sports analysts called a dangerous Nebraska team is a big step for the Buckeyes, who continue to control their own destiny.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED