COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State football did not open the season in championship form Saturday against Nebraska. Not on defense, where lapses that started on the opening drive kept creeping up throughout the game. Not on offense, where quarterback Justin Fields’ brilliance — and his emerging connection with new-to-the-slot receiver Garrett Wilson — hid an underwhelming rushing performance all around. The No. 5 Buckeyes won with ease, 52-17. Sevyn Banks’ 55-yard fumble return touchdown late in the third quarter all but sealed the victory for the three-time defending Big Ten champion. The game was played in a near-empty Ohio Stadium — 1,344 family members, reporters, staffers and other workers in attendance. The coronavirus pandemic that delayed the beginning of the season by seven weeks is, for now, prohibiting fan attendance. While Ohio State was one of the last national powers to open its season, it was not the first to…
Continue Reading: Ohio State football stumbles early, finishes strong in 52-17 victory over Nebraska to open 2020 season
