The poor performance of the Ohio State Buckeyes offense results in the game against Nebraska being close

The Ohio State Buckeyes survived a close matchup against the Nebraska Cornhuskers 21-17 in Week 9. But even though the team was able to get a win, the offense had one of its worst performances so far this season.

Before the Week 9 game, the Buckeyes' defense was heavily criticized for their poor performance against the Oregon Ducks. However, the defense was able to stop any momentum the Cornhuskers had. Rather, it was the offense that failed to step up on Saturday.

Five of the 11 drives for Ohio State's offense resulted in a three-and-out, another drive ended in a turnover on downs and another ended in an interception by quarterback Will Howard. The Buckeyes were also unable to perform on third downs, going a miserable 1-for-10.

One of the reasons the offense looked inefficient against Nebraska was a poor rushing attack. The Buckeyes had 64 rushing yards on 31 attempts, an average of 2.1 rushing yards per carry. Even though Nebraska's defense has been strong against the run this season, this was easily Ohio State's worst game as measured by the run game.

Luckily for head coach Ryan Day, Will Howard and the rest of the wide receiver core were able to fill big spots for the Buckeyes. Howard finished the contest completing 13 of 16 attempts for 221 yards while throwing three touchdowns and one interception. Second-year wideout Carnell Tate also had a breakout performance in Week 9, finishing the season with four catches for 102 yards and a score.

Ultimately, the offensive line will be the biggest concern for the Buckeyes. Star left tackle Josh Simmons was ruled out for the remainder of the season earlier this week, and Zen Michalski filled in for him. Unfortunately, the redshirt junior left with an injury in the fourth quarter, forcing Day Kick All-American guard Donovan Jackson to tackle and Luke Montgomery to play left guard.

The Buckeyes face one of the best defenses in the country in Week 10 at Penn State, so another injury to the offensive line could be a fatal blow to the team's offense.