Ohio State needs to take Nebraska as seriously as Michigan to reach their end game

The Ohio State Buckeyes margin for error became much thinner after the program's loss to Oregon. Ryan Day's squad needs to take their game against a sneaky-good Nebraska Cornhuskers team a lot more seriously.

Ohio State was riding high before last week's loss against the Oregon Ducks showed that the program has plenty of flaws and isn't the playoff lock they appeared to be. While the Buckeyes can likely suffer one and maybe two losses before getting eliminated from the playoff, Day's team has plenty of opportunities to slip up against top-tier teams.

While Penn State has looked shaky in its own right, it's possible that the Buckeyes may drop their Nov. 2 matchup against the Nittany Lions. Additionally, Ohio State faces off against a possibly above-average Indiana squad and has a rivalry game that will always be interesting against Michigan.

In their next game, Day's team faces off against an ahead-of-schedule Nebraska program with freshman star QB Dylan Raiola leading them. They will likely make a bowl game and be silently in the discussion for a spot in the 12-team playoff this season.

Raiola isn't the only reason that the Cornhuskers have played well so far this season as the defense has looked amazing and the run defense looks like one of the best in the country. With a solid Nebraska squad heading Ohio State's way on Oct. 26, it's clear that Ryan Day and company need to take them as seriously as their rivalry game against Michigan later on in the season.

Ohio State can't look past Nebraska

While the Buckeyes need to watch out for the Cornhuskers, it's important to note that Ohio State looks to be the better program going into the matchup. Yes, the defense for Nebraska has looked solid but Ohio State's offense has seemingly been another aminal this season.

With that in mind, it's likely that Dylan Raolia will need to lead the Cornhuskers to a 20+ point offensive performance if they want a chance to beat the Buckeyes in two weeks. Considering this, the Buckeyes may be in a good place if the program takes Nebraska as seriously as THE GAME against Michigan later on in the season.