What do Nebraska and the state of Ohio have in common? Will it make a difference on Saturday?

When Nebraska faces Ohio State in the “Horseshoe” on Saturday, you might see a 25-point spread. An accident waiting to happen.

But actually these two have a lot in common. Just a couple of homeless people who were unlucky.

For starters, both the Buckeyes (5-1) and Huskers (5-2) are coming off a devastating loss.

And, according to Ohio State football site “Eleven Warriors,” the Buckeyes “still have their goals ahead of them.

Beat Michigan. Win the Big Ten. Win the national championship.

Then there is the head coach. There is a lot of noise in Buckeye Nation directed towards Ryan Day. Sure, he’s 61-9. But they are 1-3 against Michigan and lost their last three to the northern team. And Day is 2-6 against teams ranked in the top five.

Then this headline appeared: “Why can’t Ryan Day and Ohio State football shine in the biggest moments?”

Meanwhile, media man Nick Saban criticized Ohio State’s lack of pass rush at Oregon, calling the plan “outdated.”

Finally, this headline: “Did the team need this defeat to achieve its goals?”

I mean, that sounds just like Nebraska, right?

The Huskers still have their main goal ahead of them: playing a bowl game. Any bowling game.

Some Husker fans have criticized coach Matt Rhule for his record against ranked teams. It’s 2-16. Not in the top five. Only qualified teams, period.

But there’s also hope that NU’s 56-7 loss to Indiana last week can refocus the Huskers and propel them on their path.

Okay, they might not be brothers. But pain and disappointment are all relatives in college football. Everyone has problems.

Just because you’re ranked No. 4 in the country and have a roster that could beat the Carolina Panthers doesn’t mean everything is fine.

The higher you go on the ladder, the further down you can fall. And yes, I know Husker fans would love to witness that sight again in their lifetime.

It won’t happen on Saturday. Or this season. But let’s focus on the basics as we step back from a week full of loud noises.

The Huskers are still a good football team.

A very bad game and Curt Cignetti’s Darth Vader act doesn’t change that. What happens at Ohio Stadium on Saturday won’t happen either.

Nebraska started 5-1 with a good defense and a pretty decent offense led by the play of freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola. The Huskers accomplished this without the third area of ​​football: special teams.

I’m not sure where the “here we go again” comes from. NU could have done that when it fell behind to Purdue in the second half, but it didn’t. He could have gone into self-destruct mode after two blocked punts by Rutgers, but he didn’t.

I don’t think what happened at IU was “here we go again.” It seemed more like Indiana came out throwing haymakers and the Huskers weren’t interested in returning the favor.

Anyway, all the pieces are there to get that important sixth victory, then exhale and get more. This is a team with flaws. But it’s still much better than last week.

Let’s not call last week a wake-up call. It was more like a warning shot.

Nebraska fans were not amused by last week’s game. They thought they hired Rhule to put an end to that kind of inept scenes.

Things got a little turbulent at Fish Bowl this week. And that’s fine. A little heat never hurts.

Look, we all know Rhule is trying to build a plane while flying it. Nebraskans understand the process of creating a winner, but they want the winner to start as soon as possible.

I’ve used the house builder analogy with Rhule. Sometimes when you’re building a house, things break down or stop for whatever reason. It’s going too slow. You call the builder and tell him to get to work. Go back to the schedule. You apply a little heat.

Forget Indiana? No. Let this be a reminder to coaches that, even in year two, there is an expectation.

This week there was a lot of focus on the offense. We all love talking about offense. But while Marcus Satterfield received a lot of criticism, it’s a reminder that Tony White’s defense also had a bad day.

Except for two bad games, White’s defense has been a rock for Nebraska this season. For the Huskers to have the type of season they want, the Blackshirts have to be that rock every week.

It’s time to get back to tackling, attacking the ball, assigning football, all of that.

Satterfield had a pair of turnovers in his media availability Tuesday. It didn’t inspire much confidence in knowing how to fix things.

But it’s not about analysis. Yards per play won’t save the day. Soccer is about winning one-on-one battles. Turn the man in front of you face up. Execution.

NU’s offense is a bit stuck in no man’s land. They have a budding superstar at quarterback, but there aren’t enough pieces around him. Transfer receivers were brought in to make plays, but they are also expected to block. And now they can’t open. Meanwhile, the offensive line is inconsistent.

Nebraska needs to scale things back and simplify a scheme that works. Find things that the best players can do and do them. If you’re going to fall, swing down.

Focusing on a running game would do that and also take some pressure off of Raiola, who shouldn’t be expected to lead the team as a freshman. Perform some game action.

I don’t know what effect that would have on average yards per play, but it could help win some games.

Finally, play with pride. Conviction. Aim. Ohio State will want to get the Huskers out of the Horseshoe. Don’t leave them.

This is a great place to get off the mat. Then again, maybe it’s the best place.

Tom’s choice: Ohio State 34, Nebraska 21.