Chasing History: Ohio State on doorstep of becoming 4th winningest FBS program

Eight-hundred ninety two. That’s the number of all-time wins Nebraska has earned since they first lined up for a game of tackle football against Omaha YMCA on Thanksgiving day in 1890. The Buckeyes enter Saturday’s contest as 24-point favorites — and with a win, will move into a tie with the Cornhuskers for 892 all-time victories. In the FBS ranks, only Texas, Notre Dame and Michigan have won more games.

The Cornhuskers have one of college football’s richest winning traditions: 46 conference titles, 5 national championships, 3 Heisman Trophy winners. But despite their long, storied program history — there have been only five previous matchups with Ohio State. And the Buckeyes have been dominant. OSU has won by an average margin of 22 points per contest against Nebraska. Ohio State holds a 4-1 all-time edge in the series, and a 2-1 advantage since the Cornhuskers joined the Big Ten in 2011. It's also the case that the home team is a perfect 5-0 in the series, and this marks only OSU’s second trip ever to Lincoln. Below is the short history between two of college football’s winningest programs.

2016: Ohio State 62, Nebraska 3 — The only top-ten matchup of the series also proved to be its most lopsided contest as No. 6 Ohio State dominated the No. 10 Cornhuskers. In one of his best games of the season, Buckeye quarterback J.T. Barrett accounted for 329 total yards, four touchdowns and zero turnovers. The win improved the eventual playoff bound Buckeyes to 8-1 and marked OSU's first win over a ranked team after a setback on the road against Penn State two weeks earlier.

2012: Ohio State 63, Nebraska 38 — OSU’s Braxton Miller broke his own school record for a quarterback, rushing for 186 yards as No. 12 Ohio State took down No. 21 Nebraska. The win moved the Buckeyes to 6-0. OSU would finish the season 12-0 and win the Big Ten Leaders Division. NCAA sanctions from ‘tattoo-gate’ banned the Buckeyes from participating in the postseason.

2011: Nebraska 34, Ohio State 27 — Freshman Braxton Miller left the game with an injured ankle in the third quarter, and Nebraska rallied behind quarterback Taylor Martinez to score 28 straight points as the No. 14 Cornhuskers notched their only victory of the series. Down three touchdowns, the win marked the biggest comeback in Nebraska history. Ohio State would finish the season 6-7 under interim coach Luke Fickell. Nebraska would end the year with a 9-4 mark, falling to South Carolina in the Citrus Bowl.

1956: Ohio State 34, Nebraska 7 — Sophomore OSU halfback Don Clark ran for two scores of 35 and 38 yards as the No. 8 Buckeyes opened the season victorious. The Buckeyes would finish with a 6-3 record — and were ineligible for postseason play after an NCAA investigation found coach Woody Hayes loaned several players money.

1955: Ohio State 28, Nebraska 20 — Senior halfback Howard ‘Hopalong’ Cassady ran for three scores as No. 6 OSU prevailed in their first ever matchup with Nebraska. Cassady would go on to win the Heisman and lead the defending national champion Buckeyes to a 7-2 record.