COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Will Howard threw three touchdown passes, but No. 4 Ohio State needed an interception by cornerback Jordan Hancock with 1:16 left to seal its 21-17 win over Nebraska on Saturday.

The Buckeyes (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten) bounced back from their loss to Oregon two weeks ago, but certainly didn't look like the well-oiled machine in which to deal with a nearly four-touchdown underdog.

“It wasn’t perfect, but a win is a win,” Howard said. “And we were able to show that we can win in the fourth quarter when the going gets tough and things maybe don't go the way we want them to. I think our defense did an incredible job of getting some stops, making some really big plays in the fourth quarter and giving us a chance to go down there, get the final score and give us the lead.”

The Cornhuskers (5-3, 2-3) stayed close all day. John Hohl kicked three field goals before Dante Dowdell's touchdown early in the fourth quarter gave them a brief lead. Ohio State converted just 1 of 10 third downs, fumbled five times, gave up the ball on downs, missed a field goal and survived an interception by Howard.

Dowdell's 1-yard run and 2-point conversion gave the Huskers a 17-14 lead. The Buckeyes regained the lead with 6:04 left when Howard threw a 9-yard touchdown pass Quinshon Judkins.

Nebraska's had the ball near midfield on its final possession after Arvell Reese was sent off for hitting receiver Jahmal Banks. The Huskers were given a false start and had already lost yards on consecutive plays Dylan Raiola went wide with a pass intended for Isaiah Neyor and Hancock blocked it.

Howard knelt three times to run out the time.

The Huskers had a chance to take the lead in the third quarter when Malcolm Hartzog Jr. took them to the Ohio State 7 with an interception and a 34-yard return. On fourth-and-goal from the 2, Davison Igbinosun and Cody Simon clogged up the middle to stop Dowdell short of the goal line.

“Yeah, this is definitely a ride we wish we could have finished,” Raiola said. “I think we had our best game. We just came up a little short and that's exactly what it is now. And we will ensure that we continue to be successful in the future plays.”

The takeaway food

Nebraska: The Huskers certainly played better than last week, when they were defeated by Indiana 56-7 but were denied a sixth win that would have given them bowl eligibility for the first time since 2016. Nebraska has lost 27 straight against top-25 opponents and 18 straight against ranked opponents on the road.

“I thought our defense was dominant all day, except for three plays,” Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said, referring to Howard's three touchdown passes.

Ohio State: The Buckeyes were mostly one-dimensional, rushing for just 64 yards without explosive plays from stars Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson. They avoided their first home loss in 10 years against an unranked opponent (Virginia Tech).

“Give credit to Nebraska and the work they’ve done,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. “They had a difficult time the week before. We knew they were going to come out and play us really hard.”

Write history

Howard hit a wide-open Jeremiah Smith for a 60-yard touchdown in the first half. That was his eighth touchdown, tying him with Cris Carter for the most as a freshman in school history.

Howard also threw a 40-yard TD pass Carnell Tate in the first half. He finished the game 13-for-16 for 221 yards.

Impact on the survey

This game was closer than it should have been, and some voters might punish the Buckeyes for that.

Injuries

Ohio State starting safety Lathan Ransom and tight end Will Kacmarek were sidelined with unspecified injuries. … Nebraska running back Rahmir Johnson was sidelined with a concussion. … LT Zen Michalski left the game with an injury. Michalski was in the game because starter Josh Simmons was injured in the Oregon game.

Next

Nebraska: hosts UCLA next Saturday.

Ohio State: Visits No. 3 Penn State next Saturday.

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