LINCOLN, Neb. — Afterward, they were almost dazed.

A game that had gone according to script — heck, Ohio State couldn’t have dreamed a better 21/2 quarters — disintegrated in stunning fashion.

The Buckeyes seemed in the process of resurrecting their season when they took a 27-6 third-quarter lead against Nebraska.

Suddenly, everything seemed possible. If they could dominate Nebraska on the road, surely they could beat Illinois in Champaign. Among remaining games, only Wisconsin looked to be a relatively certain loss.

Then, the collapse.

Braxton Miller fumbled and then suffered a sprain to his right ankle. Joe Bauserman entered and looked like the Bauserman of Miami.

The defense, which had stymied Nebraska in the first half, completely wilted. It gave up touchdown drives of 80, 72 and 78 yards and then failed to get the ball back in the final four minutes after the Cornhuskers took the lead.

As painful as the losses to Miami and Michigan State were, the consolation was that they could be pinned mostly on one side of the ball.

Ohio State coach Luke Fickell acknowledged there was a sense of panic among the Buckeyes as dream turned to nightmare.

“I don’t think I’ve seen a game that has changed like that that I have been involved with,” he said.

Players were just as bewildered.

“We were so excited to be out there winning, making plays,” tight end Jake Stoneburner said. “We felt we were clicking on all cylinders. We were excited. It’s actually kind of hard to believe that we lost that game.”

Stoneburner caught a touchdown pass — his first since the Toledo game — on a beautifully designed and executed screen pass. Stoneburner said he’d been waiting three weeks to run the play.

But the offensive game plan, which featured Miller’s running, was playing with fire. As dazzling as he can be, Miller had a history of injuries in high school. Denard Robinson paid the price last year when Michigan coaches relied on his legs too much.

Miller’s status for Illinois is unknown. If he can play, it’s not likely he’ll be the dynamic runner he was against Nebraska. If he can’t play, yikes.

Offensive coordinator Jim Bollman tried to defend Bauserman after the game.

“It’s just a tough situation to go in, under the circumstances,” he said.

Well, there have been tougher ones. Easier to enter with a 14-point lead than when trailing by that much.

Yet Bauserman’s inaccuracy and hesitance in the pocket have made his viability as an option questionable at best. On one pass, he had Chris Fields open 10 to 15 yards downfield and elected to throw deep to Corey Brown in coverage. The result was like seven of his other nine attempts — an incompletion. On one of the other passes, Brown had a step on Stanley Jean-Baptiste, but the Nebraska defender intercepted Bauserman’s underthrown ball.

Asked to assess Bauserman’s performance, Bollman replied: “It’s probably unfair to say right now. He came in there and certainly played tough, played with courage. A couple of things he just missed. He just missed the long throw that got picked off. That could have been a big gain.”

Kenny Guiton warmed up briefly on the sidelines. He might get his chance against Illinois if Miller can’t play.

The problems on defense are harder to pin down.

“They just out-schemed us,” defensive back Tyler Moeller said. “They changed up their play style a little bit, and we weren’t in the right gaps. They outplayed us.”

Now, the road ahead looks perilous. The Illinois game without Miller — or with a limited one — does not look promising. Of the remaining games, the Buckeyes are likely to be favored against only Indiana, Purdue and Penn State.

Finishing .500 or worse this season is a distinct possibility. On the plus side, that bowl ban that Ohio State feared might be moot.

brabinowitz@dispatch.com