Game Prediction: No. 11 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Ohio State is two-touchdown favorite against Rutgers and the Buckeyes are coming off their best win of the season last week. Historically, this is a game Ohio State has absolutely rolled in. But Rutgers has shown significant improvements the last year and a half and they are a far more respectable opponent now.
Here's what our staff is expecting on Saturday in Piscataway!
OHIO STATE at RUTGERS – Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
Spread: Ohio State (15.0)
O/U Total: 58.0
Brendan Gulick: Ohio State 48, Rutgers 20
I have a hunch this game will look a lot like the Tulsa game - the Buckeyes win, and the final score appears to be convincing, but it wasn't a particularly comfortable victory.
Ohio State absolutely has better talent, but I'm still a bit skeptical on what I'm seeing defensively right now. I'm essentially throwing out the Akron game because the Zips were so bad at the line of scrimmage that Ohio State completely overpowered them. Rutgers has a much better line than Akron and I think it could be difficult to generate an overpowering pass rush.
Noah Vedral hasn't thrown an interception in four games, Rutgers' special teams units have played fantastic football so far, and the Scarlet Knights' defense is much improved from year's passed. I like Ohio State to move the ball effectively - I'm not expecting a bad day from C.J. Stroud - but I think the final score indicates a wider margin because of an unexpected Buckeyes' TD somewhere along the way.
Andrew Lind: Ohio State 48, Rutgers 21
A lot has changed for the Scarlet Knights since the Buckeyes last visited Piscataway in 2019, as they were 51-point underdogs and had some questioning whether or not Ohio State would break the 100-point mark that afternoon.
The final score wasn’t *that* bad, with the Buckeyes winning 56-21. But the expectations heading into the game spoke to how terrible Rutgers was as a program at that time.
Fast forward two years and the Scarlet Knights are on the upswing under head coach Greg Schiano, who is now in his second stint. As a result, Rutgers is currently 3-1 and only a 15-point underdog this time around.
On paper, this seems like the perfect game for Schiano to get a signature win, especially with Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud returning from injury. But even with his ailing shoulder, the Buckeyes offense has been among the nation’s best.
Expect Ohio State to once again put up a ton of points, but also force Rutgers into a couple of uncharacteristic turnovers on defense to come up with its most convincing win of the season and send a message to the rest of the Big Ten.
Caleb Spinner: Ohio State 24, Rutgers 28
This feels like the year Rutgers could finally score a win in their all-time series against Ohio State. The Buckeyes’ young defense pairing up against a veteran Scarlet Knights offense is a disastrous matchup, at least on paper. I trust Ohio State’s coaching to come out in the long run more than that of Rutgers though if the game gets close. I’m going to give this close game to Rutgers, 28-24.
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