The Buckeyes moved to 4-0 last week after a convincing defeat of Wisconsin in their first Big Ten contest of the season. Despite being without two starting cornerbacks and their best wide receiver, the Buckeyes won easily, 52-21. The revamped defense shined, holding Wisconsin to 21 points and under 300 yards, most of which came during garbage time in the 4th quarter. While CJ Stroud put on another stellar performance, spreading the ball amongst all his available targets. However, the team must remain focused and avoid a trap game against Rutgers, in which they are favored by 40.5 points.
Rutgers’ record of 3-1 is deceiving, with their wins coming against teams .500 or worse while losing to an Iowa team that has been offensively challenged. The Scarlet Knights have seen offensive success with the arm of sophomore Evan Simon and a running back by committee format. Simon has slung the ball around for 566 yards and 3 TDs while three Rutgers running backs sit just over 130 yards and 2 TDs a piece.
Here’s Evan Simon’s touchdown pass to Aron Cruickshank, Rutgers’ first offensive touchdown since the fourth quarter of its win over Wagner: pic.twitter.com/p7xweV4WSh
— Brian Fonseca (@briannnnf) September 25, 2022
When looking at Rutgers on paper and film it could truly be said it would take a miracle for them to win. Playing on the road against the best offense in the Big Ten who has a revitalized defense is not ideal. The Scarlet Knights’ keys to success are much easier said than done:
- Find a way to stop CJ Stroud and the high-powered offense
- Outscore the prolific offense, while facing a defense that hasn’t yet surrendered more than 21 points
- Generate turnovers (Buckeyes have two through 4 games)
On the other side of the ball, the Buckeyes just need to explode out of the gate and never let off the gas. With a significantly improved defense led by Jim Knowles, scoring 28+ points is locking up a win in games at this early stage of the season.
The passing game has remained strong despite seeing star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba remain out, which has to continue. Stroud must utilize the clean pocket to scroll through his progressions and find open targets. Ohio State must also continue to assert its dominance up front with the run game, using the 2-headed monster of Williams and Henderson.
Ultimately, this shouldn’t be a game for more than the opening couple of series. I don’t foresee Rutgers competing at all unless the Buckeyes suffer an implosion like no other.
Prediction: 56-10, Ohio State
Feature Image: Joseph Maiorana, USA Today
Gabe Woodcox is a content contributor for The Silver Bulletin. He is a native of Cleveland, Ohio, and a graduate of The Ohio State University with a major of Sport Industry. Gabe has been working closely with Ohio State athletics during his sport industry tenure, writing for BuckeyesNews and working most recently with 97.1 The Fan. He is an avid Buckeye basketball and sports betting fanatic and will continue his education in a Turf Management Masters program next fall.