Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights Complete Game Preview
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A week after enjoying—or perhaps enduring—its second bye in the past four weeks, the Ohio State football team will return to action on Saturday when the Buckeyes host Rutgers at Ohio Stadium.
After bouncing back from its loss to Virginia Tech in the second week of the season, Ohio State has reeled off three consecutive victories and is hoping to maintain the momentum that it found before entering last week's bye.
In the Scarlet Knights, the Buckeyes will be squaring off with a 5-1 squad whose only loss came to Penn State in a 13-10 defeat on Sept. 13. Rutgers is far from a powerhouse, but Kyle Flood's program is enjoying significantly more success than most expected from it in its Big Ten debut season.
Ohio State, meanwhile, appears to have gotten its season back on track following last month's defeat at the hands of the Hokies. But as we've seen lately, a lot can change in college football from week to week, and the Buckeyes will need to prove that not too much has changed in the past two.
Date: Saturday, Oct. 18
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Place: Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio
TV: ABC/ESPN 2
Spread: Ohio State (-19.5), via Odds Shark
Ohio State Keys to Victory
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Maintain Momentum
As Urban Meyer often says, in college football, momentum is everything, and two weeks ago there may not have been a team in the country with more than Ohio State. But the Buckeyes' string of impressive victories has been somewhat choppy since their loss to Virginia Tech, thanks in large part to Ohio State's unusual schedule setup.
"It's uncomfortable to be honest with you," Meyer said. “The first [bye] week, I think, came at the right time. You can see we played pretty well afterwards. This one, I don’t know. It always remains to be seen."
Which is why it will be so important for the Buckeyes to reassert their dominance early and often on Saturday, especially on an offensive unit that appeared to be clicking on all cylinders behind the play of redshirt freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett. Ohio State has scored no fewer than 50 points in each of its three post-Virginia Tech games, indicative of the quick starts that have jump-started the Buckeyes' success.
OSU would be best served replicating that formula against the Scarlet Knights, rolling Rutgers before a game can ever really get started. The Buckeyes have certainly shown the ability to do as much in recent weeks but will have to prove that one week off wasn't enough to cool down one of the hottest offenses in America.
Prevent the Pass
While pass defense has been Ohio State's Achilles' heel for the better part of the past year, the Buckeyes showed improvement in their last game against Maryland, allowing just 244 yards through the air to the Terrapins. But Ohio State still gave up a 60-yard reception to Maryland wideout Jacquille Veii, the type of big play that has plagued the Buckeyes in the past two seasons.
“On defense, the last couple games we played excellent defense, but then you have two mishits—either a coverage blown or a guy gets beat," Meyer said. "So we’ve got to fix that.”
That will ring especially true against Scarlet Knights quarterback Gary Nova, who has thrown for 1,611 yards and 13 touchdowns through Rutgers' first six games. But the senior signal-caller has also tallied seven interceptions, five of which came in the Knights' lost to the Nittany Lions.
With a new press-coverage scheme that places an emphasis on creating turnovers, Nova could very well be in for another long day during his trip to Columbus. If that's the case, this should be an easy Ohio State victory, but it will be up to the Buckeyes to turn their weakness into a strength on Saturday.
Rutgers Keys to Victory
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Need For Nova
On the flip side of Ohio State's keys to victory, Rutgers won't be able to win this game without a big showing from Nova, a fourth-year starter and New Jersey native. The Scarlet Knights can only simply go as far as their quarterback takes them, as evidenced by Rutgers' 267.5 passing yards per game, good for the nation's 36th-ranked aerial assault.
Whether Nova can continue his strong season during his time in Columbus remains to be seen, but the Knights will need for him to look more like the player who threw three touchdowns against Michigan than the one who was picked off five times by the Nittany Lions. His experience will also be crucial, although even he is yet to play in an atmosphere like Ohio Stadium's.
Also keep an eye on junior wideout Leonte Carroo, who leads the Knights with 29 receptions, 548 yards and five touchdowns on the year. With a subpar passing attack, Rutgers will test Ohio State often through the air, hoping to come out the better side of Saturday's crucial matchup.
"D" Up
While Rutgers has proved efficient on offense, its defense has been more suspect, as the Scarlet Knights rank 70th in the nation in total defense. Rutgers also ranks 43rd in points allowed per game, surrendering an average of 21.7 points per game.
That could spell a recipe for disaster against a Buckeyes offense that appears to have found its footing under Barrett, as Ohio State measures in at fifth in the nation in points scored per game with 44.6 per game. If they're going to score an upset, the Knights are going to have to tighten up their defensive approach and not allow the Buckeyes to run wild as they have in their past three games.
Doing that, of course, is easier said than done, as the Ohio State offense finally appears to be meeting Meyer's vision. But in addition to Nova playing to his capacity, the Rutgers defense will have to play its best game of the season if it's going to have any shot walking away from Columbus with a win.
Ohio State Players to Watch
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J.T. Barrett
While Barrett has proved himself through the first month-and-a-half of his college career, this weekend will serve as another test for the redshirt freshman who ranks third in the country in passing efficiency. Although the Buckeyes win as a whole, Barrett in particular will need to pick up right where he left off following his 338-yard, five-touchdown outing against Maryland two weeks ago.
While a plethora of playmakers on the Ohio State roster are beginning to prove themselves, the Buckeyes simply can't afford to receive a subpar game from their quarterback, who is beginning to creep his way into the Heisman Trophy conversation.
With all that is asked of the quarterback in Meyer's spread offense, Barrett's progress is certainly something worth monitoring on a game-by-game basis, as it will go a long way toward determining Ohio State's ceiling for the remainder of the season.
On pace to break Braxton Miller's single-season school-total-yardage record, Barrett could be on the brink of something special but now has to deal with having his momentum temporarily interrupted for the second time in the past month. Last time he came off of a bye, Barrett posted 330 passing yard and four touchdowns in a win over Cincinnati, and he will look to show similar strides in the coming week.
Ezekiel Elliott
Like Barrett, running back Ezekiel Elliott has found plenty of success as of late, rushing for a combined 321 yards in the Buckeyes' past two games alone. A big part of Ohio State's ability to stave off the "Bear" defense that stifled it against Virginia Tech, Elliott has provided versatility in both the Buckeyes' passing and rushing approaches.
Facing a rushing defense that ranks 15th in the nation, Elliott will have his work cut out for him against Rutgers, which has surrendered an average of 110.2 yards per game on the ground. And with Ohio State anticipating seeing some "Bear" look from the Scarlet Knights, Elliott's involvement in the Buckeyes' game plan may only increase, as opponents have shown a propensity for attempting to copy the Hokies' success.
At this point in the season, Elliott has established himself as Ohio State's top running back but will need to continue to earn his carries with freshman Curtis Samuel returning from injury and senior Rod Smith showing steady improvement.
As the Buckeyes look get their feet back under them following the bye, their run game could prove to be crucial and a crutch they can lean on should the passing game take a step back.
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Rutgers Players to Watch
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Gary Nova
It's already been mentioned (twice) here, but Nova's importance to Rutgers' success can't go understated. Ranking fifth in the nation with a passer rating of 170.9, Nova is the straw that stirs the drink for the Scarlet Knights, but he has also been responsible for tipping it over on occasion.
Such was the case against Penn State, when his five interceptions lowlighted his team's Big Ten opener. But in Nova's last two outings, he's combined for seven touchdowns and just one interception, each of which were uncoincidentally Scarlet Knight victories.
Which form of Nova shows up on Saturday will go a long way toward determining whether Rutgers has a shot at pulling off the upset on Saturday. He can either be the Knights' greatest strength or most glaring weakness, which will make him a true X-factor for both teams on Saturday.
Kemoko Turay
While he may only be a redshirt freshman, it hasn't taken long for Kemoko Turay to make an impact in his college career, as the Rutgers defensive end leads his team with 5.5 sacks on the season through the Knights' first six games. At 6'6" and 235 pounds, Turay possesses a nice blend of size and speed, which has allowed him to make a living in the backfield of opponents on a consistent basis.
"He's got a unique skill set," Flood said of Turay. "You've got to coach guys so that they can maximize their abilities, and he's got a unique skill set. So there are certain things we'll have the opportunity to coach Kemoko to do, that maybe we wouldn't coach other guys because it just wouldn't fit into what their skill set."
As Ohio State attempts to regain its rhythm, look for Flood to try to maximize Turay's ability in an effort to prevent that from happening. And although the Ohio State offensive line was coming into its own in recent weeks, it also hasn't had to deal with many pass-rushers as talented as Turay.
What They're Saying
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As he has for the better part of the past two weeks, Meyer opened his weekly press conference by bemoaning the Buckeyes' unusual schedule setup. The Ohio State head coach admitted that he wishes his team could have continued playing following its impressive outing in Maryland two weeks ago.
"I felt like our team had a lot of momentum after the Maryland game to go on the road and play like that," Meyer said. "We've got to somehow retake that momentum. This is somewhat of unchartered waters for our staff and myself."
As for the game itself, Meyer has been impressed by what he's seen from Rutgers thus far this season. He was particularly impressed with the Knights' effort against Michigan, crediting Nova for Rutgers' most recent win.
"We've got to crank it up today [preparing] against a team—their last game was a tremendous effort by their quarterback," Meyer said. "We just gotta be ready to go. I'm sure we will."
From a Rutgers perspective, playing in the Big Ten is nothing new for the Knights at this point in the season, but they're yet to play in an environment comparable to Ohio Stadium. Flood, however, doesn't expect his team to be shellshocked, as it looks to make a statement this Saturday.
"It certainly doesn't really affect how we prepare for the game," Flood said. "It doesn't affect how we feel about our opponent. We have tremendous respect for this football team because of what they have accomplished and what they look like on film, and now we go about the business of trying to put a game plan together and find the matchups that we think will fit us best."
Prediction
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Although much has been made about Ohio State's week off, I don't anticipate the Buckeyes having much trouble picking up right where they left off two weeks ago. In fact, with such a young team, it could ultimately be a positive for Ohio State to get an extra week of practice in under its belt whenever possible.
Look for the Buckeyes to attempt to continue to emphasize the fast starts that they've been able to benefit from lately, a tactic that could prevent Rutgers from ever making this a true contest. Ohio State has strung together three blowouts since its loss to Virginia Tech, and a fourth one could very well be on its way.
I expect the Buckeyes offense to continue its hot streak and the defense to continue its steady stream of improvement. While Nova is capable of big plays, I suspect that he's in store for a repeat of his Penn State performance this Saturday.
It may be too early to start looking ahead, but all roads for the Buckeyes appear to be pointing back toward Nov. 8's matchup at Michigan State. First, Ohio State will have to take care of business against the likes of the Scarlet Knights, which I fully expect it to do this Saturday.
Final score: Ohio State 56, Rutgers 17
Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Ohio State Lead Writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes obtained firsthand. All recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.
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