Ohio State vs. Rutgers: Complete Game Preview
No. 1 Ohio State registered a dominant 38-10 victory over Penn State last Saturday, but Urban Meyer's team came out of the game with more questions at quarterback, as Cardale Jones faltered and J.T. Barrett surged in the 28-point victory.
The Buckeyes (7-0) will look for clarity against the surging Rutgers Scarlet Knights (3-3), who rallied from 25 points down with 18 minutes to go to beat Indiana 55-52 last Saturday.
Will the Buckeyes continue to roll toward a second appearance in the College Football Playoff, or can the Scarlet Knights pull the upset?
Viewing Information
Date: Saturday, October 24
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Place: High Point Solutions Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey
TV: ABC
Spread: Ohio State (-20.5), via Odds Shark
Ohio State Keys to Victory
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Continue Red-Zone Surge
Despite an incredible array of offensive firepower, the Buckeyes were horrendous in the red zone through the first five weeks of the season, converting just six touchdowns in 16 trips inside their opponent's 20-yard line.
That prompted Urban Meyer to insert J.T. Barrett into the offense as a situational red-zone quarterback, a move that has worked wonders for the offense. Over the last two weeks, the Buckeyes have scored 10 touchdowns on 11 red-zone trips, leading to a pair of blowout victories over Maryland and Penn State.
Barrett's running ability has opened up a whole new element to Ohio State's offense—especially in scoring situations.
Get off to a Quick Start
As a 20.5-point favorite, the Buckeyes just need to focus on the little things and execute their game plan to leave Piscataway with a win. That includes avoiding costly penalties and turnovers while forcing them defensively.
But the biggest objective on the road against an underdog of this magnitude is getting an early lead to take the wind out of the crowd.
The Buckeyes have been good in the first quarter, outscoring their opponents 41-14 heading into the Penn State game last week. They were blanked by the Nittany Lions, but they ripped off 21 unanswered points in the second quarter to take control of the game.
If Ohio State can get off to a hot start this weekend, it should cruise to an easy victory.
Rutgers Keys to Victory
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Get Chris Laviano in a Rhythm
Rutgers has a trio of great running backs in Josh Hicks, Robert Martin and Paul James, but it'll need to get the passing game going to bring balance against Ohio State's stingy defense.
Chris Laviano has been an outstanding game manager for Rutgers, completing 69.3 percent of his passes for 1,388 yards and 12 touchdowns (against six interceptions) so far this season.
But he hit his stride two weeks ago against Michigan State, throwing for three touchdowns and no interceptions in a near-upset of the Spartans. And last week against Indiana, he threw for a career-high 386 yards and three touchdowns in the wild win.
Penn State running back Saquon Barkley proved that Ohio State is susceptible to big runs, as he gashed the defense with 194 yards on 26 carries. If Rutgers can pound the Buckeyes on the ground and Laviano has a rhythm in the passing game, it can give Ohio State fits.
Contain the Running Game
After opening the season with 359 rushing yards against a solid Virginia Tech defense, the Buckeyes' rushing attack averaged just 189 yards per game against a trio of overmatched opponents—Hawaii, Northern Illinois and Western Michigan—to close out the nonconference slate. But Ohio State has found a groove in conference play, averaging 256.3 yards on the ground in the last three weeks.
The Buckeyes have yet to find a rhythm through the air, though, as Cardale Jones has struggled with his accuracy. J.T. Barrett completed all four of his passes against Penn State—two of which went for touchdowns—but until they show that they can consistently beat a secondary over the top, Rutgers should sell out against the run.
Ohio State Players to Watch
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J.T. Barrett
Urban Meyer has bounced back and forth between Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett at quarterback, but over the last two weeks, it's Barrett who's had the bigger impact behind center.
Two weeks ago against Maryland, Jones managed the offense outside of the red zone while Barrett came in to cap Ohio State's drives. But Jones struggled last week against Penn State, completing nine of 15 passes for just 84 yards. He was benched in favor of Barrett, who piled up 132 yards of total offense (102 rushing, 30 passing) to complement four total touchdowns.
Barrett's performance will make Meyer re-evaluate his quarterback situation, and he'll make a decision early this week, according to Austin Ward of ESPN.com.
Eli Apple and Gareon Conley
Ohio State will have a tall task in defending Leonte Carroo, Rutgers' talented All-Big Ten receiver.
The bulk of that responsibility will fall on the shoulders of Eli Apple and Gareon Conley. Ohio State has gotten great play from the pair of cornerbacks, who have combined for 41 tackles, two interceptions and eight pass breakups.
The Buckeyes secondary has played well as a whole, and it ranked ninth nationally in passing yards allowed, averaging 147.5 yards per game entering the Penn State game. But Christian Hackenberg and the Nittany Lions' passing attack was a real test for the unit, and the Buckeyes surrendered just seven completions and 120 yards.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Rutgers Players to Watch
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Leonte Carroo
Leonte Carroo is one of the most talented pass-catchers in the country, but he's had a rough season off the field that cost him two games against Penn State and Kansas.
Rutgers has benefited greatly from having him back in the fold, as he's hauled in 14 receptions for 291 yards and six touchdowns over the last two weeks alone. But late in the game against the Hoosiers last week, Carroo was sidelined with an ankle injury and didn't return. But there's no doubt in his mind that he'll be ready to go when Ohio State comes calling this Saturday.
"I'll definitely be playing next week," Carroo said, according to Ryan Dunleavy of APP.com.
And if Rutgers pulls the upset, it will likely be Carroo leading the way.
Steve Longa
The Scarlet Knights have been far from stout defensively this season, and they're a week removed from getting gashed for 52 points and 627 yards by Indiana.
It's been a long year for the defense, which ranks 105th nationally, giving up 447.3 yards per game. But Steve Longa is a captain and the leader of the unit and is averaging 11 tackles per game, which is tied for sixth nationally. He was busy against the Hoosiers last week, piling up a game-high 16 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble.
What They're Saying
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Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott has rushed for at least 100 yards in 12 straight games, and he doesn't think that streak will end soon with the way his offensive line is playing, according to Eric Seger of Eleven Warriors.
"If the O-line plays like that, it’s not going to be hard (to keep the streak alive). I was watching that Michigan State-Team Up North game and both of those are really good defenses. Looking at the stats those running backs only had 30 yards. If the O-line plays the way that it played today, I don’t think there’s a team in the country.
"
Rutgers coach Kyle Flood talked about the culture of his football program after the incredible come-from-behind victory against Indiana.
"It's adjustments, it's guys making plays," Flood said, via Michael Marot of the Associated Press (via KSL.com). "I think it's just a matter of continuing to compete and it's not easy to do. It takes tough-minded people, and I think we have that."
Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett didn't look sharp at the beginning of the year, but he talked about finding his rhythm against Maryland and Penn State over the last two weeks, according to Bill Landis of the Northeast Ohio Media Group.
"I think it was really my mindset," he said. "The first few weeks I was trying to come out, trying to make plays and forcing it. That's asking for bad things to happen, when you try to force things instead of letting them come to you."
Prediction
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Things will get ugly pretty quickly for the home team.
Ohio State will start the game with a quick strike as J.T. Barrett throws a short bubble screen to Braxton Miller, who will juke two Rutgers defenders before racing for a 70-yard touchdown. After forcing a three-and-out on Rutgers' first drive, the Buckeyes will score again as they ride Ezekiel Elliott during a 10-play, 70-yard drive.
The Scarlet Knights will temporarily stop the bleeding with a field goal on the ensuing drive, but a pair of second-quarter touchdown passes from Barrett will essentially put the game out of reach by halftime.
Leonte Carroo will torch the Buckeyes secondary for a 60-yard touchdown to open the second half, but that will be the lone highlight during an otherwise dominant performance from the Buckeyes.
Prediction: Ohio State 48, Rutgers 20
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
