Ohio State vs. Rutgers: Game Grades, Analysis for the Buckeyes

No. 1 Ohio State hadn't had a truly dominant performance on both sides of the ball this season, but that changed in a big way when it blasted Rutgers 49-7 in High Point Solutions Stadium Saturday night.

Quarterback J.T. Barrett shined in his first start of the season for the Buckeyes (8-0), leading an offense that piled up 528 total yards and averaged 7.5 yards per play. On the other side of the ball, Joey Bosa and the Silver Bullets flexed their muscle, giving up just 293 yards of total offense to the Scarlet Knights (3-4), 90 of which came on the final drive against the second-team unit.

Positional Unit	1st-Half Grade	Final Grade
Pass Offense	A	A
Run Offense	A	A
Pass Defense	A	A-
Run Defense	A-	A
Special Teams	B+	A
Coaching	A	A

Ohio State Buckeyes Grade Analysis

Pass Offense

It looked like Ohio State was in for another quiet night through the air after the first quarter when Barrett completed just two of three passes for 31 yards. But that changed in a big way in the second when Barrett connected on a quick out-route to Michael Thomas, who broke a tackle and raced 50 yards for a touchdown. On the next drive, Braxton Miller got behind the defense and hauled in an insane 45-yard catch to set up Ohio State's second score.

That first half set up a big performance for Barrett, who finished the game completing 14 of 18 passes for 223 yards and three touchdowns (against no interceptions).

Run Offense

It's been a recent trend for Ezekiel Elliott to struggle in the first half, and that was certainly the case against Rutgers Saturday night. Ohio State's star running back was bottled up for 15 yards on nine carries, but he did punch in a two-yard touchdown for the game's first score. It was Barrett who paced the run game through two quarters, as he piled up 85 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.

But like previous weeks, Elliott and Ohio State's offensive line wore down the defense in the second half. Elliott had a huge second half, highlighted by a 55-yard touchdown run, as he finished with 142 yards and two scores. 

Pass Defense

Leonte Carroo is one of the most lethal wide receivers in all of college football, and he's been absolutely torching defenses as of late. In the two games leading up to Saturday night's showdown, Carroo had hauled in 14 receptions for 291 yards and an incredible six touchdowns. Scarlet Knights quarterback Chris Laviano has been an efficient game-manager, completing nearly 70 percent of his passes with a 12-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

Mel Evans/Associated Press

The Buckeyes limited the passing attack effectively in the first half, though, as Laviano threw for just 99 yards, 55 of which went to Carroo. The second half went worse for Rutgers after Carroo re-tweaked his ankle. Laviano finished with just 10 completions for 117 yards and an interception.

Run Defense

Ohio State was absolutely gashed by Penn State running back Saquon Barkley for 194 yards on just 26 carries last week, and it raised some big questions about Ohio State's ability to stop the run. Those issues were compounded when Tommy Schutt broke his wrist against Penn State, taking away Ohio State's best run-stuffing defensive tackle.

It looked like it was going to be a long night for the defense when Rutgers running back Paul James took his first four carries for 35 effortless yards. But the front seven tightened things up and shut the Scarlet Knights' rushing attack down. The Buckeyes allowed just 104 rushing yards on 29 carries Saturday night.

Special Teams

Much like Ohio State's offense and defense, the special teams units could do no wrong against the overmatched Scarlet Knights. 

Jalin Marshall got loose for a 29-yard punt return in the first half. Gareon Conley broke free to block a punt early in the fourth quarter. The only negative came in the first half when punter Cameron Johnston got a bad bounce on a 29-yard punt. But that was the only hiccup in an otherwise solid outing. 

Coaching 

J.T. Barrett's first start of the season makes you wonder what the coaching staff was seeing in practice to stick with Cardale Jones at quarterback for so long. But that mistake was corrected before the most important stretch of the season—the back-to-back games against Michigan State and Michigan—as Barrett is the clear choice for this offense.

Ohio State came in with a game plan to establish the ground game and ease Barrett into the passing attack, and that was executed to perfection. 

David Regimbal is the Ohio State football Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @davidreg412.