Ohio State vs. Rutgers: Three Things I'm Watching For and a Prediction
Saturday's nightcap in the Big Ten features the best team in the league and the worst team in the league over the last six seasons. But the great thing about college football is that every team has a chance to start with a clean slate each season and Rutgers is making the most of that opportunity. Armed with a new (and old) coach, Greg Schiano has re-made the Scarlet Knights roster and has them playing with confidence. They won the opening game of the year in East Lansing and were competitive last week with Indiana.
So while the Buckeyes are heavy favorites in this game (the spread is currently 38 points), I expect that Rutgers will resemble a more competitive team than we've seen in year's past.
Here are three things I'm watching for and a final score prediction:
How Long Do The Starters Play?
This is both an obvious question and a not-so-obvious question. I don't think there are many people expecting that Rutgers is going to beat the Buckeyes on Saturday, and a 38-point spread would indicate that essentially nobody is betting on it either. It's a big roster management game Ryan Day. Considering Ohio State didn't have any non-conference tune-ups before Big Ten play began, and considering the likelihood of this game eventually becoming a blowout, its fair to wonder about the balance of playing starters vs. playing backups.
Ryan Day provided some interesting perspective this week, admittedly a point I hadn't necessarily considered. When asked a similar question during a press conference this week, he reminded everyone that this particular group of first-team players doesn't exactly have a ton of game reps together as a group themselves. It is difficult to both balance building depth while also making sure your starting group has an appropriate rhythm and snap count.
This shouldn't be a "rush to see second string players" kind of game, but considering how important it is this season to have multiple options at each position because of the pandemic, I do expect that the Buckeyes will showcase some additional depth tomorrow.
Can Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson Each Eclipse 100 Receiving Yards Again?
Justin Fields' two favorite targets each surpassed 100 yards receiving in the first two games of the season, which marks the first time in program history that a pair of teammates accomplished that in back-to-back games. The passing offense has looked lethal through two games and there is certainly potential for Olave and Wilson to cross that threshold again, but perhaps some of that may be determined by how long they each stay on the field.
Which Freshman Will Stand Out Most?
Assuming that Ohio State will play some of its freshman tomorrow, which one(s) will make the biggest impression? Could it be either Jack Miller or C.J. Stroud at quarterback? Perhaps Julian Fleming or Jaxon Smith-Njigba at wide receiver? Maybe one of the four freshmen cornerbacks makes a few big plays in a secondary that needs to keep developing. I'm looking forward to seeing some of the younger players stand out when they get their chance.
Prediction
Ohio State 55, Rutgers 10
I don't think this is going to be a game for very long. Despite the fact that Rutgers is improved, I don't think they can hang with the Scarlet and Gray for long. I would be surprised if the Buckeyes lead this game by fewer than 21 points at halftime.
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