PREVIEW: No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Head coach Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes travel to the east coast for a defensive showdown.

The Buckeyes will miss their fans for a second straight week.

Coming off a 24-10 victory at Wisconsin Saturday, the Buckeyes will have their first two-game road trip of the season as they travel to Piscataway, New Jersey, to face Rutgers this weekend.

The Buckeyes (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) have remained unblemished this season despite the team's constant injury concerns and ups and downs. Junior quarterback Kyle McCord is likely still recovering from a tough outing in which he tossed two interceptions — more than he had previously all season.

However, Ohio State will continue to ride the talent of junior receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who comes in at No. 6 in Heisman odds this week. In addition, the team returned running back TreVeyon Henderson, who posted over 200 scrimmage yards after missing three games.

As for the Scarlet Knights (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten), they have been a surprise to most this season — led by head coach Greg Schiano, Rutgers is having its best start since going 7-1 in 2012. This year may be the team’s best chance at upsetting Ohio State since joining the Big Ten in 2014.

And the Knights have a lot to look forward to — despite being unranked, the team has a top 10 overall defense in the country, allowing only 276.8 total yards per game.

On top of that, they rank No. 2 in passing defense in the conference — having allowed 1250 total pass yards all season — in part thanks to junior cornerback Robert Longerbeam, who has a Big Ten-leading eight pass breakups.

On the other side of the ball, junior running back Kyle Monangai has led the charge. He ranks No. 2 in the conference in rush yards behind a brick wall of an offensive line — one that has allowed a league-best seven sacks.

History is on the Buckeyes side, however, with a 9-0 record by an average of 42.1 points over the Knights.

Wisconsin

2023 Record: 6-2

Head Coach: Greg Schiano

Offensive Key Players:

Passing: Gavin Wimsatt

2023 Stats: 91 of 181 for 1163 yards, seven touchdowns, four interceptions

Rushing: Kyle Monangai

2023 Stats: 144 carries for 744 yards, seven touchdowns

Receiving: Christian Dremel

2023 Stats: 23 receptions for 294 yards, three touchdowns

Defensive Leaders

Tackles: LB Tyreem Powell, 52

Sacks: DL Wesley Bailey, 3

Interceptions: Robert Longerbeam, 1

Pass Breakups: Robert Longerbeam, 8