Where: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
TV/Radio: Big Ten Network/1410
Series history: Ohio State is 6-0 against Rutgers, including a 56-21 win in Piscataway last season. The Buckeyes have scored at least 49 points in every game against the Scarlet Knights.
Last game: Justin Fields threw four touchdown passes and J.K. Dobbins ran for two more as Ohio State turned up for a season-ending gauntlet against Penn State, Michigan and the Big Ten West champion with a 56-21 victory last November. In that contest, Rutgers scored a touchdown against Ohio State for the first time in four years.
Coaches: Ohio State’s Ryan Day is 18-1, including 12–0 against Big Ten foes. Greg Schiano is 1-1 in his second stint as Rutgers head coach. He was 68-67 in his first tenure.
Ohio State notes: Quarterback Justin Fields has completed 87.3 pct. of his passes – 48 of 55 – for 594 yards and six TDs with no interceptions. He is No. 2 nationally in passing efficiency with a rating of 214.0)… Fields has accounted for as many TDs (seven) as he has thrown incompletions… Ohio State has tied Notre Dame (1941-49) for consecutive road wins over Associated Press ranked teams: 10. Ohio State’s streak started in 2012. (Ed. note: This was previously reported as a new record.).. New Jersey natives on Ohio State’s 2020 roster are junior DE Tyler Friday (Ramsey, N.J./Don Bosco Prep), redshirt sophomore DE Javontae Jean-Baptiste (Spring Valley, N.J./Bergan Catholic), redshirt freshman safety Ronnie Hickman (Wayne, N.J./DePaul Catholic), freshman OL Luke Wypler (Montvale, N.J./St. Joseph Regional) and freshman LB Cody Simon (Jersey City, N.J./St. Peter’s Prep)… Prior to 2019, the Buckeyes had outscored the Scarlet Knights by an average of 54.2-5.4.
Rutgers notes: Schiano was an assistant at Ohio State from 2016-18… The Scarlet Knights have already won more Big Ten games than they did in the last two seasons combined, when they were 0-18 in conference play… Rutgers entered the season projected to be 110th out of 127 NCAA FBS teams according to ESPN’s SP+, but the Scarlet Knights are 87th this week in the measure of efficiency and explosiveness… Safety Brendon White (Olentangy Liberty), running back Kay’Ron Adams (Warren Harding) and offensive lineman Brendan Bordner (Hilliard Bradley) are from the Buckeye State… White is a transfer from Ohio State… Other former Ohio State coaches or staffers on the Rutgers staff are special team’s coordinator Adam Scheier (Ohio State quality control in 2017), linebackers coach Bob Fraser (quality control at Ohio State 2016-18) and offensive assistant Adam Weber (Ohio State defensive assistant from 2014-16).
Quoted: Schiano on his time at Ohio State: “We had a really good experience — my family, myself. I made some dear friends. Urban (Meyer) was a good friend before, but I met a lot of really fine people — from Gene Smith, an athletic director, to Kerry Coombs, who’s a dear friend. And as I said earlier, Ryan Day, Mickey Marotti — there’s so many guys. Luke Fickell, I only got to work with him for a year, but he is another stand-up guy. There’s a lot of really good people that I had a chance to work with at Ohio State that they’ll be lifelong friends. So I look at it as a great experience.”
Next game: The Buckeyes are scheduled to play at Maryland at 3:30 p.m. next Saturday while Rutgers will play host to Illinois at noon.
Prediction: Ohio State 49, Rutgers 17
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