Before every Ohio State football game, Matt Tamanini will get you ready with all of the information that you need for that day’s game on the “Land-Grant Tailgate” podcast.
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No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes (-32.5) vs. Rutgers | over/under 54.5
Game Date/Time: Saturday, Nov. 22 at 12 noon. ET
Location:
TV: Fox
Radio: 97.1 FM/1460 AM
While many national media analysts and non-Ohio State fans around the country have gotten on their high horses and declared that
Ryan Day’s Buckeyes have been boring to watch this year, through the first 10 games of OSU’s season, they have been verifiably wrong. While Day has chosen a more methodical approach to the title defense, the play from his team has been anything but boring.
However, I feel like today might change that. With top weapons Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith likely out for the game, Day and offensive coordinator Brian Hartline will almost assuredly rely even more heavily on a running game that has come into its own against subpar competition in recent weeks.
Coming into last week’s game against UCLA, the Bruins’ rush defense was ranked 113th nationally. Well, today, Rutgers is at 125th, third worst among Power 4 schools. So, I expect running backs Bo Jackson, Isaiah West, and an insurgent James Peoples to carry the ball a healthy amount, with returning C.J. Donaldson getting some carries to knock the rust off.
If quarterback Julian Sayin is without the services of Tate and/or Smith, expect tight end Max Klare to feature even more heavily in what will likely be a game plan focused on running as few plays as possible over the course of the game in order to minimize the wear and tear on the guys who do suit up.
If the Buckeyes can get out to a three-touchdown lead in the first half, I would not expect to see many starters, on either side of the ball, after halftime, as OSU will put the game in cruise control, run out the clock, and turn its attention to Ann Arbor and That Team Up North.
Matt’s Predictions: Ohio State 38, Rutgers 13
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