PISCATAWAY – Rutgers football has already earned a sixth win and traditional bowl eligibility, but now the Scarlet Knights have a chance to test themselves against the top team in college football when they go up against Ohio State on Saturday at SHI Stadium.
The Buckeyes are ranked No. 3 in the AP Top 25, but earned the top spot in the College Football Playoff rankings that were released Tuesday night.
“I like it as an amazing opportunity,” quarterback Gavin Wimsatt said. “The No. 3 team in the country is coming to our stadium this weekend in front of our fans. Just the opportunity to compete and be out there with my guys and play the game we love.”
For Rutgers, it’s an opportunity to take another step forward against a team it’s never beaten in nine previous tries. Of course, pulling off an upset is going to be challenging – the Buckeyes are loaded with talent on both sides of the ball.
But this season’s Scarlet Knights are better than the Rutgers teams Ohio State has faced in recent years – just how much better will be determined on Saturday.
Greg Schiano’s team does have the advantage of coming off a bye week, something the Scarlet Knights needed after playing eight straight weeks.
“The bye week was good,” Wimsatt said. “Got the body feeling better, got more cumulative reps.”
Rutgers is 11-5 under Schiano directly off a bye week, and that includes wins in each of the last two years.
What channel is the Rutgers vs Ohio State game on?
The game will be shown nationally on CBS with kickoff scheduled for noon. Tom McCarthy will be on play-by-play alongside analyst Ross Tucker with Tiffany Blackmon on the sidelines.
How can I watch the Rutgers-Ohio State game without cable? Is the Rutgers-Ohio State game streaming?
The Scarlet Knights’ game against the Buckeyes will be streamed on Paramount+.
Radio
The game can be heard on the RWJBarnabas Health Rutgers Sports Network (WFAN 101.9 FM/660 AM, FOX Sports New Jersey 93.5 FM/1450 AM, SiriusXM 99 or 203, SXM app, Audacy app, Scarlet Knights app). Chris Carlin will be on play-by-play alongside analysts Mike Teel and Eric LeGrand with Anthony Fucilli on the sidelines.
Weather forecast
Forecasts are calling for mostly sunny skies with a high temperature of 63 degrees for Saturday in Piscataway. Winds will be out of the SW at 6 mph. There is a 12 percent chance of precipitation.
Rutgers vs Ohio State point spread
Rutgers is an 18½-point underdog, according to BetMGM.
Previous games
Rutgers (vs. Northwestern, W, 24-7; vs. Temple, W, 36-7; vs. Virginia Tech, W, 35-16; at Michigan, L, 31-7; vs. Wagner, W, 52-3; at Wisconsin, L, 24-13; vs. Michigan State, W, 27-24; at Indiana, W, 31-14).
Ohio State (at Indiana, W, 23-3; vs. Youngstown State, W, 35-7; vs. Western Kentucky, W, 63-10; at Notre Dame, W, 17-14; vs. Maryland, W, 37-17; at Purdue, W, 41-7; vs. Penn State, W, 20-12; at Wisconsin, W, 24-10).
Rutgers-Ohio State series history
Ohio State has won all nine of the previous meetings between the two teams. The Buckeyes won last season’s meeting, 49-10, in Columbus. Ohio State won 52-13 in 2021, the last time the teams played at SHI Stadium.
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Three questions facing Rutgers football vs Ohio State
1. Can the Scarlet Knights limit Marvin Harrison Jr.
Harrison is one of the best players in the country as a Heisman Trophy candidate, leading the Big Ten with 889 receiving yards on 48 catches with eight touchdowns. Rutgers’ secondary is going to have to find a way to contain him to remove one of the Buckeyes’ biggest weapons.
2. Will Rutgers be able to run the ball?
The success of the Scarlet Knights’ offense this season has largely depended on how well they’re able to run the ball, something that won’t be easy to do against Ohio State. The Buckeyes have the fourth-best run defense in the Big Ten, allowing 99.8 yards on the ground per game. That number actually drops to 88.6 in five conference matchups.
3. Can Rutgers avoid turning the ball over?
The Scarlet Knights have to play a clean football game to give themselves a chance of keeping it close, let alone pulling off the upset. That means they can’t afford to turn the ball over and give Ohio State more chances to score or good field position. Rutgers suffered backbreaking pick sixes against Michigan and Wisconsin. It needs to avoid those against Ohio State.
