While Ohio State is heavily favored to beat Rutgers once again on Saturday, this year’s matchup with the Scarlet Knights at least comes with some fun storylines.
Multiple former Buckeyes will be making their return to Ohio Stadium for Scarlet Knights, and thanks in part to them as well as many other new players and coaches in Piscataway this season, Rutgers has been more competitive so far this season than it has been in just about every other season since it joined the Big Ten.
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1-1 ROSTER / SCHEDULE |
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7:30 P.M. – SATURDAY, NOV. 7 OHIO STADIUM COLUMBUS, OHIO |
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BTN FOX SPORTS GO |
As Ohio State prepares to host Rutgers for a game under the lights on Saturday night in the Shoe, we take our first look at the Buckeyes’ third opponent of the 2020 season and what you should know about the Scarlet Knights.
They’re Better Than They’ve Been
This isn’t saying much, considering how low the bar was set during the Chris Ash era. Rutgers hasn’t won more than four games in a season (and we're talking about full 12-game regular seasons) since 2014, and going into this season, the Scarlet Knights had lost 21 straight Big Ten games dating back to 2017.
That said, it took Rutgers just one game in this conference game-only season to snap that streak, as the Scarlet Knights defeated Michigan State, 38-27, in their season opener, which was also just their second road win since 2016. They lost their second game of the season, 37-21, against Indiana on Saturday, but even that demonstrated improvement from last season, when the Scarlet Knights lost all nine of their Big Ten games by an average of more than 33 points.
Rutgers is in for its toughest test of the season to date by far against Ohio State, who opened as a 37-point favorite for Saturday’s game, but while the Scarlet Knights aren’t likely to give the Buckeyes much of a test, they are at least showing the ability to compete with other Big Ten teams rather than simply being the conference’s punching bag.
Several Ohio State Connections
One of the popular storylines of this week’s game will be Greg Schiano’s return to Ohio Stadium, as Rutgers’ head coach – in the first year of his second tenure coaching the Scarlet Knights after previously coaching them from 2001-11 – will be back in the Shoe for the first time since he was Ohio State’s defensive coordinator from 2016-18.
While Schiano’s tenure with the Buckeyes ended unceremoniously after they allowed more points and yards than any previous season in school history in 2018, the New Jersey native led the Scarlet Knights to winning records in the six of the final seven seasons of his previous tenure in Piscataway, and was widely regarded as an ideal hire when Rutgers brought him back following last season.
So far, the very early returns on Schiano’s second tenure with the Scarlet Knights have been positive, as they have shown signs of life on the field while also becoming more competitive on the recruiting trail.
His coaching staff features multiple assistants who previously worked with him at Ohio State. Linebackers coach Bob Fraser was a quality control coach for the Buckeyes from 2016-18, while special teams coordinator Adam Scheier was also a quality control coach for the Buckeyes in 2017.
Rutgers’ roster also includes multiple former Buckeyes who transferred to the Scarlet Knights after previously playing for Schiano at Ohio State. Brendon White, who started for the Buckeyes in 2018 but left Ohio State after being demoted to a backup role last season, is now a starting safety at Rutgers. Malik Barrow, who was medically disqualified from playing at Ohio State in 2018 after suffering three ACL tears, is now a backup defensive end for the Scarlet Knights after he spent the 2019 season at UCF.
Brendon White has 17 total tackles in his first two games at Rutgers. (Photo: Raj Mehta – USA TODAY Sports)
Transfers from All Over the Big Ten
White, who’s recorded 17 total tackles and an interception in Rutgers’ first two games of the year, and Barrow, who’s played in each of the first two games though he hasn’t yet recorded any statistics, are far from the only players on the Scarlet Knights’ roster who transferred from other Big Ten schools. And many of them, like White, are already playing major roles in their first seasons at Rutgers.
Rutgers’ new starting quarterback is Noah Vedral, who spent the previous two years backing up Adrian Martinez at Nebraska after starting his collegiate career at UCF. Former Wisconsin wide receiver Aron Cruickshank, a second-team All-Big Ten returner in 2019, is now a starting receiver and the lead kickoff returner for Rutgers. Michael Dwumfour, a former Michigan defensive lineman who started four games for the Wolverines, is now a starting defensive tackle for the Scarlet Knights.
Among a multitude of other transfers on the roster – like former West Virginia tight end Jovani Haskins, who’s now Rutgers’ starter at that position – those players have brought a much-needed influx of talent to Piscataway, and they’ve started to deliver immediate results as upgrades for Rutgers as their respective positions.
Fatukasi, Melton Among Early Top Performers
Rutgers doesn’t have a lot of players who should strike fear into the Buckeyes or who would play major roles on Ohio State’s significantly more talented roster, but there are a few Scarlet Knights who have stood out as top performers early in the season that the Buckeyes should be accounting for in their game plan this week.
One of those players is linebacker Olakunle Fatukasi, who earned Bednarik Award national player of the week and Big Ten co-defensive player of the week honors after he recorded 10 total tackles, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries against Michigan State. He followed that up on Saturday by recording 14 total tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss against Indiana, and he currently ranks second in total tackles among all Big Ten defenders.
Wide receiver Bo Melton has been the Scarlet Knights’ early star on offense, catching eight passes for 101 yards including two touchdown receptions against Indiana. He also had a 39-yard kickoff return and recovered a fumble in punt coverage against Michigan State.
Bo Melton (18) and Olakunle Fatukasi (3) have been two of Rutgers' top performers so far this season. (Photo: Raj Mehta – USA TODAY Sports)
Linebacker Mohamed Toure and cornerback Avery Young were also top performers in the win over Michigan State, in which each of them forced two fumbles – Rutgers had a whopping seven takeaways in that game – while Toure had two sacks and Young had 10 total tackles.
Anything But a Rout Would Be Progress
No one is expecting Rutgers to upset Ohio State on Saturday, and even a two- or three-score margin of defeat would be a surprise. But if the Scarlet Knights can make some plays on both sides of the ball and find a way to keep Saturday’s game semi-competitive, that would be enough to be another sign of progress for the State University of New Jersey’s football team.
Yeah, moral victories don’t mean much, but we’re talking about a team that has lost all six of its games against Ohio State by at least 35 points. Since joining the Big Ten, the Scarlet Knights have been nothing more to the Buckeyes than an annual cupcake on their schedule, as Ohio State has thoroughly outplayed them year in and year out.
Given that Ohio State is currently ranked as a top-three team in the country, the Buckeyes have as much potential as ever to overmatch Rutgers. But if the Scarlet Knights can at least look like a competent opponent and keep themselves from being completely embarrassed in an unusual primetime road game at Ohio Stadium, that would be a step in the right direction.
