After rolling through Oregon State, Rutgers is on deck.
I don't even know what to say here, because any trash talk just feels cruel. Rutgers is 0-4 against Ohio State, and has managed just three total touchdowns in those games and none the past two years.
At this point, dragging the Scarlet Knights with my internet words before yet another outright massacre on the football field kinda feels like emotionally abusing a puppy before releasing it into an alligator cage.
Rutgers is a disaster, Rutgers has been a disaster for years, and this game is going to be an absolute disaster.
The Scarlet Knights are trotting out a true freshman quarterback who was benched in high school in favor of dude who didn't even earn a scholarship offer from Minnesota to run an offense that hasn't changed in 10 years.
He'll be protected by an offensive tackle who thought it would be a good idea to let the world know Nick Bosa has yet to register a sack on him. In other words, the guy should be guilty of manslaughter when his quarterback is wrapped around Bosa's shoulder on the first drive of the game.
On defense, the Scarlet Knights are better, but lost their top cornerback this week as they prepare to face a guy who broke two school passing records in his debut start last week.
The only thing really working for Rutgers here is that weather is expected to be absolutely atrocious, but mother nature ain't putting up 30 on the Buckeyes.
I feel bad for Chris Ash – he deserves better than this – but Ohio State has won the past two matchups by an aggregate score of 114-0, and I can't fathom a way this is any less lopsided. Maybe the ball rolls a weird way and Rutgers is given a gift touchdown?
| TIME (ET) | GAME | FAVORITE | CHANNEL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 | NEW MEXICO at #5 WISCONSIN | WIS (-35) | BTN |
| 12:00 | #18 MISSISSIPPI STATE at KANSAS STATE | MISS ST. (-7) | ESPN |
| 12:00 | WESTERN MICHIGAN at #21 MICHIGAN | MICH (-28) | FS1 |
| 1:00 | UCLA at #6 OKLAHOMA | OKLA (-29) | FOX |
| 3:30 | #3 GEORGIA at #24 SOUTH CAROLINA | UGA (-10.5) | CBS |
| 3:30 | RUTGERS at #4 OHIO STATE | OSU (-34.5) | BTN |
| 3:30 | BALL STATE at #8 NOTRE DAME | ND (-34) | NBC |
| 7:00 | TEXAS A&M at #2 CLEMSON | CLEM (-12) | ESPN |
| 7:30 | KENTUCKY at #25 FLORIDA | FLA (-13.5) | SEC |
| 8:00 | #13 PENN STATE at PITTSBURGH | PSU (-7.5) | ABC |
| 8:30 | #17 USC at #10 STANFORD | STAN (-5.5) | FOX |
| 10:15 | UCONN at #20 BOISE STATE | BOISE (-31.5) | ESPNU |
| 10:45 | #15 MICHIGAN STATE at ARIZONA STATE | MSU (-5) | ESPN |
Word of the Day: Eviscerate.
THAT 11W PREGAME FIX.
- Game Preview.
- Q&A With Rutgers beat writer James Kratch.
- Rutgers mailbag.
- 10 Reasons to hate Rutgers.
- Rutgers Roundtable.
- Rutgers tackle Tariq Cole: "All I know is Nick (Bosa) hasn't gotten a sack off me."
- Top Rutgers corner out for the game.
RUTGERS KEEPS GOOD COMPANY. Rutgers' 0-4 record against Ohio State is hilarious, but it's even more hilarious when it's put into context of teams that managed to avoid an 0-4 record against Ohio State.
From Marcus Hartman of the Dayton Daily News:
Having spent an (almost) unhealthy amount of time examining Ohio State records over the years, I was struck by how this looked on paper more like a series against an Ohio Athletic Conference team than a member of the Big Ten....
...
Schools that managed to avoid starting 0-4 against Ohio State on the gridiron include in-state foes Akron, Cincinnati, Denison, Kenyon, Marietta, Oberlin, Ohio Wesleyan, Otterbein, Wittenberg, Wooster, Case and Western Reserve (the latter two eventually merged).
The Zips stand out not only because they shook off losing their first three games against the Buckeyes by an aggregate score of 100-18 to win the fourth meeting 12-6 but because that game 124 years ago is the singular win by a current MAC member against Ohio State.
Ohio Medical scored a total of zero points in its first four meetings with Ohio State, but the Columbus school still managed a tie in 1896, so that gives them an edge over Rutgers, too.
Times have changed, for sure, but it's not a tremendous look to be in the same company as schools like Denison, Kenyon, Marietta or Ohio Medical when you're talking about your Division I, Power Five football program.
But see, Rutgers isn't even in the same company as those schools, because those schools didn't even go 0-4 against Ohio State; Rutgers is about to go 0-5.
FIVE QUICK WINNERS. We've got an exceptionally bad college football slate this week that should feature quite a few lopsided games, but that's why the spread was invented! I went 2-3 last week, but we'll bounce back today.
Ohio State -34.5 against Rutgers
I'm not going to include an Ohio State pick in this section every time, but I'll stop exactly when it stops being a free win. Today is not that day. Rutgers has lost to Ohio State the past two years by deficits of 56 and 58, respectively. The Scarlet Knights aren't 24 points better this year, and the Buckeyes certainly aren't 24 points worse.
South Carolina +10.5 against Georgia
I think South Carolina is a lot better of a football team than folks think and is a dark horse in the SEC East. Georgia is a legitimate national title contender, but South Carolina is getting them at a good time early in the season at home. I expect the Bulldogs to win, but I think it's going to be a low scoring battle and I don't see Georgia winning by two scores.
Arizona State +5 against Michigan State
I think Michigan State is in serious trouble in this game. The Spartans had serious trouble in the trenches against on offense against the Utah State defense while Arizona State's defensive line dominated in its opener. I'm a huge believer that whoever controls the trenches controls the game, and I think that's going to be a problem for the Spartans. Traveling across the country and playing at 11 p.m. eastern time doesn't help.
Clemson -12 against Texas A&M
Clemson still hasn't fully figured out its quarterback situation, but it doesn't matter. Again, I'm huge believer in controlling the line of scrimmage, and that Clemson defensive line is going to have Kellen Mond running for his life all game. He's going to get hit early and often, and Texas A&M isn't going to have much success offensively.
Cincinnati +1 against Miami (OH)
This feels like a trap, and if it is, I'm falling for it. Cincinnati just beat UCLA in its season opener, spoiling Chip Kelly's debut, while Miami dropped its opener at home against Marshall and was handled most of the game. Marshall could be a 10-win team this year and Miami is not a bad team either, but I'm just having a hard time figure out how Cincinnati is the underdog in this game, being played in Cincinnati. Maybe my Luke Fickell-colored glasses have me blinded, but I'm going with the Bearcats.
THOSE WMDs. Apocalypse-fearing billionaires are shipping bunkers to New Zealand... When just being near alcohol lands you in jail... Giant Eagle employee charged with eating $9,200 worth of deli meat... GoFundMe "committed" to ensuring a homeless man gets all the money raised for him...
