Game Day Skull Session: Get Dumped Then, Rutgers

Ohio State plays Rutgers today, and we all know how this story ends. The Buckeyes are a perfect 8-0 against the Scarlet Knights, outscoring them 428-88 in those games while scoring more than 50 points six times.

Ryan Day has made it clear that Rutgers is improving under Greg Schiano, which is true according to my estimations. However, his program hasn't improved enough to hang with the Buckeyes, but – to be fair – there aren't many programs that can.

This season, Ohio State's offense has reached some sort of fifth gear despite missing Jaxon Smith-Njigba for most of the first four games. C.J. Stroud is the Heisman frontrunner, and Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka and Julian Fleming have shined in Smith-Njigba's absence. TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams have also carried a tremendous load out of the backfield. Oh, and Cade Stover is a legitimate weapon.

On the other side of the ball, Jim Knowles has the unit much improved from last season, as the Buckeyes rank 18th in the country in total defense and 21st in scoring defense. Tommy Eichenberg is a man possessed, Steele Chambers flies around at 100 mph and Mike Hall Jr. is still that dude.

Things are going well for Ohio State right now. So, sorry not sorry, Rutgers – that means you're getting dumped.

The Buckeyes win this one, 59-14.

Let's have a good Saturday, shall we?

 TODAY'S MENU. Several matchups this weekend have College Football Playoff implications, making for an entertaining slate of games. I have bolded the ones that interest me, but feel free to peruse around the list and see which ones catch your eye.

 BACK TO THE BUCKEYES. When Rutgers last visited Columbus, there weren't any fans in Ohio Stadium because of COVID-19. Justin Fields, Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson led the Buckeyes to a 49-27 victory over the Scarlet Knights, who pulled out every trick play imaginable and even returned a punt for a touchdown to keep the game close.

Let's revisit some highlights from that game two years ago:

On Saturday, more than 100,000 people will pack into Ohio Stadium for the game, which will celebrate the centennial anniversary of the Horseshoe, so Rutgers can expect the environment to be different than what they experienced in 2020. The Scarlet Knights can also expect the final score to look different this afternoon, as the Buckeyes should be a little more on their toes toward theatrics and special teams wonders Schiano creates.

Oh, and as a side note...

The second-to-last time Rutgers played in Columbus, Tate Martell had a magical performance, completing 10 of 10 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown.

Incredible stuff.

Imagine you went into a coma immediately after this game and didn't wake up until the start of the 2019 season. You probably would have thought Martell would have been Ohio State's starter, right? 

Oh, how the turn tables.

 MY PICKS.  A Game Day Skull Session wouldn't be complete without some college football picks. I've been hovering around .500 for most of the first four weeks, but I have a feeling I can turn the tide today with my picks. Go ahead and bet the house on these. 2022 RECORD: 5-7

• Purdue at No. 21 Minnesota (-12). I'm starting to love the idea of Ohio State playing Minnesota in the Big Ten Championship. I think the Gophers are the most complete team from the west, and they gave the Buckeyes a good fight in Minneapolis last season. The Gophers will continue their hot start with a big win over Purdue.
• No. 7 Kentucky (+7) at No. 14 Ole Miss. Ole Miss is a bit of a mystery due to its cakewalk schedule so far. Jaxson Dart has been decent, but Lane Kiffin has thus far relied heavily on his running backs. Dart will need to hit on some big plays downfield to keep pace with Will Levis and Kentucky, which I don't see happening. I'll take the Wildcats in a prove-it game.
• No. 10 NC State (+6.5) at No. 5 Clemson. Clemson hasn't really impressed me to this point in the season, and D.J. Uiagalelei has been too inconsistent for my liking. With a primetime top 10 test on tap for the Tigers this weekend, I'll take the Wolfpack to cover the spread here and maybe even win the whole dang thing.

 THE SCARLET KNIGHT DOSSIER. We had a full week of coverage at Eleven Warriors leading up to the Rutgers game. Here is everything you need to know before the late-afternoon kickoff:

• Five Things to Know About Rutgers
• Day Talks JSN, Cornerbacks, Rutgers
• JSN Has "Day to Day" Mindset With Injury
• Parker Lewis Now Eligible
• Passing Offense Shining Without JSN
• The Situational: The Constant Gardener
• Rutgers Game Poster
• Mic Check: Rutgers
• Ohio Stadium Receives Historical Marker
• Players Recap First Month of Season
• Fleming Playing Best Football as a Buckeye
• Brown Building Confidence After First Start
• Day Thinks Rutgers is "Getting Better Every Year"
• Burke "Ready to Roll" This Weekend
• Across the Field: Rutgers
• Depth and Injuries a Concern Before Saturday
• Rutgers Game Trailer
• Rutgers Roundtable
• Rutgers Preview

 SONG OF THE DAY. "Livin' On A Prayer" by Bon Jovi.

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