Ohio State Football: 2017 game-by-game predictions
By Shane Lunnen
The Buckeyes will travel to New Jersey to face Rutgers for their second conference game of the season. Rutgers just hopes that they can get on the board in this year’s meeting, as they were shut out last year 58-0.
Rutgers picked up former Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill as their new offensive coordinator. He’ll have his work cut out for him as Rutgers finished last in the country in total offense and next to last in scoring. Quarterback Gio Rescigno will be the starter but highly rated true freshman Jonathan Lewis might push for early playing time. The good news for the Scarlet Knights is they get talented wide receiver Janarion Grant back. He missed most of last season due to injury, but is healthy now.
Rutgers’ defense was not much better than the offense last season, but will look to improve. They return all their starting linebackers, cornerbacks and safeties. They do look weak in the starting front four, but they’ll look to find some answers in fall camp.
This will be another game in which Ohio State should cruise. Rutgers head coach Chris Ash would certainly love to beat his former team, but it won’t be this year.
Rutgers will be coming off a trip to Lincoln that won’t end well and Ohio State should have no trouble here. Mike Weber and J.T. Barrett combine for five touchdowns on the ground and Barrett throws a couple more through the air. Rescigno gets beat up early and turns over the ball three times, leading to Lewis entering the game. On a positive note, Lewis and Grant hook up for a touchdown and they add a field goal as well to avoid being shutout again.