Here we go with week three for Ohio State and the rest of the Big Ten football season. In just two weeks we’ve already seen some upsets and surprising teams, but the Buckeyes just keep right on rolling along.
This week brings the Rutgers Scarlet Knights to town, and it’s not expected to be much of a contest. Sure new (kind of) head coach Greg Schiano seems to have already started a culture change in Piscataway, but there’s a big difference between not getting steamrolled and actually being competitive against a team like Ohio State.
So the stage is set. Night will fall, the ‘Shoe will come alive with piped-in crowd noise and music, and Ohio State will do battle with Rutgers in prime time on the Big Ten Network.
Ohio State vs. Rutgers: How and where to watch and listen to the game Saturday night https://t.co/vd6YBvETAq
— Buckeyes Wire (@BuckeyesWire) November 7, 2020
As we do every week, here are some final, random, streaming thoughts about a myriad of senseless topics heading into the game.
NEXT … Final Thoughts
Ohio State vs. Rutgers Final Thoughts
– It’s Greg Schiano’s return to the ‘Shoe. We wish him all the success in the world over there in Jersey, but something tells me this experience on the banks of the Olentangy won’t be as enjoyable as ones where he was with the good guys.
– The game line on this is a whopping -38 points in favor of Ohio State. It might actually be undervalued, but we shall see.
– How much wood would a head coach chop if a head coach could chop wood? Greg Schiano can answer that one for you.
– Is this the week that we see Ohio State’s running backs get things cranked up. The combo of Master Teague and Trey Sermon have been okay, but not game-breaking. You get the feeling the Buckeyes will need some explosiveness out of that position somewhere down the line.
– Is there any possible way Justin Fields can keep putting up video game numbers? It’s like he’s a cheat code against college football defenses and he’s going against one that’s going to be severely undermanned Saturday night.
– On that note, I say the Fields Heisman train keeps right on rolling along.
– So who picked Ohio State vs. Rutgers as a night game anyway? Something tells me the Big Ten Network just wanted to put OSU on at night to get some viewers. BREAKING: It’ll probably work.
– I’m still waiting for freshman wide receiver Julian Fleming to show out. We know the skill is there, and this might be the perfect game to get some more reps and introduce himself to Buckeye nation.
– Ditto for other freshman wide receivers like Gee Scott, Jr., Jaxon Smith-Njigba (well, there was that catch last week), and Mookie Cooper.
– I’m interested to see also who gets in on the defensive back rotation with Cameron Brown now lost to injury for the year. The back end of the defense is most certainly the most concerning spot for this team.
– Ditto on placekicking duties. Blake Haubeil is out, so who gets the look there? Might we see highly-touted freshman kicker Jake Seibert?
– I sure am glad to see linebacker Justin Hilliard back on the field today after having to miss last Saturday because of a false positive COVID-19 test. Good on the Big Ten for changing the protocol too because of it.
– Yes, I just said something good about the leadership of the Big Ten. Mark it down.
– Alright, let’s have some fun! Go Bucks!
