Ohio State has looked fantastic so far in 2020. It began the season by rolling over Nebraska in the second half and followed that up by beating what we believe is a talented Penn State team on the road.
We don’t expect the high level of play to stop this weekend either.
That’s because the Buckeyes host a Rutgers program that’s searching for a culture and identity metamorphosis under former OSU assistant Greg Schiano. So far, his second stint as the head coach in Piscataway has had an immediate impact, but there’s little doubt that things need to get a whole lot better before swashbuckling into Ohio Stadium and pulling off a shocker against his former team.
Ohio State drops trailer for Rutgers game https://t.co/PHjWytIbTS
— Buckeyes Wire (@BuckeyesWire) November 6, 2020
As always, we give you three reasons why Ohio State will beat its opponent Saturday — this time in the form of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
Next…The state of things
It’s Ohio State against Rutgers
Ohio State vs. Rutgers 2020 Football Preview And Prediction https://t.co/Oemt6CG1aZ
— Buckeyes Wire (@BuckeyesWire) November 3, 2020
Simply put — these two programs are light-years apart. The Scarlet Knights got their first conference win in over two seasons just two weeks ago. Meanwhile, Ohio State has just one Big Ten loss over the last two years.
Most of it has to do with talent of course. OSU has numerous NFL draft picks on its roster year-over-year, and a handful of first-rounders on a yearly basis. The roster is made up of four and five-star athletes because of the recruiting acumen it has.
Rutgers, not so much. Head coach Greg Schiano worked a few miracles in Piscataway during his first run wearing the headset there, and he’ll make a difference this time around too (he already has). But there’s still a big, big gap to close when it comes to putting the football down and letting guys go at it athlete for athlete.
Next … Speed kills
Team speed
Urban Meyer is applying his national-title winning formula at Ohio State. It begins with team speed: http://t.co/h6KRZCLhCT
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) February 10, 2014
Part of that talent in Columbus is built on speed. Ohio State has always recruited players that can run, but under Urban Meyer, that was made a priority. So much so that the Buckeyes unofficially became one of the “fastest” programs in the country.
That team speed is still there, and it’s still being recruited. You can have the best player development around, or the strongest and most well-coached squad, but when OSU gets its players out in space, or tracks down plays on defense, it’s game over for Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights just won’t be able to keep up to the fleet of foot Saturday. Sure, there are some guys that can run on Rutgers, but not at almost every single position on the field.
Big time advantage good guys.
Next … The brotherhood
Ohio State is a cohesive team
Ohio State is more than just a Brotherhood in college. https://t.co/jiBWmAO1bz
— O-H❗️I-O❗️🌰 (@aiden_bowles) August 16, 2019
Letdown? Nope, not with this team.
The OSU coaching staff has done a great job of creating a culture of “brotherhood” in Columbus. Each man looks out for the next and wants to perform because of the close bond with each other.
That alone keeps the team from looking ahead. Each performance is a reflection on the unit as a whole, not the individual. Even if there’s some adversity on Saturday night, the team will keep fighting and pull each other through the fire.
We don’t expect it to get to that anyway though because the leaders and culture of the team won’t let it happen. It’s the type of bond each program strives for. This Ohio State team has it.
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